Open Society Foundations

Congratulations to our founder George Soros on receiving the European Civil Rights Prize of the Sinti and Roma, in memory of Holocaust survivors and pioneers of the Roma civil rights movement, Oskar and Vinzenz Rose and endowed by the leading German charitable foundation, Manfred Lautenschläger Foundation. The award recognizes Mr. Soros’s decades-long commitment to advancing the rights, dignity, and empowerment of Roma communities across Europe. Alex Soros, George Soros’s son and Open Society Board Chair, accepted the award today on his father’s behalf at a ceremony in Berlin, Germany. “The Roma have endured centuries of discrimination and marginalization, rooted in a long history of violence—from the Holocaust to forced sterilization, child removals, and evictions. These injustices continue to resurface, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and, more recently, when Roma fleeing the war in Ukraine faced barriers to shelter and aid. I’ve always believed that open societies must protect the rights of all people—especially those who are excluded. Working alongside Roma leaders and communities has been one of the most meaningful parts of my life’s work,” George Soros reflected on his long-standing relationship with the Roma community. This commitment to the Roma community continues with the 2023 launch of the Roma Foundation for Europe, an independent, Roma-led institution established with a €100 million pledge from Open Society, and with the Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative, which will expand micro-loans to €15 million across six European countries by next year. Learn more: https://osf.to/48CDaZk #OpenSociety #GeorgeSoros #Antiziganism #Roma #Sinti #CivilRights #HumanRights 📸: Björn Steinz/Panos for the Open Society Foundations; Open Society Foundations

Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of any open society. Georgian authorities seek “to silence journalists, erase dissent and break our spirit,” writes imprisoned journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, the country’s first female political prisoner since independence: https://osf.to/3L3jVOP A co-founder of Georgian independent media outlets and Open Society partners Batumelebi and Netgazeti, she implores Europe to offer its support to Georgia, especially its beleaguered civil society and independent media by speaking out “for the people in the streets, for the journalists behind bars, for a society that refuses to bend” in the face of repressive authorities under Russia’s influence. Today, the EU Parliament has awarded its highest human rights award, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, to Amaglobeli and imprisoned Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut as symbols for the struggle for freedom: https://osf.to/3KURXov

Drug overdose claimed more than 80,000 Americans’ lives last year. This tragic number is fortunately down 27% from the year before. Investments in harm reduction—including naloxone distribution, syringe services programs, medications for opioid use disorder, and housing-first programs—have helped bring the number of overdose deaths down. We risk losing this progress because of politics. Recently, the Trump administration has targeted harm reduction programs for funding cuts, hampering the delivery of proven, evidence-based interventions that have saved lives. These recent actions reflect a worrying shift away from science that works. Unfortunately, many of these interventions get wrapped up in stigma and misunderstandings associated with drug use and those who use drugs. Yet, these programs are effective, provide an important entry to broader care, and engage people who don’t typically go to traditional healthcare professionals. Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, DrPH, who leads our drug policy work, writes in Common Dreams: “We can’t let politics come in the way of saving very real lives. Too much is at stake now.” Read her full piece: https://osf.to/3InHfpv #OpenSociety #DrugPolicy #HarmReduction

Climate disasters are becoming more frequent, costly, and deadly. At the same time, economic insecurity is fueling unrest that divides societies. The green transition can be a vital catalyst for countries to become more equal and prosperous, while protecting the planet—but right now, just a few countries are benefiting from that transition, while the Global South bears the costs. Lower income countries are providing labor and commodities (e.g. cobalt from Democratic Republic of Congo, nickel from Indonesia, and lithium from Chile), while the Global North turns them into high-value products which it sells back to the Global South while retaining the profits. This value-chain colonialism aggravates entrenched inequality from decades of neoliberal policy imposed on much of the world. Our director of economic and climate prosperity, Laura Carvalho, explains how Open Society is focused on addressing this imbalance and supporting countries to cultivate new economic models that deliver climate goals, sustainable jobs, and social justice. Read more: https://osf.to/470Av9n #OpenSociety #GreenTransition #SustainableDevelopment #EconomicJustice Inside Open Society looks at the leaders who are advancing Open Society’s mission to promote rights, equity, and justice around the world. With a commitment to amplifying local knowledge, these leaders are supporting innovative solutions to help democratic and open societies thrive. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gPqEUW3e

Civil society is rewriting the rules of engagement using global financial institutions to advance transparency, anti-corruption, and civic space. Next week, Devex and Open Society Foundations will convene global and local players for a two-part high-level discussion on real-world lessons behind leveraging global financial institutions to advance governance reforms. From Kenya to Sri Lanka, explore how flexible, locally led approaches are changing the game. Register now 👉 dvx.cm/WBGMeetings #DevexImpactHouse #WBGMeetings

Freedom of speech and expression are cornerstones of any free and open society. Those freedoms are under sustained attack, even in established democratic societies like the United States. The Open Society Foundations’ work protects constitutional rights, including free speech and the freedom to peaceful protest. We have long supported efforts worldwide to ensure everyone can freely express themselves so that governments can be held to account, art and debate can flourish, and people can get vital information they need to make important choices. As the world’s largest private funder of human rights, we protect individual freedoms and fairness, while advancing the dignity and well-being of all people. Learn more about our history: https://osf.to/history 📸: Drew Angerer/Getty, Peter Turnley/Corbis/Getty, Ahmed Jallanzo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock, Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty, courtesy of amaBhungane, Jeff Greenberg/Getty, Janet Jarman/Redux for the Open Society Foundations, Open Society Foundations #OpenSociety #OpenSocietyHistory #GeorgeSoros #FreedomOfSpeech #FreeSpeech #FreedomOfExpression

From our origins as a philanthropy during the Cold War to confronting today’s multiple crises, our Senior Vice President Leonard Benardo explores our history, present, and future with Peter Slezkine of The Stimson Center. Listen:

With its abundant natural resources and rapidly growing workforce, Africa has the potential to achieve a clean-energy transition that powers sustainable, inclusive growth, writes SEDF CEO Georgia Levenson Keohane in Project Syndicate: https://bit.ly/4gOe2kl This is why we are doubling down on African-led solutions as engines of sustainable economic growth and broad-based prosperity. To date, we have committed $55 million to initiatives led primarily by African investors and entrepreneurs, with additional commitments to follow.

Attacks against the Open Society Foundations are not about us, but about the United States slowly losing its democracy, as we have seen in different parts of the world. We remain true to our values to promote rights, equity, and justice. Here's my interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep:

My UNGA Reflections: Unlocking Africa’s Critical Minerals for Inclusive Growth. It has been a week of deep learning and meaningful connections with both new and existing partners on the sidelines of UNGA80 and Climate Week New York. I had the privilege to participate in a side event at the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI), convened by SEforALL and UN Global Compact, titled “From minerals to manufacturing: building clean energy technology value chains for and by Africa.” In addition, I attended important sessions including: • The roundtable on the role of the diaspora in addressing the challenges and promise of U.S.-Africa critical mineral development partnerships and beyond • Safeguarding human rights in the race for transition minerals • AI and the future of minerals and gas: frameworks for climate justice and collaboration. My key reflections and takeaways from these conversations are clear: • Africa is no longer waiting on the sidelines. The continent is actively preparing its economies for industrialization anchored on value addition at source and beneficiation of critical minerals. • Africa is no longer the menu on the table. By leveraging its rich mineral resources, renewable energy sources, and the largest young population for the future workforce, the continent is positioning itself with bargaining power for development. • Capital is no longer in shortage. Many investors are seeking to secure supply of critical minerals, but partnerships must be mutually beneficial and respond directly to Africa’s priorities. • Partnerships and investments must be holistic and grounded in local contexts and based on fair assessments of risks. Over-reliance on perceived risks often results in unsustainable debt burdens. • While skills and technology gaps remain, they can and should be addressed within partnership agreements through technology transfer, knowledge sharing, and human capital development. • AI has the potential to strengthen mineral exploration, extraction, and supply chain transparency. Yet we must also examine the material implications of AI’s expansion for global extraction patterns, rather than sidelining them in favor of AI’s promised advantages. Above all, strategies for critical minerals must be co-developed with communities and those most directly impacted by mining, ensuring human rights protections and environmental stewardship. The central priority moving forward is to transform the current extractive economic model. With critical minerals, Africa has a chance to build an economy rooted in equitable, responsible, and inclusive beneficiation at source— delivering job creation, poverty alleviation, and lasting prosperity for the continent. #UNGA #climateweekNY #criticalminerals