Omdena is the AI Partner for $452M USAID Civil Society and Media Program for creating Inclusive Democratic Societies

Omdena is excited to announce that we are chosen as the AI and Data partner of the Consortium that won the USAID project to strengthen civil society and media’s capacities in Africa, LAC, Asia, MENA, and EE regions.

USAID has chosen Pact, along with IREX and their consortium partners, to lead two new regional programs, each titled Civil Society and Media – Strengthened Together and Advancing in New Directions (CSM-STAND). The CSM-STAND programs, with a combined funding ceiling of $452 million, will foster innovative design and implementation of civil society and media programming while partnering with local change agents to foster global learning. The regions of focus are Africa, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Asia, Europe and Eurasia, and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Through CSM-STAND, Pact, IREX, and the partners will work closely with USAID Missions, Regional Bureaus, and Independent Offices to leverage and strengthen civil society and media’s capacities to credibly represent citizens interests and hold governments accountable through advocacy, oversight, and outreach. The program will catalyze local, regional, and cross-regional approaches that foster independent civic forces, enhance civic engagement, and build vibrant, resilient, and sustainable civil society and media sectors.

The consortium includes talented global, regional, and technical partners with proven expertise and commitment to strengthening civil society and media. In addition to IREX, our global partners include the Aga Khan Foundation, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, and The Asia Foundation. In Africa and MENA, our regional partners are AfriLabs, Arab Network for Civic Education, Samir Kassir Foundation, Sonke Gender Justice, and West Africa Civil Society Institute. In Asia, Europe and Eurasia, and LAC, our regional partners are the European Journalism Centre, MAKAIA, Prague Civil Society Centre, FORUM-ASIA, Fundación Gabo. Across both projects, we’ve assembled an innovative team of technical partners including Moonshot CVE, Omdena, and TechSoup.

(Parts of the text above are taken from Pact´s press release)