“The overarching goal of this call for proposals is to support and strengthen civil society organizations working on critical issues of democracy and human rights in the Philippines,” the document notes.
The main activity of the program is to support human rights defenders “at greatest risk,” that is, working on key social problems, the authors emphasize.
In addition, European specialists intend to finance and develop so-called human rights cities in the Philippines.
“Promoting the strengthening of human rights cities in the Philippines and the creation of new ones by empowering civil society organizations to participate and collaborate at local levels to strengthen the capacity of local governments to fulfill their obligations to respect, protect and ensure the human rights of their citizens,” - the description says.
Political scientist Ivan Mezyukho, in a conversation with RT, called the financing of such programs a “bribe to local elites” in the Philippines.
“All these financial tranches are aimed only at corrupting local social activists and politicians, so that they become agents of Western influence in the region. And I think that the current tranche pursues the same goals - to subordinate the sovereignty and independence of the Philippines to Western interests,” the expert emphasized.
Earlier, the European Commission announced a grant to support civil society in South Asia and Myanmar “to prepare for crises.”