Open Society Foundations

Attempts to silence speech undermine our democracy and harm all Americans. We’ve signed a letter with 120+ organizations to stand for the fundamental freedom of speech. The recent murders of Charlie Kirk and Melissa Hortman have no place in our democracy. As we extend our sympathies, we must renew our commitment to ensuring everyone has the right to express themselves, even when others don’t agree with or like what they say. No one should fear for their safety simply for expressing their views. Together, our organizations will continue focusing on helping people across all backgrounds, geographies, ideologies, and belief systems, to heal, thrive, and live peacefully together, protected by the freedoms guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. Read the full letter: https://osf.to/3KsZTNa #UniteInAdvance #FreedomOfSpeech #FreeSpeech #FreedomOfExpression

Following the murder of Charlie Kirk, some have sought to exploit this tragedy with false claims linking Open Society to violence. Here’s our response.

“Robert Redford was a celebrated actor, a talented director, and a voice of conscience. He gave us many memorable films over the past half century, and then helped others to use the power of the screen to expose injustice and tell the stories of those resisting it,” —George Soros, founder of the Open Society Foundations. We mourn the passing of Robert Redford, the award-winning actor and director, who was a champion of human rights and environmental causes. Open Society is proud to have long partnered with Redford’s Sundance Institute and its Documentary Film Program, helping independent filmmakers shine a light on injustice in the United States and globally through the power of storytelling. In 1996, George Soros and Redford established the fund that continues to support documentaries that win recognition globally, starting with a program at Open Society and then moving to the Sundance Institute in 2002 with an initial $4.6 million grant. Over the past three decades, the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program has supported independent filmmakers in dozens of countries around the world as they have raised awareness of human rights and told the stories of people on the frontlines standing up for them. In addition to funding, the program has also provided creative guidance, production resources, and distribution strategies to documentary filmmakers. These documentaries have been honored with the highest awards in film, from the Oscars to Cannes and Venice. In 2002, ”Amandla!” earned international acclaim, winning top awards at festivals around the world for its portrayal of the struggles of Black South Africans who challenged and ultimately brought down apartheid. This year, ”No Other Land” won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for telling the story of Palestinians in the West Bank as they are threatened with forced displacement. Photo credit: © Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP #OpenSociety #RobertRedford #Sundance #DocumentaryFilm

Democracy is a vital prerequisite for economic justice and for a system that ensures fair outcomes by empowering those typically marginalized and vulnerable. That is the premise of a new report, launched today on International Day of Democracy, by Senegalese development economist Dr. Ndongo Samba Sylla that unpacks the relationship between democracy and economic justice in Africa. Dr. Sylla looks at the conceptual and historical aspects of economic justice and democracy and at African alternatives that go beyond liberal democracy. He argues that it’s time to decolonize and liberate Africans’ understanding of democracy in order to empower ordinary citizens, deliver political stability, and strengthen socioeconomic rights. Read the report and its recommendations: https://osf.to/4maYJmJ #OpenSociety #DemocracyAndDignity #DemocraticFuturesinAfrica🌍 #InternationalDemocracyDay #DemocracyDay #EconomicJustice #Democracy Open Society-Africa

Economic growth and democratic governance are often presented as competing goals.     But our new report by Senegalese development economist Dr. Ndongo Samba Sylla looks at how they can be mutually reinforcing—and how they must be advanced together to deliver political stability and strengthen socioeconomic rights. It’s time for democracy to deliver so we can uphold rights and dignity for all.    Read the report and its recommendations: https://osf.to/41QedFw

Open Society Fellow Anwuli Ojogwu’s fellowship is focused on how migration, democratic decline and intellectual apathy are reshaping literary expression across Africa. As part of her research, she recently traveled to Kenya and Uganda. In Kenya, she found a “literacy scene bursting with energy” as Gen Z creators are “reimagining African literature on their own terms, through self-publishing, building their own spaces, and using digital platforms to assert cultural and political agency.” In Uganda, despite the restricted political climate and anti-LGBTQI+ policies, “there is a strong connection between the diaspora and homegrown literary communities. Diasporan writers were mentoring and applying voices and keeping the literary pulse alive.” On International Literacy Day she reflects that “literacy freedom is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Literacy and powers individuals to speak to, resist, and to imagine more inclusive and sustainable societies.” “I celebrate the courage of those who write anyway. Those who publish those who connect and those who create in difficult circumstances. These stories are the future of African literature.” - The Open Society Fellowship supports public intellectuals from seven global cities that are home to a dynamic circle of thinkers and cultural producers engaged in high-level critical debate. #OpenSociety #InternationalLiteracyDay #AfricanLiterature #LiteraryExpression

Secure systems make it possible for critical work to continue. As a Senior IT Security Specialist in Johannesburg, your contribution will enable us to continue our support of advocates and communities standing up for what's right.

Women’s leadership can deliver meaningful change. Women are at the heart of many liberation movements, as I emphasized in my recent lecture in Mexico City: https://lnkd.in/eb4R2w9a Women bring unique experiences to policymaking, creating greater political inclusivity, placing stronger protection for human rights, and improving overall economic performance. Women’s leadership is driven from the ground up, from women on the frontlines of change in local communities to the election of Claudia Sheinbaum as Mexico's first woman president. The same day she took the highest office of the land, I was proud to become the first woman ever to lead the Open Society Foundations. At Open Society, our work centers communities that have long been marginalized and excluded but bear the great consequences for systemic crises. In many of these communities, women and youth are key drivers of change. We’re proud to partner with and support these movements so that all people can thrive in an open society. #OpenSociety #Inequality #Democracy #HumanRights

For decades, we’ve been reimagining economic justice and ensuring economic prosperity is more evenly spread. Ever since our founder George Soros began his philanthropy in 1979 by giving scholarships to Black students in South Africa during apartheid, we’ve been dedicated to advancing rights, equity, and justice. We're proud to continue this work alongside our partners—working toward a shared humanity where everyone can thrive, and continuing our role as the world’s largest private funder of human rights. Learn more about our history: https://osf.to/45ryO5k #OpenSociety #OpenSocietyHistory #GeorgeSoros #EconomicEquity #EconomicPower

The Open Society Justice Initiative is proud to serve as counsel for Physicians for Human Rights and courageous persons in Kenya and South Africa who have today come forward as amicus curiae to tell Judges of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit about the devastating and life-threatening impacts of the Trump Administration’s sudden withdrawal of tens of billions of dollars of US AID foreign assistance. In a brief supporting Plaintiffs-Appellees’ motion for an emergency stay on petition for en banc rehearing of a recent DC Circuit panel decision, amici describe the consequences when lifesaving aid is withheld: patients cut off from lifesaving care, caregivers forced to turn them away, and family members grieving preventable deaths. Their experiences illustrate, in real terms, the life-or-death consequences when Congressionally-appropriated funds are not spent. https://lnkd.in/eNgKYAQv