21.  Support, in the form of small grants administered by the “Assisting Communities Together” (ACT) project, a joint initiative of the United Nations Development Programme  (UNDP) and OHCHR, was given for grass-roots youth projects to promote respect for diversity in schools and through non-formal education. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 57/212 requesting OHCHR to continue and expand ACT, OHCHR launched in October 2003, in cooperation with UNDP, the fourth phase of the project.

Human rights educational initiatives aiming at combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance were selected in 10 countries.  NGOs’ projects addressing discrimination against indigenous populations were awarded grants in Nicaragua, Colombia, Uruguay and Cambodia. Public awareness-raising activities to promote and enhance tolerance, a culture of peace and coexistence between ethnic groups are being implemented in Chad, Burundi and Romania. Efforts to promote and protect the rights of the disabled, eradicate gender discrimination and discrimination based on sexual orientations are being carried out through public information campaigns and training workshops in Mongolia, Serbia and Montenegro, Kyrgyzstan and Mauritania. OHCHR also provided assistance to six national human rights institutions from Mexico, Venezuela, Fiji, India, Mongolia and Niger to implement activities in the field of awareness-raising on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Link to full text of the report: Report-OHCHR-combating defamation of religions-2005-eng