More US Government funds allocated to support the Occupy Central protests in Hong Kong - NED grants to the NDI in 2014

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) was established to act as a conduit to disperse US Government funds for ‘promoting democracy’, allocated by the US Congress to its four core grantees, including the National Democratic Institute (NDI), which represents the Democratic Party of America¹.

NED Grants in 2014, including to support Occupy Central

According to the 2014 NED Annual Report, the NDI were given grants of US$410,000 and US$51,210, including to support online platforms and community initiatives that promote citizen-created models of governance (these refer to the Design Democracy Project platforms, which were used to coordinate and support the Occupy Central protests). Details of these grants are as follows:

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs - Political Processes - $410,000 - Amplifying Citizens’ Voices in Hong Kong & China - To engage Hong Kong civic and political sectors in substantive dialogue around governance and electoral reform processes and to provide civic education for Chinese activists. NDI will assist efforts to promote citizens’ voices in Hong Kong’s political reform process and provide technical assistance to Chinese activists on organizational and advocacy skills. In Hong Kong, NDI will support online platforms and community initiatives that promote citizen-created models of governance. NDI will also conduct a young women’s leadership initiative.

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs - Political Processes - Supplement: $51,210 - Amplifying Citizens’ Voices in Hong Kong - To amplify citizens’ voices in Hong Kong’s political reform process and provide technical assistance to mainland Chinese activists on organizational and advocacy skills. In Hong Kong, NDI will support online platforms and community initiatives that promote citizen-created models of governance. NDI will also conduct a young women’s leadership initiative for up to 20 participants from mainland China and Hong Kong².

Interestingly, these grants were not recorded under Hong Kong, but were hidden away in the Asia Regional section of the NED Annual Report. See grant details below below:

NED Grant to China (Hong Kong) in 2014

NED Grants to Asia Regional in 2014

Details of two grants to the NDI for work in Hong Kong in 2014.
Hidden away in the Asian Regional section.

References

¹Oversight of the National Endowment for Democracy : hearings before the Subcommittee on International Operations of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Ninety-ninth Congress, second session, May 14 and 20, June 11, 1986. See link to report: http://njlaw.rutgers.edu/collections/gdoc/hearings/8/86602878/86602878_1.pdf 

²National Endowment for Democracy (NED) Annual Report 2014. Grants to Asia Regional in 2014.