The British High Commission in Suva is able to provide assistance to small projects in Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Tonga and Vanuatu. We therefore welcome project bids from these countries.

Our main focus is on projects that address good governance, sustainable development, environmental protection and poverty reduction. We will also consider projects that address issues related to human rights, as well as activities related to conflect prevention and/or resolution.

Who Can Apply?
Civil Society Organisations, Government Departments, Youth Groups, Womens' and Mens' Groups, Village Committees, Rotary Clubs and any other registered group whose aims are relevant to the funding criteria.

More information on the scheme’s funding criteria can be obtained along with an application form from:

Projects Officer
British High Commission
47 Gladstone Road
P O Box 1355
Suva
Republic of the Fiji Islands

Tel: (679) 322 9114 [Direct line]
Fax: (679) 322 9132
E-mail: projectssuva@fco.gov.uk


Recently-funded projects:

• Assistance to the Fiji National Council for Disabled Persons (FNCDP) to gather statistics on the challenges disabled females faced within their families and communities.  The survey also provided an opportunity to gather information on challenges faced by disabled males which would be used as a effective tool to measure the types and degrees of discrimination faced between genders.
  
• Youth in Action for Environment: Assistance to the National Trust of Fiji (NTF) to deliver educational sessions linked to the curriculum on environmental issues including conservation, sustainable/living consumption at Nadroga/Navosa Secondary School in Sigatoka. The session would promote practical hands-on involvement by students and teachers. The NTF would also run two hands-on environmental "youth in action" camps at the National Park for youths during the school holiday breaks at the end of Terms I & II in 2009. NTF aims to establish a sense of local ownership and understanding of the environmental and cultural values of the National Park by young people from the region.
  
• No to Sniffing Glue in Primary Schools in Fiji: The objective of this project was to use creative methods of developing awareness on the danger and realities of sniffing solvents in order to prevent the increase use of glue sniffing by primary school students in Fiji. Assistance was provided to the Women's Action for Change (WAC), who through participatory methods would increase skills amongst primary school students around decision making, and improve self-esteem to prevent the need to experiment with substance abuse. WAC have performed plays in 8 primary schools in Suva and Lautoka.
  
• Restoration of the Culanuku Fiji Sago Palm Wetland-Forest: Establishment of a locally and sustainably managed soga area (LMSA)  with the landowning communities of Culanuku and Wainiyabia that could be used as a model for the establishment of other LMSAs in the Serua Province. NatureFiji-MareqetiViti would continue to work with the communities in carrying out the restoration of sago forests.
  
• Co-funded the establishment of a Pacific Regional Facility Fund by UNIFEM in support of organisations and actions to eliminate Violence Against Women in the Pacific region. Beneficiaries of this project would achieve better results and higher effectiveness in combating violence against women in the Pacific Island countries.
  
• Fiji's Environment for the Future - Nodra I Yaubula Na Luveda: Development of episodes for airing on TV1 on conservation issues and practical solutions to those environmental problems.  Episodes would also highlight local community initiatives promoting best practices and solutions to those problems.  The Fiji public would have enhanced awareness of conservation issues as consumers and appreciation of the work that needs to be done.

2008-funded projects:

• Assistance to the World Conservation Union (IUCN) for the launch of the Environmental Film Festival on 2 June 2008 to highlight International Environment Week. This activity was co-funded by the Wildlife Conservation Society, Conservation International, Birdlife International and the Alliance Francaise Suva.
  
• Assistance to the Fiji Women's Right Movement for the organisation of the Transitional Justice Pacific round-table meeting held in Nadi 25 - 27th June 2008. Participants were invited from civil society organisations, law firms, police, the military and the media. Regional participants were invited from Tonga, Vanuatu, PNG, Solomon Islands and Fiji. This was a co-funded project with AusAID, US Embassy, New Zealand High Commission and No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ), which is supported by the European Union (EU).
  
• Assistance to the Fiji Law Society for its annual convention in July 2008. The theme was “The Rule of Law in Ethnically Diverse Societies - Challenges for Fiji and the Pacific”. The convention was attended by law societies from the South Pacific region and also by the Law Council of Australia, New Zealand Law Society, LAWASIA and the International Bar Association.
  
• Assistance to FEMLINK Pacific for production and distribution of publications to contribute to their regional and national outreach programmes.
  
• Assistance to the Ironman Ministry, Tonga for the construction of facilities for improved provision of services to first time offenders and returned Tongan deportees, with the aim of preventing recidivism and reintegrating participants into society.
  
• Assistance to the Tuvalu Government for provision of an IT database that would allow Tuvalu to maintain up-to-date legislation in a consolidated form that would be available to all Tuvaluans, government entities, non-government organisations and other interested parties.
  
• Assistance to the Vinmavis Development Council (VDC)/Vinmavis Experts Advisory Group (EAG), Vanuatu to conduct community governance awareness workshops to inform communities of the importance of voting in elections in September, 2008 and to continue to build the capacity of leaders in village communities concerned with governance issues.
  
• Assistance to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for a regional environmental legislation workshop to enhance environmental and natural resource management outcomes in the Pacific Islands by building national level capacity to develop effective environmental laws and regulations.