FY2023 Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation

U.S. Mission Mozambique announces an open competition for organizations to submit project ideas in the form of Concept Notes for Round 1 of the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) 2023 Grants Program. Concept Notes must be submitted via email to MaputoPDProposals@state.gov until December 21, 2022. Priority Region: Mozambique Program Objectives: AFCP supports the preservation of cultural sites, cultural objects, and forms of traditional cultural expression in more than 100 developing countries around the world, including Mozambique. AFCP-supported projects include the restoration of ancient and historic buildings, assessment and conservation of rare manuscripts and museum collections, preservation and protection of important archaeological sites, and the documentation of vanishing traditional craft techniques and indigenous languages. Cultural heritage endures as a reminder of the contributions and historical experiences of humanity. By taking a leading role in efforts to preserve cultural heritage, the U.S. shows its respect for other cultures. AFCP gives top priority to project activities in keeping with international standards for the preservation of cultural heritage. An appropriate preservation activity is one that protects the values of the site, object or collection, or form of traditional cultural expression as they are understood by stakeholders. Stakeholders may include national, regional, or local cultural authorities, the local community, and others with vested interests in the site and the outcome of a project. Awards can range from $10,000 to $500,000. Funding Areas: The AFCP Grants Program supports the preservation of archaeological sites, historic buildings and monuments, museum collections, and forms of traditional cultural expression, such as indigenous languages and crafts. Appropriate project activities may include: a) Anastylosis (reassembling a site from its original parts) b) Conservation (addressing damage or deterioration to an object or site) c) Consolidation (connecting or reconnecting elements of an object or site) d) Documentation (recording in analog or digital format the condition and salient features of an object, site, or tradition) e) Inventory (listing of objects, sites, or traditions by location, feature, age, or other unifying characteristic or state) f) Preventive Conservation (addressing conditions that threaten or damage a site, object, collection, or tradition) g) Restoration (replacing missing elements to recreate the original appearance of an object or site, usually appropriate only with fine arts, decorative arts, and historic buildings) h) Stabilization (reducing the physical disturbance of an object or site). CULTURAL SITES: This might include (but is not limited to) historical buildings and sites, sacred places, monuments, and archaeological sites. Proposals in this category may involve, for example, restoration of a historic building, an archaeological survey as a component of a preservation plan, preservation management planning for a site, or documentation of sites in a region for preservation purposes. CULTURAL OBJECTS AND COLLECTIONS: From a museum, cultural site, or similar institution. This includes archaeological and ethnographic objects, paintings, sculpture, manuscripts, photographic and film collections, and general museum conservation activities. Proposals in this category may involve, for example, conservation treatment for an object or collection of objects; needs assessment of a collection with respect to its condition and strategies for improving its state of conservation; inventory of a collection for conservation purposes; the creation of safe environments for storage or display of collections; or specialized training in the care and preservation of collections. FORMS OF TRADITIONAL CULTURAL EXPRESSION: This includes traditional music, rituals, knowledge, languages, dance, drama, and crafts. Proposal in this category may involve documenting and audiovisual recording of traditional music and dance forms as part of a tradition expression and making the information and recordings available, or support for training in preservation or traditional arts or crafts that are threatened by extinction. Special note regarding sites and objects that have a religious connection: The Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution permits the government to include religious objects and sites within an aid program under certain conditions. For example, an item with a religious connection (including a place of worship) may be the subject of a cultural preservation grant if the item derives its primary significance and is nominated solely on the basis of architectural, artistic, historical, or other cultural (not religious) criteria. Funding Priorities: U.S. Embassy in Mozambique encourages projects that that promote American values, such as tolerance and respect for cultural diversity.
Categories: Other (see text field entitled "Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity" for clarification).