Open Society Foundations

Today our founder George Soros was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest civilian honor in the United States—in recognition of his lifelong commitment to defending freedom of expression and advancing human rights and justice. The presidential remarks praised Soros: “His inspiring generosity reminds us all of our capacity and our obligation to stand up to the abuse of power and to be guardians of democracy and all people yearning to be free.” The award was presented by President Biden at a ceremony in the White House, with Open Society Chair Alex Soros accepting the honor on his father’s behalf. Soros’s journey to America was shaped by his early experiences surviving the Holocaust and living under Communist rule in Hungary. His philanthropic work began more than 40 years ago with scholarships for Black South African students during apartheid. Over the years, the Open Society Foundations has expanded its reach to more than 100 countries, supporting civil society groups and projects that strengthen freedom worldwide. Learn more: https://osf.to/3W5cIAk #OpenSociety #GeorgeSoros #PresidentialMedalOfFreedom

Congratulations to our founder, George Soros, on being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. President Biden is recognizing Soros for his lifelong commitment to advancing more just societies and promoting human rights around the world. A survivor of Nazi-occupied Hungary and then Communist repression, Soros has contributed more than $32 billion to advancing freedom and justice across the world. Beginning in 1979 with scholarships for Black South African students under apartheid, he pioneered a new model of philanthropy focused on direct collaboration with local communities. Anticipating the fall of Communism, he established his first foundation in Hungary and expanded efforts to support democratic reform across Eastern Europe. Over the next decade, his foundations grew to work in more than 100 countries to promote human rights and justice. In the United States, Soros has advanced racial justice, supported public health-based drug policy reform, revolutionized end-of-life care, and played a pivotal role in securing marriage equality nationwide—one of the most significant civil rights victories in modern American history. Open Society Chair Alex Soros will accept the Medal of Freedom on his father’s behalf today at the White House. #OpenSociety #GeorgeSoros #PresidentialMedalOfFreedom

Happy New Year! Now and throughout the year, let’s work together to defend and ensure human rights for all. A couple releases a lantern to mark the arrival of the New Year in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on January 1, 2024. © Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP/Getty

Celebrate open society this holiday season. Now and throughout the year, let’s work together to defend and ensure human rights for all. Two young ballerinas embrace on stage ahead of a performance in London on October 26, 2024. © Alishia Abodunde/Getty

Human rights defenders face grave risks for their work advocating for a better world. 300 defenders were killed in 2023 alone, and 3,000 over the past decade. We are backing new ways to support people who courageously tackle human rights abuses—such as mobilizing a protective social web around them. We believe those on the frontlines of struggles for democracy, equity, and justice should not be left alone. They advocate for justice in their communities. They stand with Central American villagers demanding fair compensation from mining companies that pollute their drinking water. They speak out against the persecution of LGBTQI people in Uganda and extrajudicial killings in Mexico. Learn about our work to build coalitions at the local level and support human rights defenders from Sharan Srinivas, who leads our work on protecting rights defenders: https://osf.to/3Bu4SJL #OpenSociety #HumanRights #EnvironmentalRights #EnvironmentalDefenders #HumanRightsDefenders

Congratulations to the 2024 Soros Justice Fellows! These 14 fellows’ projects aim to curb mass incarceration and ensure a fair and equitable justice system in the U.S. The 2024 Fellows: Catherine B.esteman and Brandon Brown will educate, coordinate, and interrupt the flow of people into prisons through a robust, reparative, healing alternative to incarceration. Claudia Muñoz-Castellano will educate and create a Texas legal empowerment program to combat the alarming rise in criminalizing immigrants. Deborah Small will study local efforts to “reimagine public safety,” focusing on their effectiveness. Elizabeth G. Kennedy, Ph.D. will research deportees to El Salvador and Honduras, focusing on youth, indigenous, Garifuna, and LGBTQI+ communities and sexual and gender-based violence survivors. George Morton will establish an initiative that elevates Black narratives and fosters the transformation of Black people as artists and art subjects. Gina Jackson and Lea Wetzel will build a national model of peer support and best practices for missing and murdered Indigenous Womxn (MMIW/G). Kelly Davis will research the needs and experiences of incarcerated pregnant people to inform and advance a broader policy agenda. Lauren Faraino will investigate, expose, and halt the unlawful practice of harvesting organs of people who die while incarcerated without family permission. Laverne Thompson will craft a dynamic community archive of advocates and visionaries’ groundbreaking efforts in criminal justice reform in Louisiana. Nia Lee will lead a national series for justice-impacted Black and Brown queer women, femmes, trans, and gender-expansive individuals to create dialogue, community building, and transformative justice spaces. Temi Mwale will examine how technology produces state violence and harm through the criminalization of Black communities, especially in the U.S., UK, and Brazil. Tijanna Eaton will support authors who have been incarcerated with wraparound coaching and services to develop books sharing their vital stories. Learn more: https://osf.to/4iIpP4g #OpenSociety #JusticeFellows #SorosJusticeFellows #SocialChange #EconomicJustice #SocialJustice #RacialJustice #Fellowships

On #InternationalMigrantsDay, we appreciate those places that are coming together to welcome newcomers. One such place is Tulsa, Oklahoma, where groups, including those with our support, are uniting to make it one of the most welcoming places in the U.S. for immigrants and refugees. With funding from us and the Lesher Family Foundation, YWCA Tulsa worked with a local driving school to teach Afghan refugee women to drive, learn road signs, and speak English. Now, the women have the means to reach jobs, go to appointments, and take their children to school. Read more about Tulsa’s welcome in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. #OpenSociety #Tulsa #Oklahoma #Refugees #RefugeesWelcome

1. Defend communities and organizations most vulnerable to authoritarian attacks 2. Defend against abuses of power 3. Build durable grassroots, pro-democracy power Philanthropy can stand for democracy in these three ways, writes our Laleh Ispahani with Deepak Bhargava of the Freedom Together Foundation and Joe Goldman of the Democracy Fund. Read more: https://osf.to/3VEW7mV

“On one level, everything is our choice; on another level, we feel incredibly powerless.” This is the central contradiction in contemporary life that democracy is contending with, says Open Society Board member Ivan Krastev in an interview with Carlos Bravo Regidor in the latest issue of The Ideas Letter. Read the full interview plus other pieces and subscribe for free.

The Open Society Foundations have never shied away from working in repressive contexts and we have supported human rights causes that no one else would. Pedro Abramovay, our vice president of Programs, explains how we’re embracing new approaches to grant giving around the world. To meet this moment, we are rethinking how we do our work and where we place our attention. What’s different? ◼️ New time-bound goals ◼️ Continued strategic litigation and impact investing ◼️ New geographic leads ◼️ Restructured advocacy to focus on local priorities ◼️ More diverse and intersectional grants Read more about our new approach: https://osf.to/49ub00Z #OpenSociety #HumanRights