Open Society Foundations
Self-portrait
The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. (https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/about) Our Mission
The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant societies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people.
We seek to strengthen the rule of law; respect for human rights, minorities, and a diversity of opinions; democratically elected governments; and a civil society that helps keep government power in check.
We help to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights.
We implement initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media.
We build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information.
Working in every part of the world, the Open Society Foundations place a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of people in marginalized communities.
Our Values
We believe in fundamental human rights, dignity, and the rule of law.
We believe in a society where all people are free to participate fully in civic, economic, and cultural life.
We believe in addressing inequalities that cut across multiple lines, including race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and citizenship.
We believe in holding those in power accountable for their actions and in increasing the power of historically excluded groups.
We believe in helping people and communities press for change on their own behalf.
We believe in responding quickly and flexibly to the most critical threats to open society.
We believe in taking on controversial issues and supporting bold, innovative solutions that address root causes and advance systemic change.
We believe in encouraging critical debate and respecting diverse opinions. (https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/about/mission-values)
Description
Open Society Foundations, formerly Open Society Institute, is a network of foundations and projects running in more than 100 countries that promotes democracy, human rights, and economic, social and legal reforms. It implements initiatives and builds international partnerships to combat corruption and the abuse of human rights through the development of civil society organizations.
The Open Society Foundations was established in 1993 to support the Soros Foundation in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as in the Soviet Union. In 1996, OSF started programmes in the United States, in response to older adults, changing the justice system and challenging migration laws. In that year, Baltimore was selected for a comprehensive project to analyze the root causes of poverty and injustice. Nowadays, the OSF works primarily in the implementation of laws for freedom of information, the development of international courts for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. It also focus on transparency and accountability for countries deriving their profits from exploitation of natural resources.
George Soros, founder of this organization, is a millionaire mogul and American financial speculator of Hungarian origin who began his philanthropic activities in 1979, supporting scholarships to South Africans under Apartheid and helping to undermine communism in the Eastern bloc giving photocopiers to reproduce vetted texts. He founded the Central European University in 1991 as a centre of research and analysis that promotes the principles of open and democratic societies. The Soros Foundation has undertaken projects such as Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and numerous initiatives such as education programmes, internet accessibility and support to child problems and drug addiction in Asia, Baltimore, Brussels, and Washington, providing scholarships and support for women, young people and migrants.
Publications
Links
URL: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/
Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Society_Foundations
