Climate Action Through Religious Interventions

The U.S. Department of State's Consulate General Peshawar announces an open competition for one assistance award through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), contingent on funding availability, through the Public Diplomacy Grants Program. The grant will implement a program on Climate Action Through Religious Interventions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The project intends to educate clerics and religious leaders of different faiths-including Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs etc.-in KP about climate change and to create awareness about its impact. These clerics will serve as messengers, imparting the knowledge to congregations through Friday sermons, Sunday masses and other religious gatherings. By seamlessly integrating climate change education into religious discourse, the project will promote sustainable practices and a culture of environmental consciousness throughout KP.

The grantee will identify 50 religious' leaders of different faiths from the Peshawar, Malakand and Hazara regions. A baseline survey will be conducted to assess their knowledge of climate change and environmental issues. The grantee will develop a curriculum in collaboration with but not limited to, different government departments, NGOs, and academic experts. The curriculum will have a series of trainings involving religious clerics and will be held in the Peshawar, Malakand and Hazara regions. At the end of the program, the grantee will conduct a post-project survey to assess knowledge gained during the project.

This NOFO aims to address the above-mentioned issues by training religious leaders from different faiths to enhance their knowledge of climate issues so they can serve as community resources and create greater awareness among their congregations on combating climate change and protecting the environment.