Voice is a program within the dialogue and dissent policy framework of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The overarching goal of this policy framework is to strengthen the capacity for lobby and advocacy of civil society organisations in low-and lower-middle-income countries.
Voice is aimed at capacity strengthening for lobby and advocacy of civil society organisations and representatives of the most marginalised and discriminated groups. These groups are often the most hard-to-reach. Therefore innovative approaches to both capacity strengthening, to lobby and advocacy as well as empowerment are essential to Voice. A linking and learning process must encourage sharing of lessons learned, and provide a forum for mutual learning and empowerment of the most marginalised and discriminated groups. Voice is initially a five-year program, for which EUR 50 million is available for both program-, management- and linking and learning costs.
Coverage
Voice is being implemented in 10 Countries including Nigeria. Currently, Nigeria is focusing on Abuja, Lagos and Enugu States.
The three thematic focuses of Voice are:
- Improved access to (productive) resources (finance, land, and water) and employment,
- Improved access to social services, health, and education in particular,
- Space for political participation.
Voice is a grant-making program. The grant scheme is designed to support informal groups as well as formal organisations and networks and is closely linked to the areas of change of the project. The grantees are known as rightholders and they include people from the following categories:
- People with disability (PWD)
- Women facing exploitation, abuse and violence (WEAV)
- Age discriminated grous
- Ethnic minority/Indigenous group
Empowerment grant
Targeting (informal) groups or organizations to raise awareness, develop transformative leadership, build confidence and skills, and work against stigmatization of marginalized and discriminated groups. Smaller grants with an average one-year time frame, accessible for informal groups partnering with formal organisations.
Influencing grant
Targeting organizations and networks to strengthen their lobby and advocacy capacities and amplify voices of marginalized and discriminated groups.
Innovate and learn grants
For groups and organizations to test and scale new approaches.
Sudden opportunity grant
Creating flexibility to deal with specific unanticipated opportunities will be selected on the advice of local communities and the advisory board.
Open Call for Proposal is launched every year to select grantees under each of the above-mentioned grant cycles. Further to the 2017 call, Voice Nigeria has 4 grantees under the Influencing grant. 6 proposed grantees under the empowerment grant and 2 proposed grantees under the innovate and learn grant.
Voice Rightholder Aspiration
Rightsholders are passionate about inspiring change to cause:
- Political shifts
- Economic shifts
- Social shifts
- (Invisible) power shifts
For more information, feedback, or queries on Voice:
Email: Nigeria.voice@oxfamnovib.nl
FB: Oxfam in Nigeria, Voice global
Website: www.voice.global/nigeria