S o r o s F o u n d at i o n s N e t w o r k R e p o r t 2008

S o r o s F o u n d at i o n s N e t w o r k R e p o r t 2 0 0 8
Human Rights
Justice
Accountability

We ArE . . .
 This annual report describes
2008 activities of the Open Society Institute
and the Soros foundations network.
For daily reports about open society issues,
go to OSI’s website, www.soros.org.

SOROS FOUNDATIONS NETWORK REPORT 2008

Copyright © 2009 by the Open Society Institute

400 West 59th Street, New York, NY 10019 USA
www.soros.org

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce

this book or portions thereof in any form.

cover photography credits

top left Pamela Chen, “We Are Roma,” page 30

top right Karen Robinson, “We Are British,” page 38
bottom left Aubrey Wade, “We Are Mauritanians,” page 6
bottom right Jon Anderson, “We Are Dominicans,” page 20

Complete photography credits appear on page 96.

S o r o s F o u n dat i o n s N e t wo r k R e p o rt 2 0 0 8

2 President’s Message
A Celebration of Ongoing Work

6 WE AR E MAU R ITAN IAN S

14 Securing Citizenship for Millions of Stateless People

20 WE AR E D O M I N I CAN S
28 Dominican by Birth, Haitian in Name Only

30 WE AR E R O MA
34 Roma Health Scholars Learn to Help Their People

38 WE AR E B R ITI S H

46 Human Rights and Justice

50 Public Health
54 Education, Information, and Media
58 Other Programs
60 U.S. Programs

64 O PE N S O C I ETY I N EASTE R N E U R O PE

70 Europe
74 Asia
77 Middle East and North Africa
78 Africa
82 Latin America and the Caribbean
84 Open Society Institute
88 Expenditures
90 Directory
96 Credits
 President’s
Message

A Celebration
of Ongoing Work

Thirty years ago George Soros

began supporting efforts to
promote open society. Five years
later he established a foundation in
Hungary which signaled the start
of the distinctive network that now
operates in all parts of the globe.

Photograph by Karen Robinson

Community police officer, Leicester, United Kingdom

 Looking back over those 30 years, certain also on the discriminatory treatment
accomplishments stand out. Aside from of immigrants.
successes in helping to promote, through an In Central and Eastern Europe, including
array of activities, the emergence of more the Balkans, a major part of our work
open societies in particular countries, the has been to address both the immediate
accomplishments include global leadership harms and the long-term consequences of
in promoting freedom of information, discrimination against the Roma minority.
budget transparency, and accountability We have also addressed problems particular
for the revenues from the exploitation of to certain countries, such as discrimination
natural resources; efforts to develop and make against ethnic Russians in Latvia and Estonia;
effective such institutions as the Global Fund against Albanians in Macedonia; and against
to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Serbs in Kosovo.
the Extractive Industries Transparency In Russia, and also in Western European
Initiative, and the International Criminal countries, we have worked to end ethnic
Court, all of which contribute to global profiling and initiated efforts to secure legal
governance on crucial issues that must be remedies against it. In recent years, we have
addressed transnationally; increased access also monitored the problem of discrimination

Problems associated with discrimination

against minorities do not

to justice both for criminal defendants and, against Muslims in some Western European
in civil matters, for those not able to afford countries and we now have underway
legal representation; and mitigation of the a major research and advocacy project
devastating consequences of armed conflict. concerned with the situation of Muslim
minorities in 11 European Union cities.
Discrimination Against In African states, denial of citizenship
Minorities or nationality to certain ethnic groups is
Another area where we have been deeply one of our important concerns. In other
engaged—and where we have had some parts of the world, we have focused efforts
successes, though the challenges that continue on discrimination against other minority
to confront us are very great—is the effort to communities such as the Palestinians in Israel,
mitigate the effects of discrimination against Dominicans of Haitian ancestry, and the
minorities. This aim is central to our work in Burmese in Thailand.
many places. It has been a dominant theme
of the Open Society Institute’s programs in Discrimination in Open Societies
the United States where, from the start, we This year’s annual report highlights some of
have focused on the particular harm done to the activities the network has undertaken
minorities by the criminal justice system and to address discrimination against minorities

s o r o s f o u n d at i o n s n e t w o r k R e p o r t 2 0 0 8
4
 in a number of countries. The issue plays by minorities in the United States, and
such a large role in our work because the supported programs that assist migrants in the
problems associated with discrimination process of becoming citizens. We have directly
against minorities do not necessarily diminish engaged in precedent-setting litigation
when countries make transitions from to challenge discriminatory practices and
repressive regimes to more open societies. created legal programs to support this work;
On the contrary, it is sometimes the case—as conducted training programs for local officials
with respect to the Roma in the former on governance of multiethnic communities;
communist countries of Central and Eastern sponsored arts programs to promote cultural
Europe—that there are actually more expression by minorities; supported minority
opportunities in relatively open societies media; and sponsored economic development
for demagogues to exploit hostility against programs focused on minorities—to name
minorities for their own political purposes. only a few efforts.
Another common aspect of discrimination Underlying these activities, of course, is
against minorities is also a significant concern a belief that an essential characteristic of an
at this time: discriminatory practices tend open society is that all people count equally
to increase during periods of financial and that all should enjoy equal opportunities.
crisis. Resentment against migrants may be Virtually every component of the network
particularly acute in such a crisis because has been engaged in these efforts. In some
they are seen as competitors for scarce jobs. areas, progress is frustratingly difficult; in

necessarily diminish when countries make

transitions from repressive regimes to more
open societies.
Also, minorities who have suffered from
discrimination and marginalization may be
stereotyped as disproportionate consumers of others, we have made substantial headway.
social services. That progress is possible was, of course,
affirmed in a spectacular way when a black
Efforts to Mitigate man with the name Barack Hussein Obama
Discrimination was elected as president of the United States.
The Open Society Institute has engaged Speaking personally as someone who was
in a wide range of activities to mitigate involved in the civil rights struggle in the
discrimination. We have supported education United States half a century ago, I did not
programs for Roma ranging from early believe then that such a thing was possible in
childhood to postgraduate training in my lifetime and still find myself amazed by
professional disciplines, and launched this achievement.
programs to ensure that the Roma obtain
access to health services. We have established Aryeh Neier
debate programs at urban schools attended June 2009

s o r o s f o u n d at i o n s n e t w o r k R e p o r t 2 0 0 8
5
we are

Mauritanians
The Open Society Institute

is fighting for every person’s

right to citizenship, opposing

the power of state authorities

to exclude anyone they

dislike for their race, ethnicity,

politics, sexual orientation,

gender, or religion.

Photographs by Aubrey Wade

Returning Mauritanians, Lisse Rosso, Mauritania

Exiled Mauritanians in
Dagana, Senegal
s o r o s f o u n d at i o n s n e t w o r k R e p o r t 2 0 0 8
10
returning Mauritanians in the temporary
settlement of Lisse rosso
Returned Mauritanians in the village
of Medina Salam
Securing Citizenship
for Millions of Stateless People
Mahmout Diagne and his family called Lisse Rosso. There, in September
were expelled in 1989 from their country, 2008, as he reclined on a mat spread beside
Mauritania, and informed by their a tent he was sharing with his wife and nine
government that they were no longer children, Diagne talked about his life. He
Mauritanian. Indeed, in its public rhetoric had no job. His family’s food had nearly run
of Arab nationalism, the Mauritanian state out. And the dry season was approaching.
suggested that the Diagne family, and Yet Diagne felt his struggle was worth it.
the approximately 75,000 other black For almost two decades, he had lingered in
Mauritanians expelled with them, had never forced exile in Senegal with no identification
been Mauritanian in the first place. card, no passport, no right to vote, no legal
The Diagnes joined the ranks of the standing to hold a job or travel freely. Now,
stateless, who today number at least 12 by persevering in Lisse Rosso, it seemed,
million worldwide. Statelessness can be Mahmout Diagne might regain from his
perpetrated as part of an ethnic cleansing homeland legal recognition that he and his
exercise, as in the Mauritanian case, where family were citizens in every sense.
states legally disown the citizens they do
not want, expelling people, confiscating and
destroying their ID cards. But statelessness Who Is a Citizen?
can also be perpetrated through years of The Open Society Justice Initiative supports
stonewalling, repeated denials of citizenship and pursues local, regional, and international
documents that leave individuals in limbo, efforts to help the world’s stateless people
still living in their country of birth, but gain or regain citizenship. “Combating
without rights. statelessness challenges one of the most
Statelessness is so intolerable that it fundamental aspects of state sovereignty: the
impelled Mahmout Diagne and his family power of government to determine who is
to leave their home in exile, an orderly and is not a citizen,” said James Goldston,
Senegalese village, when a return to executive director of the Open Society
Mauritania became possible. They chose Justice Initiative. “Whether our focus is
to endure heat, dust, mud, thirst, and the rights of blacks from Mauritania, people
physical hardship in a windswept, bare- of Haitian ancestry in the Dominican
earth settlement of returned Mauritanians Republic, the Nubian people of Kenya,

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 Kenya
Denies Nubians Rights and Benefits
Many of the more than 100,000 Nubians in Kenya cannot obtain identity cards or
passports and are barred from traveling, working in the formal sector, and benefiting from
government services. The state’s refusal to recognize Nubians as citizens encourages
ethnic discrimination and hostility toward them throughout Kenya. The Justice Initiative is
acting as co-counsel in a case before the African Commission, alleging that the
Kenyan government’s actions constitute a discriminatory denial of citizenship to the
country’s Nubians.

or the ‘erased’ people of Slovenia, the or Nepal, where populations that may have
Justice Initiative aims to tear down this moved decades or generations ago are still
last bastion of discretionary prerogative by categorized as “refugees.”
making citizenship denial and statelessness Loss of citizenship has a devastating impact
international human rights issues.” upon the victims, even if they have not been
To secure political power or to pursue physically deported. It prevents people from
the idea of a mythical national identity, sharing in the responsibilities citizenship
many governments block or revoke the demands. It systematically cheats people of
citizenship of members of particular ethnic, access to public services, including health
racial, religious, or social groups. They do so care, education, and housing. Many victims
by changing the law, or simply by applying descend into extreme poverty, and too many
citizenship laws in discriminatory ways, become prey to human-trafficking and
consigning unwanted citizens to a state of slavery networks. Depriving people of their
perpetual illegitimacy by refusing to issue citizenship also warps political life and can
them the documents they need to prove undermine the security and well-being of
their citizenship. entire countries and regions.
Discriminatory manipulation of citizenship The Justice Initiative has taken a
is common in countries with ethnically or leading role among the nongovernmental
racially mixed populations that have emerged organizations working strategically to
from defunct multiethnic states like the establish citizenship as an inalienable human
successor states to the Soviet Union and right and to strengthen international law,
Yugoslavia; in countries like Kenya, that have which fails, for example, even to define the
a colonial past and multiethnic populations; circumstances under which individuals have
or areas of regional conflict such as Burma a right to claim citizenship of a specific

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15
country. It has developed statements of
principle on statelessness and joined with
other organizations to promote their Pakistan
adoption by international bodies, including
the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refuses to Admit
Refugees, the United Nations Committee on Loyalists from
the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Bangladesh
African Commission on Human and Peoples’
Rights, and the African Union. When Bangladesh split from Pakistan in a civil
The Justice Initiative has also launched war in 1971, hundreds of thousands of people
or supported litigation aimed at resolving
loyal to Pakistan were stranded. Pakistan has
specific inequities that statelessness has
caused. On a strategic level, it has litigated to refused to accept these people, many of whom
promote the development, by international are still living in internal refugee camps. The
human rights tribunals, of a critical mass of Justice Initiative will submit an amicus brief
legal precedent that will limit the power of
in a case to be filed in the Supreme Court of
governments to render people stateless and
to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, or Pakistan arguing that these people had the
ethnicity in the administration of citizenship right to choose their citizenship and Pakistan
laws and regulations. committed an arbitrary and discriminatory act in
“As a complement to other advocacy,” denationalizing them.
Goldston said, “litigation effectively spotlights
the untenable justifications governments
frequently offer to defend actions to withhold
or withdraw citizenship, or distinguish
arbitrarily between citizens and noncitizens.”
The litigation that the Justice Initiative
has supported includes cases brought against and challenged this ruling. The Justice
the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Pakistan, Initiative supported a study to monitor
Slovenia, and Zimbabwe. In the Dominican the citizenship policies of the Dominican
Republic, for example, the government government since the court’s ruling.
systematically denies the rights of citizenship
to Dominicans of Haitian descent. The Justice
Initiative filed an amicus curiae brief that Who Is Mauritanian?
helped secure a landmark ruling in 2005 In 1989, Mauritania’s Arab-dominated
by the Inter-American Court of Human government revoked the citizenship of
Rights in Dilcia Yean and Violeta Bosico v. Mahmout Diagne and an estimated 75,000
Dominican Republic. The court ruled that other blacks and had the police and army
the government discriminated on the basis deport most of them into neighboring
of race in denying Dominicans of Haitian Senegal (up to 15,000 blacks were expelled
descent access to the rights of citizenship, to Mali). The guns just happened to be
and ordered it to extend citizenship rights pointed primarily at black civil servants,
to all Dominicans of Haitian descent. The prosperous black merchants, and black land
Dominican Republic subsequently ignored owners, so the government found itself with

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a windfall of vacant jobs and unprotected
assets to distribute to Arabic-speaking
loyalists. The government had reconsidered Slovenia
the expulsions by 1994. About half of the
exiles had returned by 1997; however, many
Denationalizes Longtime
subsequently left again because they could Residents
not regain recognition of their nationality and
get their lands back. In 1996, Slovenia’s government placed the
In 2000, the African Commission ruled names of 18,305 longtime residents who had
that Mauritania had breached the African failed to apply for citizenship on a register
Charter when it undertook the deportations.
of foreigners residing illegally in Slovenia,
This ruling and the installation of a new
government in Mauritania during 2007 and it has since denied them social services
presented the Justice Initiative and its partners including health care and education. The Justice
with an opportunity to press for the return Initiative has submitted arguments before the
of the rest of the black deportees lingering
European Court of Human Rights in Makuc, et
in Senegal. In January 2008, under United
Nations auspices, a return began, and 4,760 al. v. Slovenia, a case brought by 11 longtime
people found their way back into Mauritania residents of Slovenia who are challenging the
before the rainy season made further travel government’s action depriving them of their
impossible. legal status.
“Despite the hardship it has entailed,
the return to Mauritania of thousands of
people who had been forcibly deported and
rendered de facto stateless constitutes one
of the most successful, if belated and still
incomplete, efforts to combat statelessness
and citizenship deprivation in recent years,” the police surrounded the place, packed
Goldston said. practically everyone into pick-up trucks, and
The challenges of the return and the dumped them at a ferry crossing to Senegal.
perseverance of the people who have risked The 59 exiled families that returned in
making it are evident in two locations on 2008 could not be absorbed back into the
Mauritania’s side of the Senegal River: cooperative because, the earlier returnees say,
Medina Salam, a long-established village of their numbers would so dilute the profits as
rice farmers with its own mosque, school, and to make survival impossible for everyone.
water tower, and Lisse Rosso, the temporary, Many exiles who returned in 2008 became
at least for now, settlement where Mahmout dollar-a-day farm laborers.
Diagne and his family were placed. At a gathering of Medina Salam’s villagers
Medina Salam welcomed home about 45 in September 2008, one of these laborers,
exiled families in the wave of returns that 35-year-old Modou Gueye, lamented that
ended in 1997. The Mauritanian government, he and his family had consumed almost all
however, returned only half of the land of the wheat flour, beans, oil, and sugar they
that the village cooperative was holding received from the United Nations. “After this
in common on that day in 1989 when aid is gone, I will barely be able to sustain

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myself,” he said. “We were given cows, but I Another villager at Medina Salam spent 10
don’t have enough milk, and even the cow days in jail after approaching the Mauritanian
is sick. In Senegal, I had the opportunity authorities and complaining that a local
to participate in a farming program with police officer had occupied his land. “We all
microcredit. We were able to work. When we think about going back to Senegal,” said yet
came here we were promised land.” another villager,Yousuf Niang, age 39. “We
“The women know they are heading have seen nothing of what they promised.
for hardship,” said Gueye, who was helping It is mental torture to look at your land, see
to support two wives, five children, and his someone else farming it, and not be able to
mother. “I left in Senegal a house with two get it back.”
rooms, one for each wife. Now, I have a tent Still, they have persevered. Some of the
that is more like an oven. And one of my exiles who returned to Medina Salam have
wives stayed in Senegal.” gone to seek jobs in Rosso, a nearby town,
or in Mauritania’s capital, Nouakchott. But
well-paying employment is difficult to find,
especially when the people returning have
no official Mauritanian identification card. Of
the 291 persons who had returned to Medina
Salam by September 2008, only two had
received a personal identification card from the

Mugabe Mauritanian government. Others had only a

receipt showing that they had been registered
Removes Citizenship of for a card.
Opponents in Zimbabwe
Using a new law prohibiting dual nationality, Who Gets an ID Card?
Mahmout Diagne, who is 51, and his
President Robert Mugabe’s government has
wife, Oumou Diaw, 41, were promised
refused to issue identity cards or passports identification papers when they returned to
to anyone suspected of having “foreign” Mauritania in April 2008 and set up camp in
citizenship—in practice, those with “foreign” Lisse Rosso. They also believed they had been
promised something to compensate for the
names—unless they formally renounced their
losses Diagne suffered when he was driven
supposed foreign citizenship. The move from the country.
disenfranchised opposition supporters, Months of uncertainty followed their
commercial farmers, and independent return. Lisse Rosso is nothing but eight
newspaper owners. The Justice Initiative and
white, single-room blockhouses and a few
dozen tents. Barred from planting crops,
the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa
Lisse Rosso’s men risked grazing their cattle
are supporting cases brought in Zimbabwean on someone else’s land or cut fodder with
courts on behalf of individuals rendered machetes on a nearby riverbank and carried it
stateless by Mugabe’s decision. back in plastic bags for their sheep, goats, and
cows. By September, Diagne’s family had also
consumed almost all of its one-time United

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Nations food allotment, which was supposed said. “But when I saw my rights were gone,
to have lasted only three months. I was disappointed. We were supposed to
Oumou Diaw talked of returning to the spend no more than 15 days in temporary
house their family had occupied during tents. Nothing was done. They [the United
their exile across the river in Senegal. Nations refugee-relief agency] said we’d get
Diagne and Diaw had been small mechants identification cards from the Mauritanian
in Senegal. They managed to build a five- government. Nothing. I sold my cow and calf
room house and raise a family. They took and started to trade. I realized I couldn’t do
advantage of the nearby school and health anything with that, so I returned.”
care facilities. And they did not leave these Amadou Sy’s neighbor, Mansour
assets behind without hedging their risk. Harouna, who was 24 when the Mauritanian
They left their home in the care of a friend. government expelled him, heard Sy lament
They made sure there were guarantees that about Lisse Rosso. But Harouna has not
they could return to Senegal if Mauritania struck his name from the list of exiles who
failed to honor its commitments. have signed up to return. “It is not because
Diagne speaks of working again as a I am suffering here,” Harouna said. “I earn
merchant. He and Oumou Diaw have already a respectable living breeding cattle. In
set out snack foods and other items in a Mauritania, I will be living in a hut or a tent.
makeshift kiosk in a metal locker standing But I am going back.”
on the bare earth outside his tent. Diaw “It is a matter of principle,” he insisted.
said that life for her has become tougher in “My parents are still there. And I would be
Mauritania. “Here you have to go into the returning to their village. We have been living
bush to collect cooking wood,” she said. there for five centuries.”
“Then you have to walk to the market, and
it is a long way. Then, when you come back,
you go to collect water and cook under
the sun.”
“I am not used to the dust and the heat,
but I am back at home,” she said. “It is not
exciting, but I am back at home.”
Diagne clutched his tattered Koran. “A
man sometimes has to face hardship,” he said,
“and to trust in God to change things.”
Thousands of Mauritanian exiles still in
Senegal have signed up to make their way
back to their homeland. They have heard
about unfulfilled promises and the hardship
in Lisse Rosso and other settlements on the OSI ONLINE
Mauritanian side of the river. Learn more about the global problem
In Dagana, a Senegalese village just across
of statelessness and efforts to secure
the river from Medina Salam, Amadou Sy,
citizenship rights for all people.
36, described life in Lisse Rosso for his
neighbors. “I was very excited after 19 years, www.soros.org/ar08/stateless
I was going to get back all my rights,” he

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 “My parents are Haitian

but not me, I am Dominican.

I was born here.

My children need their IDs

and birth certificates to go

to university. If they don’t

have those documents, it is

as if they don’t exist. Without

studies, what’s their life?

Nothing. To the left of zero.”

Maria

we
DOMINICANs
are

Photographs by Jon Anderson

Maria, standing in middle, with her family, Dominican Republic

“They told me they wouldn’t register my son. They said
I have a Haitian last name. But I am Dominican. If you are born
here, you are Dominican, that’s the law. You could be the child of
French, Chinese parents, doesn’t matter. But they didn’t want to
register the boy.” Javier, husband of Ruth
“i am dominican. both of my parents are
dominican. They suggested i register the
boy on my own. i said no. This is my country
and i am married. He is the father of the boy.
i am not going to register him
alone.” RUtH, WIfE Of JAvIER
“When my daughter was
born, I went to register her
to get health insurance.
They said, ‘We don’t give
documents to children of
immigrants.’ That was a
shock because I don’t
know anything about
Haiti. That’s my parents’
country, but I am Dominican.
This attacks the lives of so
many people. It’s like civil
genocide. Without identity
we are nobody.” Danilo

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s o r o s f o u n d at i o n s n e t w o r k R e p o r t 2 0 0 8
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“i am a lawyer, i was born here. i have a wife and children here.
i have bank accounts. i have a piece of land and a small business.
i love my country, and i am going to fight for my nationality.
i am selling my grocery shop, selling my land. why? if they deny
my nationality, don’t you think they could take away my right to
property? To fight, i shouldn’t have anything.” DIONISIO
Dominican by Birth,
Haitian in Name Only
For an upstanding, native-born citizen Dominicans. Dionisio owns his home, a
of the Dominican Republic, renewing a small grocery store, and some property.
passport should be a simple task. Bring an He has a firearms license, credit cards, and
official copy of a birth certificate, the current bank accounts.
passport, photos, and any other required He has known for years that Article 11
identification documents. Fill out the forms. of his country’s constitution recognizes the
Stand in line. Pay the fee. Take a receipt. Wait. Dominican citizenship of anyone born on
As an upstanding, native-born citizen the country’s territory, except infants born
of the Dominican Republic, this is what to diplomats or foreigners “in transit”—
Dionisio assumed. He wanted to renew understood for decades to mean those in the
his Dominican passport to prepare for an country for fewer than 10 days. Dionisio’s
upcoming visit to his wife’s parents in the parents—a sugar cane cutter and a bread
United States. So he went to a government seller who immigrated five decades ago from
office and stood in line for an official copy neighboring Haiti—raised their five children
of his birth certificate. The young clerk was in the Dominican Republic, and lived there
polite when she told Dionisio that she could as legal residents for decades.
not issue the document. She advised Dionisio Dionisio remained standing as the judge
to take his request to a judge. answered: “I can’t give it to you because you
Dionisio was standing as he spoke to the have a Haitian last name.”
judge, because the judge had not offered “How is this possible?” Dionisio asked.
him a seat. Dionisio thought this was odd. “Look at my parents’ papers.” Dionisio
Dionisio is well known in his community, presented the documents with registry
and as much a Dominican and as much an numbers and official stamps. He showed the
officer of the court as the judge herself. state residency permit his father had used to
Dionisio had worked his way through travel out of the Dominican Republic in 1976.
college in a job with a pineapple-canning The judge replied: “I have orders not to
company. He had become a lawyer, and a give a birth certificate to anyone who has a
Dominican university issued the diploma Haitian last name, because we are purifying
hanging on a wall in his home. His wife, our municipality.”
a Dominican citizen, is also an attorney. Dionisio was still standing when he
They have four children, all native-born absorbed the sting of the word purify.

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The Dominican Republic is home to about children based upon the immigration status
9.8 million people, hundreds of thousands of of their parents. It ordered the Dominican
whom are Dominicans of Haitian descent. government to stop discriminating against
Their ancestors came from Haiti to find persons of Haitian descent. The Justice
work—often on the sugar plantations. This Initiative filed an amicus brief in the case.
journey was not uncommon nor was it Instead of complying with the court’s
discouraged; thousands came with the express order, the government effectively began
permission of the Dominican government. denying even more Dominicans of Haitian
Despite welcoming workers from Haiti, descent the rights attached to citizenship.
the government has never hesitated to use Today, government offices refuse to issue
Haitians and their offspring as scapegoats for lifelong Dominican citizens like Dionisio
the country’s economic or political problems. certified copies of birth certificates and other
Dominicans of Haitian descent are just documents that the government had issued
like other Dominican citizens. They are lawfully for decades.
teachers, lawyers, and doctors; they pay taxes Dionisio has contacted other Dominicans
and are active in their communities. Born of Haitian descent to stand and resist the
on Dominican soil, they are just as much government’s actions, which are threatening
citizens as Dominicans without Haitian to push them into the limbo of statelessness.
ancestry. But now, the country’s leaders claim The majority of them, however, are not
that practically every person in the country willing to do anything because of their fear
with a Haitian last name—even Dominicans of losing what few benefits they still enjoy.
of Haitian descent who have parents or He too is afraid.
grandparents born in the Dominican “Why?” Dionisio asked. “Because if they
Republic—are no longer citizens, despite can take away my nationality, they can take
previously having been recognized as citizens anything away from me. Without my identity
by the state. papers, I am nobody.”
The Open Society Justice Initiative has But Dionisio is ready to fight for his rights.
worked since 2005 to help ensure that “All I’m asking is that we respect the
all citizens of the Dominican Republic, existing laws.”
regardless of their ethnic background, can
exercise their right to enjoy the full benefits
of citizenship: to access state health care, to
obtain public education for their children,
to vote and to run for political office, and
to obtain basic documents, including birth
certificates and passports. To this end, the
Justice Initiative supports monitoring and OSI ONLINE
documentation efforts in the Dominican View videos of Dionisio and other
Republic. It is providing advisory assistance Dominicans of Haitian descent telling
for ongoing strategic litigation. their personal stories of discrimination,
In its decision in Dilcia Yean and Violeta
identity, love, and fear.
Bosico v. Dominican Republic, the Inter-
www.soros.org/ar08/dominicans
American Court of Human Rights held that
no state can deny citizenship to native-born

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29
 Roma health scholars, studying to become

doctors, nurses, and pharmacologists,

will help transform health care, shattering

stereotypes while combating the

discriminatory treatment of Roma patients.

We Are

ROMA

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30
At a camp before the start of medical school
classes, Roma health scholar applicants
learn to become effective advocates for
Roma rights in health care settings.

Photographs by Pamela Chen

s o r o s f o u n d at i o n s n e t w o r k R e p o r t 2 0 0 8
32
roma health scholars listen to Lacatus Codrea, the bulibasa, or elder,
of Vanatori, romania, describe the hardships endured by roma in his community.
Roma Health Scholars
Learn to Help Their People
During his decades as the elder, or community to emerge from behind walls
bulibasa, of a community of about 250 Roma of mistrust.
living in the eastern foothills of Romania’s On a September morning in 2008,
Carpathian Mountains, 60-year-old Lacatus Codrea shared his experiences and insights
Codrea has gathered many insights tempered with participants in an unprecedented new
by adversity. initiative of the Open Society Institute and
Codrea saw a mob torch his community, the Roma Education Fund to improve
chase the people into a forest, and use medical care for Roma in Central and
automobiles to raze every structure the flames Eastern Europe by addressing the paucity of
had spared. “We were not allowed to rebuild Roma medical professionals. In the autumn
our homes,” he said. Fifteen years passed as semester of 2008, the Open Society Institute
he pleaded with local officials to issue began funding scholarships for 35 Roma
the Roma building permits so they could students pursuing degrees in medicine,
improve the dirt-floored shanties they had nursing, pharmacology, and related disciplines
clapped together to shelter themselves and at accredited schools and universities in
their children. Romania.
For decades, Codrea watched helplessly On that dreary September morning, the
as neighbors succumbed to violence and program brought scholarship applicants
alcohol abuse. He saw children grow to and their mentors to Vanatori to meet and
adulthood without being vaccinated, and take counsel from Codrea and others in the
pregnant Roma women go without visiting Roma community. Partners of the Open
a doctor. He still sees the confused gazes of Society Institute’s Roma Health Project
undernourished Roma infants. considered it critical for the students to visit
Codrea has looked into the dazed eyes of Roma settlements like Vanatori. With few
his own 13-year-old granddaughter, Adina, exceptions, the scholarship applicants were
who was partially paralyzed for hours after Roma who had schooling and jobs, and who
touching a live power cable; and he erupted resided in integrated neighborhoods in towns
in anger at doctors and nurses who refused to and cities.
examine and treat her. The students had to learn firsthand about
Yet, despite all he has seen, Codrea the hardships endured by less-fortunate
has helped convince the people of his Roma who huddle in substandard housing

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34
on the fringes of the greater society. They
resort to begging or toil in the lowest-paying
jobs. They lack educational opportunities Suing
and navigate the world through the fog of
illiteracy. They lack health insurance and the
to Improve
money to pay doctors the informal “gratuity” Health Care
the doctors have come to expect, and depend
upon, to augment their low salaries. The European Committee of Social Rights
In some countries of Central and Eastern in 2008 announced that it would take up a
Europe, the average life expectancy for the complaint filed by an OSI partner, the European
Roma is 10 years less than the average for the
Roma Rights Centre, alleging that Bulgaria has
majority population, and the infant mortality
rates for Roma are twice as high. Throughout systematically denied Roma access to health
the region, Roma suffer disproportionate care. The complaint charges that the Bulgarian
rates of tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS, viral government has violated EU regulations by,
hepatitis, Type-2 diabetes, coronary artery among other things, not taking any measures
disease, adult obesity, malnutrition, anemia,
to end widespread discriminatory practices
dystrophy, and childhood rickets. Human
rights groups have even documented against Roma by doctors and other health
instances of emergency services failing to care practitioners. “The Bulgarian government,
respond to calls for help from places inhabited like the governments of other countries with
by Roma.
large Roma populations, has taken on many
A crucial element of the Open Society
Institute’s effort to help break down the obligations in joining the European Union,”
barriers that keep the Roma from accessing said Robert Kushen, managing director of the
health care services is the Roma Health European Roma Rights Centre. “But they have
Project, a part of OSI’s Public Health
yet to live up to these obligations.”
Program. With other programs and grantees
in the Soros foundations network, the Roma
Health Project is fostering the development
of sound public health policies across Central
and Eastern Europe—and especially in six
priority countries, Bulgaria, Macedonia,
Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine. It
has initiated programs to respond to the
challenges of HIV and sexually transmitted
diseases, tuberculosis, and drug addiction. Roma community. “This is important,
because drug use in the Roma community
is taboo, and it is problematic even to
Bringing Harm Reduction talk about HIV prevention and sexually
to a Roma Community transmitted diseases,” said Eva Foldes, program
The Roma Health Project helped a coordinator of the Roma Health Project.
nongovernmental organization launch “Until now, Roma have not had access to a
Bulgaria’s first methadone program in a culturally tailored harm reduction program.

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This program brings harm reduction right the Roma community’s access to health care
into their community.” by organizing courses to train new health
mediators as liaisons between the Roma
community and local health care providers.
Righting the Wrong of
Coerced Sterilization
The Roma Health Project is supporting an Roma Health Mediators
advocacy campaign aimed at obtaining justice The Open Society Institute and its partners
and compensation for Roma women who have in recent years helped broaden the skill
have been victims of coerced sterilization. sets of Roma health mediators in Romania
The campaign was launched at the 2008 and introduce the Roma health-mediator
Women’s World Congress, where activists concept to Ukraine and other countries
organized a panel discussion on the issue of Central and Eastern Europe. These
and promoted efforts to contact officials in mediators inform Roma of their rights,
Hungary and the Czech Republic. Roma and document cases of discrimination in
activists subsequently met with government health care settings. They help Roma obtain
officials in the two countries and urged necessary documents that give them access
them to support the amendment of laws on to state health care services. They help effect
sterilization and provide compensation for vaccination campaigns. They calm tempers
victims of coerced sterilization. when disagreements arise between Roma and
medical professionals.
One health mediator, Carmen Andrei,
Raising Awareness of the Grim called upon the bulibasa, Lacatus Codrea, in
Realities of Roma Health an attempt to enroll the Roma of Vanatori in
The Roma Health Project in 2008 worked to a mass vaccination program. Andrei pleaded
raise awareness in the English-speaking world with the Roma for over a year, and they did
about the deplorable health care problems not respond. It was a matter of mistrust and,
faced by so many Roma in Romania by Codrea said, miscommunication.
supporting the translation and distribution Even though Andrei was herself a Roma,
of investigative articles commissioned Vanatori’s Roma considered her a gajo,
from a number of Romanian newspapers someone from outside the Roma community.
in collaboration with the Center for Codrea said,“The first time she came in, she
Independent Journalism in Bucharest. started talking and didn’t stop for half an
The newspaper Ziarul de Vrancea, for hour. Back then, when someone tried to give
example, discovered that, due to a lack me advice that was good for me, I would ask
of medical personnel and infrastructure, myself, ‘Why is he giving me this advice?’ I
Roma living in Romania’s Vrancea had no trust.” Codrea said the change came
County—who suffer a high rate of infant when Andrei learned to listen. Andrei said
mortality and a relatively high incidence a measles outbreak convinced the Roma of
of measles, tuberculosis, lice, and chronic Vanatori to have their children vaccinated
diseases—have difficulty gaining access to and to get vaccinated themselves.
public health services. In another article, “Now, if she speaks,” Codrea said, “it is
Dacii Liberi focused on a Roma health impossible for people not to listen to her.
mediator in Nocrich working to improve Now the local general practitioner knows

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36
all of us. The women go to the doctor. The want to touch me,” said Adina. “I was sick
children are vaccinated. The problem now to my stomach and my feet and hands were
lies with the hospital. The doctors in nearby paralyzed. He did not want to touch me.”
hospitals expect to be paid a tip, baksheesh, to Codrea argued with a doctor and finally
provide care. If you don’t have the money, took Adina into a room and put her on a
you die outside.” table. “The doctor was unhappy,” he said.
“He was threatening. And I think I spoke
badly, but the child was worse and worse,
Medical Scholarships and I had waited for two hours.” Adina spent
for Roma Students several weeks in the hospital recovering from
One goal of the Roma Health Scholarship electrocution.
Program is to increase significantly the Codrea advised the students and mentors
presence of Roma doctors in Romania’s that they had to adjust the way they speak
hospitals, not just to treat patients, but to when dealing with Roma: “This is a group
combat discrimination and human rights that gets angry easily. When they talk loud, it
abuses. Greater interaction with Roma doesn’t mean that they are bad. They think
doctors and nurses can counter negative this is the way to get action.You have to
stereotypes among health professionals about be patient.You have to listen. If you don’t,
the Roma, and the Roma themselves will feel the person will conclude that you have
more comfortable seeking health care. something against them.”
The recipients of the first Roma Health After several hours, the students and
Scholarship were selected on the basis of mentors left. “I have heard of places like
academic merit, professional motivation, this,” said Corina Stanciu, a medical student
and leadership skills. The applicants attended from the city of Ploesti. “I have seen Roma
Open Society Institute–supported training begging on the streets, but I haven’t seen
programs to help them become effective Roma like these. Where I live, Roma have
advocates for Roma rights in health care houses, not like this.”
settings. The field trip of scholarship “I could not want to be a doctor any more
applicants to Vanatori was a part of this than I want to be one now.”
training, and it included resident physicians
participating as mentors. They too crowded
into the sitting room to hear the bulibasa.
Most of them had also never visited a Roma
settlement like Vanatori.
The students and residents listened in
silence as the bulibasa told of Andrei’s
communication problem, of the lack of
vaccinations, and of how, two years earlier, OSI ONLINE
he had come upon his granddaughter Adina Read more about barriers to
lying still on the ground next to the power
health care for Roma in articles by
cable. Codrea took her in a horse cart to a
investigative journalists in Romania.
nearby clinic. In the clinic’s car they went to
www.soros.org/ar08/romafellows
a hospital, then to a pediatric center, and then
back to the hospital. “The first doctor didn’t

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We
British
Are

Muslims are a long-standing

and integral part of the

fabric of European cities

such as Leicester in the

United Kingdom, yet many

experience discrimination

and suspicion. The Open

Society Institute is monitoring

conditions in multicultural

communities to promote

inclusion and equality.

Photographs by Karen Robinson

 “I do feel integrated because I feel
comfortable and I feel I belong here.
Malaysia sort of tugs at the heart strings
when I go there, but I know I don’t fit
in there. Even here in Leicester, which is
cited as a city where integration has been
fairly successful, you can see clearly that
there are still silo communities.” Parvin Ali,
founder and chief executive officer of the
FATIMA Women’s Network
 “Yes, I am new compared to others. But I feel that I have lived in
Leicester forever. I would define myself as European,
Somali, Muslim—you know, a lot of definitions. In Leicester, no
matter your background, whether you’re black, or white, or Asian, or
Muslim, or Christian, or Sikh, people have respect for you.” Jawaahir
Daahir, managing director of the Somali Development Services
“Do we take a snapshot and freeze it in time and say, this is what
it’s like to be British? I believe to be British is fluid. What
is British today, in 20 years will change again. But as long as we
have a common vision for the country and for all its inhabitants,
that to me is to be British.” Suleman Nagdi, community activist
with St. Philip’s Centre and the Muslim Burial Council
“I am from Lancashire, born and raised in Lancashire.
So I consider myself a Lancashire lass. Other
people may have an issue with seeing me as British. But
that’s their issue, not mine. Even if I migrate to the other
side of the world, I would never question my Britishness.”
Sughra Ahmed, researcher, Islamic Foundation
Human Rights
and Justice

The protection of human rights

and the pursuit of justice are
priorities for the Open Society
Institute and the Soros foundations
network. OSI programs deal with a
range of rights issues, working to
increase access to information and
international justice, prohibit the
arbitrary use of pretrial detention,
promote the inclusion of Roma,
and reduce discrimination and
violence against women.

Rights and Justice

Through litigation, legal advocacy,
technical assistance, and the
dissemination of knowledge, the
Open Society Justice Initiative
works to advance freedom of
information and expression,
anticorruption efforts, international
justice, equality and citizenship,
and national criminal justice.
A woman displaced by fighting in Gori, Georgia | Marcus Bleasdale
 The Justice Initiative’s report the increase in government policies helped promote the ratification and
The Price of Silence: The Growing denying or stripping away citizenship implementation of the United Nations
Threat of Soft Censorship in Latin rights through mass expulsion, Convention on the Rights of Persons
America found rampant government arbitrary administrative action, with Disabilities.
interference with press freedom in and insurmountable bureaucratic OSI’s Global Drug Policy program,
seven Latin American countries, requirements. launched in early 2008, advocates for
including evidence of direct Work on criminal justice reform drug policy reform based on human
government payments to journalists is complemented by Justice Initiative rights and public health principles. A
in Colombia and Peru. After a four- efforts to bolster legal capacity through priority for the program in 2008 was
year campaign by the Justice Initiative support for university-based legal aid helping grantees participate in policy
and a local partner, Chile adopted a clinics and national legal aid programs. discussions and conduct advocacy
law that recognizes the public’s right activities, including demonstrations,
to information held by government Rights and Governance leading up to the UN High Level
entities and requires officials to The Human Rights and Governance Meeting on Drugs in March 2009.
respond to requests within 20 days. Grants Program in 2008 developed OSI also supported democratic
In its efforts to uncover resource over 150 projects and issued grants and effective governance through its
corruption, the Justice Initiative helped that helped promote human rights, Local Government and Public Service
file a complaint in Spain against accountability, and rule of law in Reform Initiative. The initiative’s policy
officials of Equatorial Guinea who Central and Eastern Europe, the advocacy trainings increased in 2008
used millions of dollars of oil revenues former Soviet Union, and Mongolia. and expanded to West Africa. It
to purchase Spanish real estate while Two grantees, Mental Disability Rights supported efforts to advance political
the majority of their country’s people International and the Hungarian Mental decentralization in South Eastern
live on less than $1 a day. Health Interest Forum, worked with Europe and to generate projects for
The Open Society Institute is a disability rights NGOs to draft and Roma inclusion with EU funding in
longtime proponent of international prompt the adoption of the United Bulgaria, Hungary, and Slovakia.
justice—the process of prosecuting Nations Convention on the Rights
high level perpetrators of genocide, of Persons with Disabilities. The Roma
crimes against humanity, and other convention is the first legally binding OSI’s Roma Initiatives seeks to
atrocities. In 2008, the Justice document that recognizes the rights increase the ability of Roma to
Initiative launched a website to to inclusion and nondiscrimination participate in public life, to advocate
cover the trial of Thomas Lubanga, of people with disabilities. Green for systemic policy changes
accused of recruiting child soldiers Salvation, a grantee in Kazakhstan, prohibiting discrimination, and to
in the Democratic Republic of the filed a successful lawsuit in the challenge negative images and
Congo. Lubanga’s trial, which began nation’s Supreme Court that gave the stereotyping of Roma.
in early 2009, is the first before the NGO access to information about Roma Initiatives in 2008 continued
International Criminal Court. atmospheric emissions at a Kazakh oil to support internships, training, and
On any given day, an estimated and gas field. The court recognized UN fellowships to increase the skills of
2.5 million people worldwide are held standards on access to information, Roma. These included internships at
in pretrial detention. The excessive public participation in decision making, the European Commission and other
and arbitrary use of pretrial detention and environmental justice matters as government entities, policy writing
violates individual rights and threatens mandatory in its ruling. and advocacy trainings, scholarships
public health, a message that OSI The rights of people with for English language training, and an
presented at the 2008 International disabilities, public access to arts and culture mentoring project.
AIDS Conference in Mexico City. information, and criminal justice are In Macedonia, a management fellow
The Justice Initiative continued also priority issues for OSI’s Special mentored by foundation staff became
to combat discrimination against Initiatives Fund, which in 2008 an advisor to the country’s minister
racial and ethnic minorities, including provided funding for groups that without portfolio for the Decade of

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48
Roma Inclusion. Women’s Law Center to provide Investigating
Work to advance the Decade legal aid to women affected by
remained a major priority. Roma the conflict; monitor court trials;
CIA-run Black
Initiatives provided support for and conduct trainings for lawyers, Sites in Poland
DecadeWatch, which issued online judges, state attorneys, and law The Justice Initiative and partner
monitoring reports that revealed enforcement agencies. Women for organizations in Europe are
problems in national action plans for Women International, a grantee in the using freedom of information
Roma inclusion. Funding to increase Democratic Republic of the Congo, requests to investigate rights
Roma women’s participation in society trained men who are influential abuses related to the U.S. “war
went to Roma NGOs working on community leaders to understand their on terror.” In Poland, these
assistance for Roma refugees and roles in protecting and reintegrating efforts paid off in 2008 when
displaced women and children, access survivors of rape and sexual violence. the chief prosecutor opened
to health services and reproductive Advocacy by KAFA (enough) an official investigation into
rights, and access to the labor market. Violence & Exploitation, an OSI the existence of CIA-run “black
Roma Initiatives supported grantee in Lebanon, helped bring sites” in the country and the
media, arts, and culture projects to about an unprecedented government possible complicity of Polish
promote dialogue and challenge statement pledging to end violence agents in torture and other
negative attitudes toward Roma. against women by working for rights abuses.
OSI funded Looking for My Gypsy legislation in favor of women’s rights.
Roots, broadcast by the BBC, and The Greatest Silence: Rape in the
documentaries about Roma issues Congo, supported by the program,
on Hungary’s Duna TV. Five Roma helped raise international awareness
journalists who interned at Hungarian about the issue; a research project
Public Television and Radio received helped organizations develop effective
jobs at major Hungarian TV stations as policies against sexual violence.
reporters, writers, or anchors. The program also supports initiatives
OSI supported a recruitment drive that increase judicial responsiveness
to increase the number of Roma to women’s rights and reduce the
in law enforcement in Hungary. To obstacles that prevent women from
draw international attention to the accessing justice. OSI grantee medica
plight of Roma in Italy, OSI and mondiale helped strengthen the
partner organizations documented interaction of courts, women’s groups,
mistreatment of Roma by Italian and victim organizations to achieve
authorities at OSCE, European justice for war rape survivors in Bosnia
Commission, and European Union and Herzegovina. OSI ONLINE
meetings. To advance the role of women Read reporting and
as leaders, OSI supported the commentary on
Women participation of women in peace the trial of Thomas
The International Women’s Program, talks for northern Uganda and the
Lubanga, who is
working mostly in conflict or attendance of NGO representatives
accused of conscripting
postconflict countries, seeks to reduce at the annual session of the UN
discrimination and violence against Commission on the Status of Women. child soldiers in the
women, strengthen women’s access After a two-year advocacy campaign, Democratic Republic of
to justice, and increase women’s role the Soros foundation in Kyrgyzstan the Congo.
as decision makers and leaders. helped win a parliamentary quota for
www.lubangatrial.org
In Iraqi Kurdistan, the program women, making the legislative body
supported the creation of the one-quarter female.

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HIV-positive patients at temporary treatment shelter in Rangoon, Burma | Christian Holst
 Public Health

The Open Society Institute’s

Public Health Program seeks
to build societies committed
to inclusion, human rights, and
justice, in which health-related
laws, policies, and practices
reflect these values and are
based on scientific evidence.
The program works to advance
the health and human rights
of people in marginalized
communities by strengthening
civil society organizations and
leaders, and advocating for greater
accountability and transparency in
health policy and practice.
Harm Reduction for nurses from Central and Eastern projects aimed at preventing the
With nearly one in three new Europe and workshops in Namibia, institutionalization of children with
HIV infections outside of Africa Moldova, Tajikistan, and Ukraine. disabilities by providing inclusive
resulting from injecting drug use, education services and fostering
the International Harm Reduction Law and Health greater community support for
Development program worked in The Law and Health Initiative families with disabled children, thus
20 countries of Eastern Europe and promoted the integration of legal creating alternatives to placing
Asia to ensure that drug users have services into diverse health care children in institutional care. In
equitable access to HIV prevention settings to advance human rights, Romania, the initiative supported the
and treatment, and protection from human dignity, and open society. In development of a model employment
abuse at the hands of police or collaboration with others, the initiative program that has successfully
medical personnel. The program has supported a project in Kenya, South ensured employment on the open
led an international effort to denounce Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda that market for more than 60 people with
human rights violations committed in links palliative care providers with intellectual disabilities.
the name of drug treatment, such as legal experts to ensure that legal
flogging drug users or chaining them barriers facing patients, including Roma Health
to hospital beds. It supported new restrictions on pain medications, are The Roma Health Project promoted
projects in Russia to provide people adequately addressed. the equal access of Roma to
who use illegal drugs with the same An investigation into patients’ appropriate and quality health care
standard of AIDS treatment that other rights in Kyrgyzstan, involving services. Working with the European
HIV-positive people receive. interviews with people with physical Roma Rights Centre, the project
The program supported and mental disabilities, sex workers, developed an advocacy training
national efforts to raise awareness and people who use drugs, revealed program on the right to health care,
about effective, evidence-based shocking evidence of widespread and held the first training workshop
treatment, and conducted trainings human rights violations and abuses in Sofia, Bulgaria, focusing on
and presentations at regional and in hospitals and clinics. A publication the health rights of Roma women.
international AIDS conferences opposing the criminalization of HIV Responding to the lack of Roma in
to counter the misconception transmission or exposure outlined medical professions, OSI and the
that HIV-positive drug users are why criminalization is ineffective, Roma Education Fund launched
incapable of adhering to antiretroviral and harmful to public health and the a scholarship program helping
medications. With support from the human rights of people living with Roma students across Central and
Canadian International Development HIV, especially women. Eastern Europe to pursue medical
Agency, the program piloted harm and nursing studies. For more on
reduction services for women in Mental Health Roma health issues, including the
Georgia, Russia, and Ukraine. In an unprecedented agreement scholarship program, see pages
with the Open Society Mental 34–37.
Palliative Care Health Initiative, the government of
The International Palliative Care Macedonia agreed to move people Sexual Health and Rights
Initiative worked in resource-poor with intellectual disabilities out Sex workers in Cambodia joined
countries to establish palliative care of institutions and into supported together to demand an end to police
as a fundamental part of health housing to live as equal citizens in violence and extortion with support
care and to ensure the availability local communities. Similarly, in Serbia, from the Sexual Health and Rights
of essential drugs for pain relief and the initiative’s technical and financial Project, which aims to advance the
symptom management. The initiative support has helped make community- health and health-related rights of
helped pave the way for national based housing a viable alternative to sex workers and sexual and gender
palliative care plans in Romania and institutional placement. minorities. The project launched
Ukraine, and organized a seminar In Moldova, the initiative supported efforts in eastern and southern Africa

s o r o s f o u n d at i o n s n e t w o r k R e p o r t 2 0 0 8
52
to address health and human rights The Public Health Program also Bringing
issues critical to sex workers and supports efforts to increase
sexual minorities. It helped produce access to drugs and diagnostics
Human Rights to
an HIV prevalence study of men who to treat neglected diseases in the Center of the
have sex with men in Botswana, developing countries, and works AIDS Response
Malawi, Namibia, and South Africa, with the media to increase public At the 2008 International
showing that no resources are awareness of health and human AIDS Conference in Mexico
allocated to this at-risk population. rights issues, especially those City, the Public Health Program
involving marginalized populations. and its partners raised
Tuberculosis and HIV It supports budget analyses by awareness of the critical need
The Public Health Watch project civil society groups to strengthen to include human rights in the
worked to strengthen meaningful and advocacy campaigns on mental global AIDS response. OSI
sustained engagement by affected health, palliative care, Roma health, and a coalition of human rights
communities in the development, and harm reduction. It also works to and AIDS organizations held
implementation, and monitoring of strengthen civil society involvement the first global rally on human
TB, HIV, and TB/HIV policies, in the decision-making processes rights and HIV and AIDS, which
programs, and practices. It launched of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, brought together more than
a new grant initiative to support Tuberculosis and Malaria, and to 1,000 activists and people
monitoring and advocacy to reduce increase the fund’s investments in affected by the epidemic.
the burden of TB on people living projects focused on HIV prevention, During the rally, the OSI-
with HIV in eastern and southern care, and treatment for women, girls, produced declaration “Human
Africa. With project support, migrant and sexual minorities. Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More
workers in southern Africa met with Than Ever,” endorsed by over
government officials and health 600 organizations worldwide,
experts to press for TB prevention was presented to high-level
and treatment programs for the officials. The declaration calls
mining industry. Public Health Watch on governments and
participated in the UNAIDS Program international donors to
Coordinating Board Meeting in protect the human rights of
Chiang Mai, Thailand, which for the stigmatized groups, including
first time addressed important links sexual minorities, people who
between TB and HIV, and organized use drugs, sex workers, and
a briefing for UN representatives incarcerated persons.
prior to the first-ever HIV-TB Global
Leaders Forum.

OSI ONLINE
View A Light in the Dark,
a multimedia piece about
a mobile clinic for drug
users in St. Petersburg,
Russia. www.soros.org/
ar08/light

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A school teacher reviews student work in Narok, Kenya | Marvi Lacar
 Education,
Information,
and Media

Expanding access to education

and information and promoting
quality, independent journalism
are priorities for the Open
Society Institute. In 2008, OSI
supported debate programs
in the Middle East, copyright
exemptions for online materials
benefiting the visually impaired,
and news coverage of Cyclone
Nargis in Burma.
Education A project in Lubombo, Swaziland, The Network Scholarship Programs
The education programs of the Open helped orphans and vulnerable continued to assist outstanding
Society Institute work to promote the children, particularly those affected by students in pursuing their studies
inclusion of children from marginalized HIV and AIDS, access education. in different academic settings,
communities, advance higher The program worked directly with and then returning to contribute to
education in the humanities and social the Ministry of Education in Liberia their home countries. Hossain Ali
sciences, and empower young people to assist efforts to reconstruct the Ramoz, executive director of the
to become active citizens. primary education system, including Afghanistan Independent Human
The Early Childhood Program the creation of an efficient funding Rights Commission and the program’s
works globally to promote human mechanism. In Mongolia, an education first Afghan communications grantee,
development, parent and community center established by the Mongolian used televised open lectures at the
engagement, and government Education Alliance provided computer University of Ottawa, Canada, to raise
accountability in early childhood and sign language training to deaf and awareness about the human rights
development. The program hard of hearing children and helped situation in Afghanistan. To support
continues to work throughout launch the country’s first college the projects of alumni, the program
Central and Eastern Europe and course for educating deaf students funded social work program graduates
the Commonwealth of Independent and the first curriculum for deaf Altantsetseg Batsukh and Oyut-
States to promote accessibility and kindergarten children. Erdene Namdaldagva to correct the
quality of services for vulnerable Studies supported by the program lack of recognition of issues related to
children. In 2008, the program revealed how informal payments HIV, AIDS, and other STIs in academic
initiated a multiyear evaluation of its contribute to educational inequality in social work programs in Mongolia.
Getting Ready for School initiative, seven countries, and highlighted the The Open Society Institute Youth
which has been piloted in 10 educational exclusion of migrant and Initiative supports debate programs
countries and seeks to improve home marginalized communities in Europe. for young people, funds youth-
learning environments for children who The International Higher designed projects, and promotes
do not attend formal preschools. Education Support Program, which youth as partners in all aspects of
The program launched promotes the advancement of higher OSI’s work. The Network Debate
postgraduate programs in child education within the humanities and Program, which has developed
development at BRAC University social sciences—primarily across debate programs in over 50
in Bangladesh, and supported the Central, Eastern, and South Eastern countries, continued to expand its
analysis and development of policies Europe, the former Soviet Union, work by targeting Arabic-speaking
for young children by the Ministry of and Mongolia—provides financial youth in the Middle East and North
Education in Liberia. and technical assistance to a Africa and creating a Mandarin
The Education Support Program network of institutions, ranging from debate program for Chinese
collaborated with Soros foundations undergraduate universities to doctoral university students.
to advocate for the special education programs and centers for advanced The Youth Initiative awarded
needs of vulnerable children. The study. In 2008, the program expanded small grants to projects in Jordan,
program helped develop standards the work of its Academic Fellowship Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Moldova,
for curricula that included civic Program with 64 new returning Nepal, Russia, Serbia, and Uganda.
education and human rights in scholars joining the 105 scholars In Uganda, funding went to projects
Armenia and produced a guide who had previously renewed their ranging from the protection of the
on inclusive educational practices work with the fellowship program. country’s wetlands to the promotion
in Serbia. Soros foundations in OSI’s Network Scholarship Programs of technology in remote areas.
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan and the Higher Education Support In Istanbul, Turkey, the program
reviewed national policies on children Program started an effort to help supported an international BarCamp,
with special education needs and academic institutions and scholars in where participants used the web to
supported demonstration projects. Africa respond to climate change. discuss issues in an interactive, open

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setting. The camp brought together Media New Admissions
OSI programs, foundations, grantees, The Media Program continued
consultants, and young activists to promote quality, independent
Test in Ukraine
to share their work on topics such journalism for the crucial role it plays Improves Access
as creating web communities for in functioning democracies and for to University
marginalized youth, and advocating the standards and content it can Ukraine implemented
for national youth policies. provide to evolving communications independent testing for
technologies. The Media Program university admissions for the
Information and OSI’s Burma Project supported first time at the national level,
OSI’s Information Program works to two media outlets that supplied the capping years of work by the
increase public access to knowledge, world with television footage and news International Renaissance
facilitate civil society communication, stories about the devastating impact Foundation and other NGOs
and protect civil liberties and the of Cyclone Nargis in Burma and the to develop independent
freedom to communicate in the digital authoritarian government’s failed testing of graduating students’
environment. The program gives response.  educational achievement.
particular attention to the information The program also supported The new system significantly
needs of disadvantaged groups and emergency legal aid and other forms of reduces corruption in the
less developed parts of the world. protection for Pakistani journalists, and admissions process and
The Information Program helped an international press freedom mission improves equal access to higher
develop an Access to Knowledge and safety training for freelancers in education. Upon completion
advocacy coalition, which in 2008 Mexico. In the Philippines and Russia, of the testing, the Ministry of
concentrated on persuading the World the program assisted efforts to combat Education and Science decreed
Intellectual Property Organization to impunity for those who intimidate or kill that all higher educational
establish copyright exemptions that journalists. institutions will use independent
allow the creation of large nonprofit The Media Program supported assessment results for
collections of online materials for the investigative journalism through a admissions.
benefit of developing nations and number of regional and international
disenfranchised populations such as events, including a meeting of
visually impaired people. Latin American journalists and
The program worked with the media support organizations to
Shuttleworth Foundation to launch discuss strenghthening investigative
the Cape Town Open Education journalism, and a meeting of an Arab
Declaration to build a global investigative journalists’ network.
movement for textbooks and other A coproduction fund for Roma and
educational resources that can be non-Roma media outlets generated
freely translated and adapted around high quality TV and radio programs
the world. It funded BarCamps that on Roma issues that have been seen
brought together social activists by approximately 5.5 million viewers OSI ONLINE
and technologists to address the since 2007. The Media Program and
Read the personal stories
technological needs of NGOs in OSI’s EU Monitoring and Advocacy
Program issued follow-up reports on
and views of OSI scholars
Central Asia, the Baltics, and the
Caucasus. And it promoted open nine countries covered in an earlier studying abroad in
information policies by working with report, Television across Europe. issues of ScholarForum.
both corporations and human rights The new reports found an increase www.soros.org/ar08/
groups to create the Global Network in channels but reductions in media
scholarforum
Initiative for protecting the rights of independence in almost all the
information technology users. countries examined.

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Other The Open Society Institute
Programs operates programs that focus on
the roles that art, photography,
independent intellectual inquiry,
and exchanges of people from
different countries can play in
establishing tolerant, democratic
A patient at the Louisiana State Penitentiary’s hospice
program is greeted by a fellow inmate | Lori Waselchuk societies.
 The Arts and Culture Network volunteers at the Angola Prison independent policy centers that help
Program supported Roma arts and hospice program in Louisiana. strengthen democracy by identifying
culture in the Balkans, Central Asia, To facilitate the sharing of and analyzing policy options,
and Central and Eastern Europe, information to further reform and advocating recommendations, and
and helped develop independent social change, the East East: consulting with governments. In
cultural activities in Afghanistan, the Partnership Beyond Borders 2008, the fund issued 27 institutional
Caucasus, Central Asia, Mongolia, Program uses exchange programs grants and 14 project grants in
and Turkey. Everything’s OK, a film to foster collaboration among civil more than 20 countries. In Kosovo,
about street children produced by society organizations in more than the Institute for Advanced Studies
a program grantee in Kyrgyzstan, one country. A long-term initiative used an institutional grant to support
received positive reviews at the in Poland helped analysts and civil NGOs that organized televised
Rotterdam international film festival society activists monitor EU member debates on local government policies
and then toured the Netherlands. To state visa policies toward neighboring and priorities in 25 municipalities. The
fight stereoptypes and build the self- non-EU countries. In Bosnia and fund’s project grants supported 14
esteem of young Roma, the program Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, initiatives that responded to issues
supported Roma painters, musicians, and Serbia, the program brought including minority integration in Latvia
and other cultural professionals who together civil society activists and and Estonia, civil oversight of security
mentored ethnically mixed children organizations to develop strategies to agencies in the Czech Republic, and
and youth groups at schools and advance the EU accession process in political party financing in Hungary.
community centers. South Eastern Europe. The program
OSI’s Documentary Photography worked with Soros foundations in
Project uses exhibits, workshops, the Czech Republic and Ukraine
grantmaking, and public programs to on reform and European integration
explore how photography can shape issues, and with foundations in
public perception and effect social Slovakia and Tajikistan to organize
change. The project’s Moving Walls exchanges of experts working on
exhibition series works to depict housing policy and civic engagement.
societies in transition and promote The Open Society Fellowship,
democratic values. From 2006 to launched in 2008, supports
2008, the project, in partnership individuals who develop innovative
with OSI’s Middle East and North solutions to pressing social and OSI ONLINE
Africa Initiative, supported a touring political challenges. The program
See how six documentary
exhibition of seven past Moving aims to shape policy and inspire
Walls photographers to cities in critical debate among activists, photographers depict
the region. At each venue, a local intellectuals, and decision-makers; it abuse of power at Abu
photographer was included in the also works to sharpen OSI’s thinking Ghraib and in North Korea,
exhibit and the project organized about significant political and social HIV education in Lesotho,
photography workshops for local issues. The program’s first seven
industrial pollution in
professionals and young people. The fellows came from Australia, Belarus,
Bangladesh, daily life
Documentary Photography Project’s Colombia, South Africa, and the
various grants supported a number United States and focused on issues in Azerbaijan, and the
of activities, including the publication ranging from new technologies in separation wall between
of The Useful Image: Using Images authoritarian societies and the AIDS Mexico and the United
to Change Today’s World and a epidemics in Russia and South Africa States. www.soros.org/
Louisiana and Mississippi correctional to the mixed results of international
ar08/movingwalls
facilities tour of Lori Waselchuk’s advocacy on Darfur.
photographs documenting inmate OSI’s’s Think Tank Fund supports

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U.S. Programs

The Open Society Institute’s

U.S. Programs supports individuals
and organizations that nurture
the development of a more open
society, a society that allows all
people to participate actively and
equitably in political, economic,
and cultural life; encourages
diverse opinions and critical
debate; protects fundamental
human rights, dignity, and the
rule of law; and promotes
broadly shared prosperity and
human security.

The 2008 election process

represented a number of
advances for open society in
America: increased levels of civic
engagement, renewed respect for
the power of grassroots activism,
and a milestone in the struggle
for racial justice. Yet much work
remains to be done for the
United States to live up to its
potential as an open society.
Crowd watching U.S. presidential election returns in New York | Eric Bouvet
Transparency and from Arab-American, Asian, and and legal assistance to stem the
Integrity Latino communities. Grants made crisis in New York City. 
The Transparency and Integrity by the fund in 2008 included one
Fund seeks to increase government to a network promoting an urban Criminal Justice
transparency and accountability at the agenda on housing, jobs, policing, The Criminal Justice Fund seeks
federal and state levels. In 2008, OSI and gentrification issues, and another to reverse policies and practices
and its grantees strengthened and to a collaborative project advancing that criminalize race, poverty,
coordinated the field of nonpartisan a public investment and equal mental illness, and drug and alcohol
organizations working to reform the opportunity agenda. dependency, and confront the
voting system and protect all votes on destructive and costly impact of
and before Election Day. Successes Equality and these policies on individuals and
included an executive order in Opportunity communities. With help from an
Florida extending the hours for early The Equality and Opportunity OSI grantee, the state of Kansas
voting, advocacy that stopped voter Fund’s mission is to eliminate averted nearly $80 million in new
suppression in Michigan where voters barriers that prevent people from prison construction and operating
whose homes had been foreclosed participating fully in economic, costs over the next five years by
on faced residency challenges, and social, and political life in the United adopting measures to reduce its
legal action remedying flawed voter States. Among other objectives, prison population. OSI convened
purges in many contested states. the fund focuses on reversing advocates to brainstorm litigation
OSI grantees developed a institutional policies and practices strategies to combat the continued
Change for America blueprint to that contribute to racial inequality, plague of racial profiling, and helped
help guide the government in a strengthening the civil and human host a public forum to discuss how
new, more progressive direction, rights of immigrants, supporting  to create a criminal justice system
a comprehensive “Right-to-Know policies that advance lesbian, gay, structured neither by race nor by
Agenda” to enhance transparency bisexual, and transgender rights, economic inequality.
and accountability and increase and elevating women’s issues
citizen engagement with government, and leadership within larger Black Male Achievement
and a Bailout Watch to demand progressive movements.   The Campaign for Black Male
greater fiscal transparency around In a legal victory involving an Achievement was launched in
the government’s bailout of the OSI grantee, a U.S. appeals court 2008 as a three-year, cross-
financial sector. ruled that federal immigration program campaign to provide
authorities may not treat simple expanded resources to address,
Democracy and Power drug possession offenses, which and help reverse, the ways in which
The Democracy and Power Fund are misdemeanors under state law, African American boys and men
expands on OSI’s longtime support as “drug trafficking” aggravated are stigmatized, criminalized, and
of efforts that inspire and motivate felonies to secure mandatory excluded from full participation in
people of color, young people, deportation of immigrants. In another economic, cultural, and political life
immigrants, and low-income victory, a district court upheld the in the United States. In its first
communities. Over 20 OSI grantees constitutionality of the Voting Rights year, the program made grants to
registered more than 1.5 million new Act, which requires certain states and organizations in the areas of youth
and updated voters nationwide before localities to submit changes in voting media and civic engagement, faith-
the U.S. presidential election. OSI procedures to the federal government based organizing and capacity
emphasized support for community- for approval. building, education equity and
based nonprofit organizations that OSI launched its Neighborhood reform, strengthening families
enfranchised and inspired new Stabilization Initiative in response to through responsible fatherhood,
voters, such as young people, the subprime lending and foreclosure economic opportunity, and community
people of color, and new citizens crisis, funding outreach, counseling, leadership and organizing.

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National Security and Open Society Institute– Guantánamo
Human Rights Baltimore
With one year remaining of the The Open Society Institute–Baltimore
Detainees Win
Bush administration, OSI and The made substantial progress on three Right to Judicial
Atlantic Philanthropies launched the of the most difficult challenges facing Review
National Security and Human Rights the city—inadequate drug addiction Among the year’s most
Campaign to take advantage of the treatment, poorly performing schools, important legal decisions
opportunities that a changed political and unacceptably high rates of was the Supreme Court’s
environment could offer to promote incarceration. ruling that foreign nationals
progressive national security policies OSI helped Baltimore Substance held as “enemy combatants”
that respect human rights, civil Abuse Systems, the agency at Guantánamo have a
liberties, and the rule of law. responsible for the city’s public drug constitutional right to file a
OSI’s grantees mobilized broad addiction treatment system, introduce writ of habeas corpus in U.S.
opposition to U.S.-sponsored torture, performance-based contracting and courts requesting release from
organizing faith-based communities use data to change traditional funding unlawful detention. The 5-4
in denouncing the use of torture on allocations, ensuring higher utilization ruling speaks to the efforts of
moral grounds; building grassroots of treatment services. The agency OSI’s grantees to reverse the
support on college campuses; launched a cooperative effort that Bush administration policy of
enlisting the military, intelligence, provided buprenorphine treatment detaining individuals indefinitely
law enforcement, and foreign policy for heroin addiction to over 1,100 without judicial review. OSI
communities in the movement patients in 2008. OSI grantees joined an amicus brief filed in
against torture; exposing the ethical began working to remove barriers for the case.
issues raised by the participation Medicaid patients and providers using
of psychologists in abusive buprenorphine. Under the leadership
interrogations; and documenting the of OSI-Baltimore, a policy team has
physical and psychological harms developed a program that will provide
from the use of torture. eligible prisoners with addiction
treatment in prison and parole them
Strategic Opportunities to treatment and support services in OSI ONLINE
The Strategic Opportunities Fund the community. View Trouble the
enables U.S. Programs to respond OSI-Baltimore’s collaborative Water, a documentary
quickly to urgent situations, as well initiative to reform school suspension
film codirected and
as to support grant strategy research and expulsion practices resulted in
and explore emerging areas of the drafting of a new student code coproduced by OSI
interest. OSI prioritized location- of conduct, which the school district fellow Tia Lessin, which
based philanthropy, with New is now implementing. The new code was nominated for
Orleans and the broader Gulf supports programs, including several the 2008 Academy
Region as a focus of further research launched by OSI in 2007 as pilots,
Award for Best Feature
and the development of cross- that teach appropriate behavior, use
Documentary. Lessin was
program strategies. Exploratory suspension and expulsion as a last
grantmaking included support for resort, and add enriching and/or one of six filmmakers
groups that utilize art and culture to physical activities that attract children who received an OSI
advance organizing, advocacy, and to school. OSI released three white Katrina Media Fellowship
social change. papers addressing the issue of in 2006. www.soros.org/
student absences in public schools
ar08/trouble
with recommendations to remedy
the problem.

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Open Society in Eastern Europe
Since the creation of the

first foundation in Hungary

25 years ago, the Open

Society Institute and the

Soros foundations have

made education reform and

inclusion a major priority in

Central and Eastern Europe

and the former Soviet Union.

Support for programs from

early childhood to higher

education continues today

with the goal of helping

all young people become

informed and active citizens.

Young women participating in local group that provides

language and art classes and counseling, Akhaltsikhe,
Georgia | Maria SteEn
 The Open Society Institute since 1995
has supported hundreds of programs
in Eastern Europe to reduce HIV and
other harms related to injecting drug use.
It advocates for drug policy reforms to
increase the availability and quality of needle
exchange, drug dependence treatment,
and treatment for HIV.
Returning used syringes to a mobile needle exchange van, St. Petersburg, Russia | Lorena Ros
The struggle to eliminate discrimination against minorities has gained
ground over the years, with more and more people willing to publicly
show their support. With hard times bringing new episodes of
discrimination and violence, the Open Society Institute is increasing
its efforts to fund education and legal responses to the problem.

Participants march in a nonpartisan, peaceful demonstration against discrimination and violence,

Budapest, Hungary, 2008 | Ferenc Isza
 To strengthen democracy in Eastern Europe, the Open Society Institute
continues to support measures to ensure free and fair elections.
During election campaigns, the Soros foundations focus attention on
crucial open society issues, provide the public with information about
candidates, and monitor voter registration and vote counting.

Man in Berende, Bulgaria, waits to vote in EU parliamentary elections, June 7, 2009 | Boryana Katsarova
A subway stop in Belgrade, Serbia, spattered with graffiti sprayed during protests in 2008 against Kosovo’s independence | Roger Lemoyne
 Europe

Priorities for the Soros

foundations in Europe included
good governance issues such
as democratic elections and
open, corruption-free institutions,
and the human rights and
living conditions of minorities,
migrants, mentally disabled
people, and other marginalized
groups. Many foundations
worked on strengthening the
candidacy and participation of
their countries in the European
Union. OSI’s EU Monitoring
and Advocacy Program focused
on the integration of Muslim
communities in European cities,
the role television plays in
European democracy, and the
dire educational situation of
Roma children.
Elections and institute reforms. based on its findings that Roma
Foundations in a number of A Polish court gave a significant children continued to be assigned to
countries used election campaigns victory to whistle blowers when it separate and unequal classes and
to focus attention on open society ruled in favor of a former national park schools. A review of education reform
issues such as the transparency of employee who claimed he had been found that government policies in
public funds and access to public fired for exposing managers who Bulgaria had actually increased Roma
health. The foundation in Moldova allowed parks to be used as illegal dropout rates and many rural schools
supported projects monitoring waste dumping sites. Responding had closed.
voting lists and providing the public to a watchdog coalition, authorities In Macedonia, an education
with information about candidates. in Serbia disclosed information on program developed by OSI and
The foundation’s efforts in Albania 38 cases that raised questions funded by USAID graduated 198
helped prompt the election agency about whether the use of public Roma students from high school—
to prepare recommendations for funds was in compliance with public an initial graduation rate of more
reform, addressing procedures for procurement laws. A watchdog than 75 percent, considerably
vote counting, ballot administration, project examined shortcomings in higher than the national Roma
and political party financing. The the use of Montenegro’s access to secondary school completion rate of
foundation in Poland also funded information law to obtain data on 56 percent. The foundation in Turkey
the development of recommendations environmental protection. assisted in establishing a program
for election campaign financing. In Azerbaijan, the foundation that awarded scholarships to 20
After a brutal government supported monitoring of state social Roma university students and 10
crackdown following Armenia’s assistance spending that prompted high school students preparing for
presidential elections, the foundation reforms, increasing the number of university entrance exams.
helped the human rights community eligible recipients of state social The foundation in Romania
document abuses and report assistance by 60 percent. organized a regional conference
on conditions before and after Natural resource revenues also of Roma activists and OSI and
the elections. It organized legal came under scrutiny. Pressured foundation staff to share successful
representation for victims of the by the foundation, other NGOs, grassroots organizing strategies,
violence. and the state, more oil companies while the foundation in the Czech
in Azerbaijan began to disclose Republic campaigned for a national
Corruption their payments to the government antidiscrimination act and supported
In its long-term efforts against in greater detail, making it easier lawsuits that contributed to a
corruption, the country’s biggest for the public to monitor how the decrease in discrimination against
problem, the foundation in the Czech government is using these revenues. the Roma. Roma candidates were
Republic helped develop new legal The foundation in Romania organized elected to legislative bodies in
provisions to promote transparency, meetings of employers, workers, seven municipalities in Bosnia and
establish a legal counseling center, officials, and others to make the Herzegovina, where the foundation
and create materials for tracking mining industry more receptive trained Roma leaders in election law.
budget expenditures. to socially and environmentally A survey on student attitudes
The foundation in Bulgaria responsible operating methods. toward minorities, supported by
produced a report on informal the foundation in Slovakia, showed
payments in the health care system Roma that most students had strong
that showed general practitioners Access to quality education for the predjudices and little knowledge of
were evading taxes on a large scale. Roma was an important focus for OSI multiculturalism and minorities. Among
A study of the judiciary in Kosovo, and the Soros foundations, including the foundation’s efforts to improve the
supported by the Kosovo foundation, those in Bulgaria, Macedonia, situation was a high school contest
revealed a lack of political will to Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey. using music and drama to explore
prosecute certain corruption cases EUMAP advocated for improvements diversity and tolerance.

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Mentally Disabled People The foundations in Europe, often in Restoring Power
The foundation in Moldova collaboration with OSI programs, also
and its partners, including the
to Roma
worked on a whole range of other
A public-private partnership
government, agreed to end any open society issues, from advocating
restored electricity for
further institutionalization of mentally for better HIV and AIDS treatment in
35,000 residents in the Roma
disabled children and to develop Turkey, to providing indigent criminal
settlement in Stolipinovo,
community-based services instead. defendants with legal assistance
Bulgaria. The community’s deep
Efforts supported by the foundation in Moldova, to protecting the rights
debts to the electricity provider
in Turkey prompted numerous of vulnerable immigrant workers
had created an ugly cycle of
changes in the treatment of mentally in Romania, to securing equal
power cuts followed by illegal
disabled people, from increased opportunities for women in the
electricity taps. The foundation
patient access to outdoor activities Czech Republic.
brought together electricity
and improvements in hospital food, The Soros foundation in Georgia
providers, local authorities,
to a ban on the use of electroshock responded to the 2008 conflict in
and a microfinance institution
therapy without anesthesia. the South Ossetia region by working
to invest 1.5 million euros in
with civil society groups to provide
improving the electricity grid
European Union food, medication, and clothing to
and to create a plan allowing
In Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and displaced civilians. In the aftermath of
residents to pay off their debts
Serbia, the foundations promoted the fighting, the foundation focused on
while receiving electricity.
the value of integrating policies and human rights issues facing internally
institutions into the European Union. displaced people, and supported
The foundation in Latvia encouraged efforts to ensure transparent allocation
democratic reform in other Eastern and use of a $4.5 billion international
European countries, particularly aid package to rebuild Georgia’s
Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia. economy and infrastructure.
In Poland, the foundation worked A study funded by the foundation in
to make the EU more accessible Estonia exposed poor living conditions
to Eastern European citizens by at refugee camps in Georgia: only
advocating for fairer and more 3 to 4 percent of people displaced
reasonable EU visa policies and by the conflict were receiving food,
border-crossing procedures. clothing, and medical assistance. The
Recognition of Kosovo as an foundation’s campaign resulted in
independent state by a majority of improving conditions, including the
EU members in 2008 triggered closing of a number of camps.
a political crisis in Serbia. The A mentoring program created by OSI ONLINE
foundation in Serbia responded by the foundation improved the Estonian Learn why changes in
helping mobilize civil society groups language skills of Russian-speaking ownership and viewing
to defend democratization and teachers by pairing them with
habits are threatening
EU integration. Its efforts helped Estonian-speaking colleagues.
shape the European Commission’s Years of education work by the
the independence of
recommendations on how Serbian Ukrainian foundation and other television broadcasting
authorities could speed up reforms NGOs came to fruition when Ukraine in OSI’s 2008 reports,
and better harmonize policies with implemented external testing of Television across
EU standards. students’ educational achievements.
Europe. www.soros.
The new system reduces corruption
org/ar08/television
in admissions and improves equal
access to higher education.

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Asia OSI programs and Soros foundations
in Asia made significant efforts to
defend and improve human rights,
particularly for migrants, children,
and victims of conflict. Many
foundations and programs responded
to governance and development
issues by promoting election reform,
democratic institutions, and use of
natural resources that benefits the
Uzbek women weed a cotton field in southern
Tajikistan | Carolyn Drake public and respects the environment.
 OSI’s Central Eurasia Project monk-led protests in 2007. EU funds for election reform projects
addressed a number of key human Malaysian NGOs funded by that produced recommendations
rights and governance issues by the Southeast Asia Initiative used used by the parliament for new
supporting activities ranging from monitoring and advocacy to protect amendments to election legislation.
helping develop coalitions challenging the human rights of migrant workers The foundation also used EU support
forced child labor in Uzbekistan’s abused by quasi-government for a study tour to Brussels that
cotton industry to working with civil organizations charged with enforcing familiarized Kyrgyz officials with EU
society and Soros foundations in travel regulations. electoral best practices, and for a
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to promote Working with the Open Society project to develop legal mechanisms
accountability in the management Justice Initiative, the Southeast Asia combating domestic violence.
of water and electricity. Several Initiative helped support the Khmer A civil society coalition supported
foundations and programs also Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia by by the foundation in Mongolia
focused on public health and funding civil society groups that monitored legislative elections and
information and media issues. informed people about the tribunal, helped reveal substantial irregularities
justice issues, and government that undermined the integrity of the
Human Rights accountability. The initiative also elections. The monitoring results
The foundation in Mongolia developed radio programming and gave new momentum to electoral
responded to the government’s violent a web portal that provided news reform efforts.
postelection crackdown on opposition about the tribunal in Khmer and Prodemocracy activists supported
parties and demonstrators by English. OSI’s Afghanistan office by the Burma Project responded
supporting documentation of human and a number of partners organized to the junta’s flawed constitutional
rights abuses, media monitoring, a conference on documenting war referendum by organizing campaigns
and legal aid for those arrested. The crimes, sharing lessons from the in over 250 townships throughout
Kazakhstan foundation supported Cambodia experience. Burma to raise awareness about the
efforts documenting rights violations The Tifa Foundation in Indonesia illegitimate constitution.
and discrimination experienced by the supported successful efforts to pass Local groups working with the
country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and a law protecting the rights of migrant foundation in Indonesia created a
transgender community. laborers and worked with Microsoft “People’s Charter” to hold elected
In May, Cyclone Nargis hit Burma, to establish 10 migrant worker officials in Jakarta accountable to their
disrupting more than 2.4 million lives resource centers. campaign promises. The city’s mayor
and, according to Burma’s military The Chinese government’s responded by participating in public
junta, causing at least 140,000 ratification of the UN Convention on discussions with city residents about
fatalities. OSI’s Burma Project the Rights of the Disabled in 2008 accountability issues. The foundation
responded to the junta’s interference bolstered OSI’s continuing support also helped train citizen groups that
with aid efforts by supporting groups for civil society efforts to strengthen monitored regional water privatization
inside the country that provided disability rights protections. proposals and government spending
shelter, food, and medicine to cyclone of revenues from water use fees.
victims. The project’s media grantees Governance and Development In Turkmenistan, the project
sent uncensored news and images The Central Eurasia Project supported collaborated with a coalition of
of the junta’s ineffective disaster a network of scholars and experts independent experts to sponsor
response to the outside world and to monitor the implementation of the research on environmental
back into Burma. An international EU’s Central Asia strategy, which degradation and promote policies
campaign led by Burma Project seeks to share European experience for progressive development. OSI’s
grantees aimed to free Burma’s on regional integration and aid the Pakistan office, established in
political prisoners, particularly those development of stable, prosperous, 2008, helped civil society monitor
imprisoned after the army’s violent democratic societies in Central Asia. reconstruction efforts following the
crackdown against participants in In Kyrgyzstan, the foundation used massive earthquake of 2005.

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Information programs that covered 80 percent of Businesses Join
Bloggers in Kazakhstan used Nepal’s territory.
Campaign Against
mobile technology training from
OSI and the foundation to do online Public Health Uzbekistan’s
civic journalism that targeted and In a major breakthrough for Forced Child Labor
engaged young people. Kazakhstan’s public health reform, the Tajik An international campaign
prime minister started his own blog parliament adopted amendments supported by OSI helped
and encouraged ministers and to bring existing laws into line with prompt major European and U.S.
representatives to use blogs to international standards for providing retailers and trade associations,
communicate with their constituents. access to HIV prevention and including Wal-Mart, to demand
In Tajikistan, the foundation treatment. The foundation worked that the government of
helped establish a Linux center to with international agencies to analyze Uzbekistan stop using child
develop free and open software regulations and advise advocates on labor to harvest cotton. Cotton
for civil society groups. The center developing HIV treatment policies. picked primarily by children
also developed a web portal to Local civil society groups in Uzbekistan generates
unite civil society organizations monitoring mental health care almost $1 billion in export
across the country. Regional budgets in Kyrgyzstan revealed revenues, which are controlled
information agencies established significant misuse of government by three state companies not
by the foundation provided assets at the national center for publicly accounted for in the
accurate alternative information to psychiatry. The foundation helped government’s budget. A global
areas that were previously out of the groups use the findings to stop coalition of rights advocates,
broadcast range or only received this misuse, improve the center’s socially responsible investors,
foreign or state-controlled media. financing, and increase pay for companies, governments, and
In Pakistan, OSI provided safety psychiatric health care workers. international organizations
training for journalists and supported The foundation also implemented an have stepped up pressure
independent media. HIV and AIDS program supported on Uzbekistan to renounce
A viewer-based TV rating and by the government that provided these practices.
monitoring project supported by the harm reduction and rehabilitation
Tifa foundation allowed TV viewers in services for drug users in prisons. In
Indonesia to express their preferences Kazakhstan, the foundation worked
more clearly than the widely used to advance citizens’ health rights and OSI ONLINE
Nielsen system. The project used access to medicine, particularly for
“Missed Opportunities—
viewer responses to organize local the terminally ill.
How the West ‘Lost’
discussions about making TV more
responsive to community needs Soros foundations and programs Central Asia.” Listen
and interests. Tifa also helped a in Asia supported numerous to OSI Fellow Alex
civil society coalition prompt the other activities addressing issues Cooley discuss why
government to adopt a freedom of important to open society, including recent United States
information act in 2008. In Nepal, OSI establishing transparent higher
and European policies
focused on support for developing a education admissions systems in
radio network and content syndication Tajikistan, helping develop a national toward Central Asia have
system to bring reliable, independent juvenile justice system in Kazakhstan, done little to improve
news and information to large supporting independent filmmakers governance in the region.
numbers of Nepalese underserved in Tajikistan, and helping arrange www.soros.org/ar08/
by other media. By the end of 2008, training and concert exchanges
cooley
the network provided local stations among symphony orchestras in
with a mix of news and feature Central Asia and Russia.

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Middle East and North Africa
OSI’s Middle East and North Africa Israel’s Arab minorities. Other groups of Thought and Expression in
Initiative, with its Arab Regional Office worked to develop legal challenges Egypt used funding from OSI
in Amman, focuses on governance to state discrimination and promote to promote media creativity and
and rights, media and information, equality in Israeli cities with sizeable reduce censorship. OSI financed
youth, and education. Arab and Jewish populations. media outlets that achieved
In the Occupied Palestinian OSI funded efforts by the significant operational and editorial
Territories, the regional office Egyptian Initiative for Personal independence by broadcasting
supported the monitoring of human Rights to improve individual over the Internet. The regional
rights violations by both Israeli forces liberties, including freedom of office provided Radio Al-Balad in
and the Palestinian National Authority. religion and rights for people with Jordan with additional funding for a
For example, OSI helped human mental disabilities, and supported community program targeting the
rights activists monitor Israeli troops’ organizations in Lebanon and Jordan Iraqi refugee population in Amman.
treatment of Palestinian civilians that defended the rights of migrant The Arab Regional Office partnered
at security checkpoints in the and foreign workers. With OSI’s with OSI’s Early Childhood Program
West Bank. International Women’s Program, the to support preschool programs for
In Israel, OSI sought to reduce regional office supported initiatives children in Nazareth, and increase
the inequalities facing Palestinian to counter violence against women parental involvement in their children’s
citizens. The Galilee Society received in conflict and postconflict situations, education in northern Israel, and
funding for its efforts to achieve particularly in Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, supported an association of public
equitable health, environmental, and the Occupied Palestinian libraries in Lebanon that worked to
and socioeconomic conditions, Territories. bring children and teenagers together
particularly in areas inhabited by The Association for Freedom across sectarian divides.

Iraqi civilians stare through window of U.S. Army vehicle in Abu Gharib, Iraq | Benjamin Lowy

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Internally displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the forest near their refugee camp | Lynsey Addario
 Africa

Whether it was supporting

democratic struggles of citizens
against corrupt despots in
Zimbabwe and Swaziland or
responding to a political crisis
in Kenya, the promotion of
democracy and good governance
in Africa remained a priority
for the Open Society Institute
in 2008.
As a world increasingly hungry for worked with church groups and and increase the public benefits
oil, gas, and minerals pursued new trade unions to stop the delivery of a of diamond mining for all of Sierra
ventures in Africa, OSI programs Chinese arms shipment to Zimbabwe. Leone’s citizens.
and Soros foundations worked OSI activities in Swaziland—a
to ensure the sustainable and country decimated by HIV and AIDS Human Rights and Justice
equitable use of the continent’s and extreme poverty—helped citizens To address human rights violations
natural resource wealth. Many OSI challenge the country’s deeply in northern Uganda, OSI supported
programs and foundations in Africa corrupt monarchy with boycotts, International Criminal Court trainings
also addressed issues such as work stoppages, protests, and for Ugandan law professors and
defending and strengthening human legal actions. In South Africa, the recent law school graduates. An East
rights, responding to HIV and AIDS, foundation worked to strengthen Africa initiative grantee developed
and improving public access to democratic political processes and position papers to help Uganda’s
information. freedom of expression by supporting proposed special war crimes court
independent journalists covering use international, domestic, and
Governance and Justice parliament and the build-up to traditional law to achieve justice
OSI’s AfriMAP monitoring project elections in 2009. and reconciliation.
published a report on the judiciary OSI’s Southern Africa initiative
in Senegal that revealed a judicial Natural Resources and led a solidarity mission of African
commission’s lack of independence Transparency feminists and activists to the
from the executive branch. With OSI support, NGOs in Uganda Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Senegalese officials promised that developed environmental abuse The mission aimed to draw attention
the report’s conclusions would databases that bolstered efforts to and support to women in the east of
inform public discussions and judicial get regional and national leaders to the country struggling against sexual
sector reforms. reform natural resource management violence, sex trafficking, poverty, and
In Kenya, the Open Society policies. Strategic litigation supported HIV and AIDS.
Initiative for East Africa funded a by the East Africa initiative helped Two Angolan human rights
civil society group that challenged NGOs monitor transparency in the organizations supported by the
the country’s endemic political extraction of recently discovered Southern Africa initiative challenged
corruption with publicly distributed oil resources. government reports on living
commentaries and analytical In Angola, a group of conditions in Angola by submitting
blogging. The group’s website parliamentarians responded to an shadow reports to the African
documented Kenya’s election crisis OSI-supported transparency and Commission on Human and Peoples’
and received nine million hits between budgets conference by forming MPs Rights and the United Nations.
December 2007 and January 2008. for Transparency, which aims to The Open Society Foundation
The initiative also worked with civil improve the legislature’s monitoring of for South Africa protected refugees
society groups to bring Kenya’s public spending. and asylum seekers from xenophobic
postelection crisis and the continent- In Sierra Leone, the Open Society attacks in South Africa by helping
wide problem of statelessness Initiative for West Africa developed evacuate them from black townships
to the attention of African Union a resource management strategy to places of safety. The foundation
policymakers. that helped the country become a promoted public discussion about
OSI helped democracy advocates candidate for participation in the the xenophobic violence through
in Zimbabwe call for international Extractive Industries Transparency journalism fellowships that supported
responses to the Mugabe regime’s Initiative. The West Africa initiative reporting on South Africa’s refugee
election rigging and continued also worked with a monitoring communities. The foundation’s
repression of the democratic political group to develop review policies for prison sentencing project
opposition. The Open Society diamond mining contracts, strengthen demonstrated that the South African
Initiative for Southern Africa also citizen monitoring of the industry, government’s overemphasis on

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imprisonment has done little to sustain public affairs TV programs in OSI Helps Lead
reduce crime. A civil society coalition Uganda and Kenya that held officials
used the project’s results to promote accountable by featuring panels of
Kenya Past Election
alternatives to imprisonment. politicians, lawyers, and activists Fraud and Political
taking unscripted questions from the Violence
Public Health public about politics, economics, The Open Society Institute
Working with OSI’s Public Health and culture. responded to Kenya’s fraudulent
Program, the East Africa initiative presidential elections in
supported human rights and health December 2007 and the violence
service training for caregivers at 10 that followed by supporting
health facilities. The project gave initiatives to mediate solutions
people living with HIV and AIDS and pursue justice and
training on how to get officials to reconciliation. With support
challenge discrimination and meet from the Open Society Initiative
their health care needs. for East Africa, the Kenyans for
The foundation in South Africa Peace with Truth and Justice
also worked with the Public Health coalition gathered evidence
Program to address the government’s to document human rights
inability to manage deepening HIV violations. Coalition appeals to
and AIDS and tuberculosis epidemics Europe, the United States, and
by continuing to support NGOs like the African Union helped the
the Treatment Action Campaign and development of the African Union
Health Systems Trust. mediation process that brought
an end to the violence. The
Media and Information coalition documented the election
Preliminary findings from a 12-country fraud that precipitated the
AfriMAP and OSI Media Program violence and worked to ensure
survey showed a large public the inclusion of excluded groups
broadcasting gap between South in the mediation process. It also
Africa and the rest of the continent spearheaded ongoing efforts to
and confirmed the importance of ensure accountability for victims
state and public broadcasting, of violence, resettlement of
particularly radio, due to the internally displaced persons, and
expense or inaccessibility of TV, constitutional reform.
print publications, and the Internet.
The survey also indicated that many OSI ONLINE
Africans could benefit from further View Gasping for Air and
development of mobile phones to
other multimedia pieces
access radio broadcasting.
NGOs in Uganda supported on OSI efforts to address
by the East Africa initiative worked the needs of people
to improve implementation of the infected with drug-
national freedom of information law resistant TB and HIV in
by conducting public surveys and
Africa. www.soros.org/
outreach campaigns to increase
ar08/gasping
people’s interest in using the law.
The initiative also helped launch and

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Latin America In 2008, OSI’s Latin America
Program, the Soros foundations in
and the Guatemala and Haiti, and many OSI
initiatives pursued projects ranging
Caribbean from helping communities in Haiti get
clean drinking water to increasing
the role of Mayan women in local
governance to bringing together
former presidents and civil society
leaders to contemplate the region’s
In Latin America and the enduring challenges and possibilities.

Caribbean—regions largely Human Rights and Justice

marked by revitalized or emerging Three grantees supported by the Latin
America Program led a coalition that
democracies bearing the legacies
advocated for the U.S. government
of authoritarian rule and colonial to withhold free trade agreements

exploitation—the reinforcement
of human rights and democratic
governance have been key priorities
People in Haiti walk through flood waters
for the Open Society Institute. after Hurricane Gustav | Jacob Silberberg
and $110 million in military aid to helped bring together representatives Civil Society
Colombia until government protection from civil society, government, the In Haiti, the Soros foundation worked
of human rights and labor rights private sector, and indigenous with the European Union to fund
improved. Activities by civil society communities to pursue mediation to the development of a 17-acre park
and other groups have made human create clear and peaceful solutions in the midst of an impoverished
rights a key issue in U.S.-Colombia to land conflicts. neighborhood in Port-au-Prince.
relations and as of the end of 2008 The project uses the creation of
no trade agreement had been signed. Governance green space to anchor neighborhood
The program also provided grants Working with OSI’s Global Drug projects run by European NGOs
to two groups in Peru that raised Policy program, the Latin America that address gang violence, improve
international and domestic awareness Program funded the work of the high- sanitation and water treatment,
about the trial of former President level Latin American Commission on provide education and professional
Alberto Fujimori and provided crucial Drugs and Democracy, comprised of training, and foster microenterprises.
legal support to the prosecution. three former presidents and prominent In the aftermath of the September
To address public concerns social leaders. The commission hurricanes in Haiti, youth involved
in many Latin American countries produced a highly publicized report on with the Soros foundation helped
over increasing petty and organized drug policy failures in Latin America keep the foundation’s library and
crime, the program financed the and made recommendations for viable community center open and used
establishment of the Civil Society regional alternatives. the space to provide shelter and
Center for Monitoring and Evaluating In Venezuela, the program assistance to others.
Violence in El Salvador, a country sponsored an ongoing study by the
with one of the highest homicide Universidad Central de Venezuela
rates in the region. In the violence- assessing the effectiveness of
plagued and impoverished Mexican government social services funded by
state of Guerrero, OSI funded a oil profits. OSI’s foundation in Haiti
civilian police monitoring project to used water supply and purification
Citizen’s Council
document police practices, analyze projects in Haitian neighborhoods and Fights Corruption
the impact on citizen security and rural villages to strengthen community in Panama
human rights, and mediate between governance and organizing. Citizens in Panama exposed
public security officials and the local the illegal sale of communal
population. The Soros foundation Information and Media property to tourism developers
in Guatemala challenged violent The Latin America Program continued and uncovered thousands
groups that operate with impunity to work with OSI’s Open Society of dollars worth of faulty or
by helping establish a government- Justice Initiative to promote freedom incomplete equipment in a
approved commission to work with of information legislation throughout community aqueduct project.
the UN in investigating illegal groups the region. Advocacy efforts financed With OSI support, the Centro
and clandestine forces that commit by the program and involving several de Estudios y Acción Social
political violence in Guatemala. Central American organizations Panameño trained citizens
Working with Mayan communities influenced the passage of freedom of and helped them form an
devastated by conflict and historically information legislation in Honduras, anticorruption council that
marginalized by Guatemalan society, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. discovered these scandals.
the foundation helped legal activists A new television cartoon series The council went on to make
and communities integrate traditional supported by the Guatemalan sure that public officials were
approaches to justice into mainstream foundation helped children held accountable and that
legal practices. To address long- understand issues of identity and companies reimbursed the
simmering land rights abuses and culture, tolerance, human rights, and money they received for the
issues, the Guatemala foundation environmental preservation. construction contracts.

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Open Society Institute

The Open Society Institute works

to build vibrant and tolerant
democracies whose governments are
accountable to their citizens. Open
societies are characterized by the
rule of law; respect for human rights,
minorities, and a diversity of opinions;
democratically elected governments;
market economies in which business
and government are separate;
and a civil society that helps keep
government power in check.

To achieve its mission, OSI seeks

to shape public policies that assure
greater fairness in political, legal, and
economic systems and safeguard
fundamental rights. On a local level,
OSI implements a range of initiatives
to advance justice, education, public
health, and independent media. At the
same time, OSI builds alliances across
borders and continents on issues
such as corruption and freedom of
information. OSI places a high priority
on protecting and improving the lives
of people in marginalized communities.
A cadet trains at a military school in Crimea, Ukraine. | Justyna Mielnikiewicz
 OSI and the Soros foundations Brussels London
network, which was started by The Open Society Institute–Brussels The Open Society Foundation–
investor and philanthropist George represents the Soros foundations London is an independent UK
Soros in 1984, operate throughout network to partners in Western Europe. charity that houses initiatives such
the world, with offices and foundations It facilitates collaboration between the as the East East: Partnership
encompassing the United States and network and various European Union Beyond Borders Program, the Media
more than 60 countries in Europe, institutions, the Council of Europe, Program, the Information Program,
Asia, Africa, and Latin America. OSI and the Organization for Security and the Early Childhood Program,
and the Soros foundations have Co-operation in Europe, as well as Muslims in EU Cities, the Public
given away nearly $7 billion to build bilateral donors and nongovernmental Health Program’s Mental Health
open, democratic societies, including organizations. OSI-Brussels works Initiative, the Justice Initiative’s
$540 million in 2008. OSI has offices to influence EU policies and raise Equality and Citizenship Program,
in New York, Brussels, Budapest, awareness in European institutions, some of the staff of the Scholarship
London, Paris, and Washington, D.C. governments, and opinion-making Programs and the Central Eurasia
circles about issues of concern to Project, and OSI’s International
New York the network. Advocacy office.
The Open Society Institute’s office In 2008, for example, the Brussels The Open Society Foundation
in New York is the headquarters for office supported a campaign to stop hosts independent initiatives
both OSI and the Soros foundations ethnic profiling and attacks on Roma supported by OSI, including Publish
network. It provides the other OSI in Italy, Kenyan civil society advocacy What You Pay, a global civil society
offices, affiliated organizations, and to strengthen the EU’s response to coalition working on accountability
Soros foundations with administrative, the postelection crisis in that country, for natural resource revenues,
financial, and technical support. It is and efforts to establish visa free the European Council on Foreign
also the hub of communications for travel from neighboring countries into Relations, a think tank addressing
the entire network and the main grant- the EU. The office also organized European foreign policy issues, and
giving center. meetings and debates in Brussels on the Media Legal Defence Initiative, a
OSI administers a number of large issues such as forced child labor in new organization that trains lawyers
initiatives from New York, including Uzbekistan; the postelection crisis in in media law and helps journalists
the Open Society Justice Initiative, Armenia; legal aid in Turkey; and the defend their rights. The office
the Public Health Program, the education of migrant, minority, and facilitates contacts between the
Central Eurasia Project/Middle East marginalized children in Europe. Soros foundations network and
and North Africa Initiative, the Burma donor and NGO partners in the
Project/Southeast Asia Initiative, Budapest United Kingdom.
the Scholarship Programs, the In addition to providing administrative
International Women’s Program, the support to the network, the Open Paris
Open Society Fellowship, and U.S. Society Institute–Budapest houses The Open Society Institute–Paris
Programs. The office is also home to the following initiatives: Arts and serves as a liaison and resource
independent organizations supported Culture Network Program, the office for the Open Society Institute
by OSI, such as the Revenue Watch International Higher Education and the Soros foundations network.
Institute and the Soros Economic Support Program, the Human Rights It also acts as the OSI board liaison
Development Fund. The New York– and Governance Grants Program, office, helping Soros foundations
based OSI Russia Project supports the Local Government and Public implement appropriate board rotation
civil society and human rights Service Reform Initiative, the Think procedures. The Belarus Project,
groups, access to information efforts, Tank Fund, and Roma Initiatives. operated by OSI-Paris since 1997
and public debate and discussion when the OSI foundation in that
initiatives. country was forced to close, supports
the development of open society in

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Belarus by enhancing civic culture the Second Chance Act, a bill foundations network. Another form of
and preparing the country for a that helps people released from partnership of enormous importance
democratic future. incarceration reintegrate into society, to the Soros foundations is that of the
fought for legislation banning relationships with grantees that have
Washington, D.C. torture, and worked to eliminate the developed into alliances for pursuing
The Open Society Institute— sentencing disparity between crack crucial parts of the open society
Washington, D.C. office works and powder cocaine. agenda. A list of some of our donor
in collaboration with the Soros and NGO partners can be found
foundations network to raise the Chairman’s, Presidential, and at www.soros.org/ar/partners. The
profile of OSI priorities and to Institutional Grants Open Society Institute and the Soros
encourage the United States Chairman’s and presidential grants foundations are deeply grateful to all
government to adopt policies that totaled over $14 million in 2008. our partners and thank them for their
support open societies. Domestic Funding was committed or went role in building open societies.
priorities include criminal justice to, among others, the following:
reform, encouraging humane 1,383,493 British pounds over OSI Ombudsman
immigration policies, and supporting three years to the London School The OSI ombudsman addresses
civil liberties. OSI-D.C.’s engagement of Economics to support a new complaints from within and outside
on international issues includes Global Policy Centre; $250,000 the Soros foundations network
advancing OSI’s public health to the International Senior Lawyers about acts or practices that appear
agenda, promoting human rights and Project to promote and place pro- to constitute abuses of authority by
international justice, and supporting bono assistance to NGOs and Soros foundations, by OSI-Budapest,
the development of civil society. governments across the world; or by those parts of OSI in New
In 2008, with the increase in and $250,000 to the International York that serve the network. More
news about the CIA’s use of torture, Center for Transitional Justice for information can be found at www.
OSI-D.C. helped educate legislators, their work helping countries deal with soros.org/ar/ombudsman.
U.S. officials, journalists, and others war crimes and mass human rights The ombudsman may be
about torture and called upon the abuses committed during conflict or contacted at:
CIA to follow the U.S. Army’s ban by authoritarian regimes. Irena Veisaite
against it. Internationally, OSI played Large institutional grants were OSI Ombudsman
a key role in the coalition against also given to longtime OSI grantees email [email protected]

child labor in Uzbekistan and in Human Rights Watch ($1 million),

coordinating a response to the the American Civil Liberties Union Application Information
election crises and their aftermaths Foundation ($1 million), and the Potential applicants should consult
in Kenya and Zimbabwe. International Crisis Group ($2 the Grants, Scholarships, and
million). The Soros Humanitarian Fellowships section of the OSI
Open Society Policy Center Foundation commissioned the website, www.soros.org, to determine
The Open Society Policy Center, Overseas Development Institute to their eligibility and access appropriate
a nonpartisan 501(c)(4) public do a review of the Millennium Villages application guidelines. Soros
policy organization funded directly Initiative and paid out $10 million foundations award grants principally
by George Soros, works to for the third year of a five-year $50 to local organizations and individuals;
advance legislation on key U.S. and million commitment to address the potential applicants should contact
international issues, focusing on problem of extreme poverty in Africa. individual foundations for informaton
protecting civil liberties, encouraging about their application procedures.
multilateralism and economic Donor and NGO Partnerships
development, and promoting human Partnerships with other donors
rights, and criminal justice reform. In contribute to the work of the Open
2008, the center helped pass Society Institute and the Soros

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Expenditures

Soros Foundations
Open Society Foundation for Albania $ 3,235,000
Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation–Armenia 2,478,000
Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation–Azerbaijan 3,297,000
Open Society Fund–Bosnia and Herzegovina 3,471,000
Open Society Institute–Sofia (Bulgaria) 2,737,000
Open Society Fund–Prague (Czech Republic) 1,641,000
Open Society Initiative for East Africa 7,435,000
Open Estonia Foundation 3,129,000
Open Society Georgia Foundation 4,303,000
Fundación Soros–Guatemala 4,134,000
Fondation Connaissance et Liberté (Haiti) 4,460,000
Soros Foundation–Kazakhstan 3,367,000
Kosovo Foundation for Open Society 2,184,000
Soros Foundation–Kyrgyzstan 2,686,000
Soros Foundation–Latvia 2,052,000
Open Society Fund–Lithuania 966,000
Foundation Open Society Institute–Macedonia 7,268,000
Soros Foundation–Moldova 4,440,000
Open Society Forum (Mongolia) 1,346,000
Foundation Open Society Institute–Representative Office Montenegro 1,676,000
Stefan Batory Foundation (Poland) 6,816,000
Soros Foundation–Romania 3,654,000
Russia Project 5,711,000
Fund for an Open Society–Serbia 5,175,000
Open Society Foundation–Bratislava (Slovak Republic) 2,202,000
Open Society Foundation for South Africa 7,497,000
Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa 20,652,000
Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation–Tajikistan 3,105,000
Open Society Foundation (Turkey) 1,828,000
International Renaissance Foundation (Ukraine) 7,687,000
Open Society Initiative for West Africa 20,207,000
TOTAL SOROS FOUNDATIONS $151,714,000

International Initiatives
OSI–Paris Belarus Support 1,891,000
Burma Project/Indonesia/Southeast Asia Initiative 10,296,000
Central Eurasia Project/Middle East and North Africa Initiative 11,349,000
China Grants 3,981,000
Global Drug Policy 3,915,000
Latin America Regional Initiatives 11,968,000
Nepal and Bhutan Initiatives 1,151,000
Other African Initiatives 9,515,000
Other International 23,747,000
TOTAL INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES $ 77,813,000

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88
Network Programs
AfriMAP $ 1,535,000
Arts and Culture Network Program 2,070,000
Early Childhood Program 3,906,000
East East: Partnership Beyond Borders Program 5,911,000
Education Support Program 6,376,000
EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program 1,786,000
Information Program 5,127,000
International Higher Education Support Program 19,307,000
International Women’s Program 6,286,000
Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative 10,559,000
Media Program 10,666,000
Open Society Fellowship 977,000
Open Society Justice Initiative 12,162,000
Public Health Program 28,234,000
Roma Initiatives 9,575,000
Scholarship Programs 18,402,000
Think Tank Fund 2,541,000
Youth Initiative 2,582,000
TOTAL NETWORK PROGRAMS $148,002,000
Note: The Early Childhood Program expenditures exclude a returned grant in the amount of $423,802.

U.S. Programs
Criminal Justice Fund 12,559,000
Equality and Opportunity Fund 9,006,000
Democracy and Power Fund 17,386,000
Transparency and Integrity Fund 9,252,000
National Security and Human Rights Campaign 9,000,000
Campaign for Black Male Achievement 2,001,000
Neighborhood Stabilization Initiative 3,644,000
Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap 7,010,000
Strategic Opportunities Fund 3,870,000
Other U.S. Initiatives 13,836,000
OSI-Baltimore 6,498,000
OSI-Washington, D.C. 2,883,000
TOTAL U.S. PROGRAMS $ 96,945,000
Note: Other U.S. Initiatives include grants related to cooperative global engagement ($1,000,000) and global warming ($10,024,450).
OSI-Baltimore expenditures include $245,000 of prior year accruals and $4,253,303 in third-party funds raised from other donors.

Soros Foundations Network

Soros Foundations 151,714,000
Network Programs 148,002,000
International Initiatives 77,813,000
U.S. Programs 96,945,000
All Other Organization, Programs, and Costs 97,929,000
Interorganization Elimination (31,514,000)
TOTAL SOROS FOUNDATIONS NETWORK EXPENDITURES $540,889,000

This report describes charitable activities undertaken by OSI and other U.S.-based organizations in accordance with regulations applicable to
501(c)(3) organizations. It also describes activities carried out and funded by the Open Society Policy Center, a 501(c)(4) organization, or foreign
entities financed by non-U.S.-sourced funding.

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Directory
(as of July 2009)
Villagers along a canal near the border between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan | Carolyn Drake
Soros Foundations Open Society Fund–Prague TIFA Foundation (Indonesia)
(Czech Republic) Jl. Jaya Mandala II No. 14E
Open Society Foundation Seifertova 47 Menteng Dalam
for Albania 130 00 Praha 3, Czech Republic Jakarta 12870
Rruga Qemal Stafa [email protected] Indonesia
Pallati 120/2 Tirana, Albania website www.osf.cz [email protected]
[email protected] executive director Marie Kopecka website www.tifafoundation.org
website www.soros.al executive director Tri Nugroho
executive director Andi Dobrushi Open Society Initiative
for East Africa
Soros Foundation–Kazakhstan
Open Society Institute Assistance ACS Plaza, Lenana Road
111a-9  Zheltoksan str.
Foundation–Armenia P.O. Box 2193-00202, Nairobi, Kenya
Almaty, Kazakhstan, 050000
7/1 Tumanyan Street, cul-de-sac #2 [email protected]
email [email protected]
0002, Yerevan, Armenia website www.soros.org/initiatives/osiea (cc: [email protected])
[email protected]; [email protected] executive director Binaifer Nowrojee websitewww.soros.kz; www.budget.kz
website www.osi.am Anna
chair, executive council
executive director Larisa Minasyan Open Estonia Foundation Alexandrova
Estonia Avenue 5a
Open Society Institute Assistance EE10143 Tallinn, Estonia Kosovo Foundation
Foundation–Azerbaijan email [email protected] for Open Society
117A, Hasan Aliyev website www.oef.org.ee Ulpiana, Villa No.13
Baku 1110, Azerbaijan executive director Mall Hellam 38 000 Pristina, Kosovo
[email protected] [email protected]
website www.osi.az Open Society Georgia Foundation website www.kfos.org
executive director Farda Asadov 10 Chovelidze Street executive director Luan Shllaku

0108 Tbilisi, Georgia

Open Society Fund–Bosnia email [email protected] Soros Foundation–Kyrgyzstan
and Herzegovina 55a, Logvinenko St.
website www.osgf.ge
Marsala Tita 19/III 720040 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
executive director Ketevan Khutsishvili
71 000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and email [email protected]
Herzegovina website www.soros.kg
Fundación Soros–Guatemala
[email protected] executive director Kumar Bekbolotov
Edificio Plaza Marítima, 6 Nivel
website www.soros.org.ba
6a Avenida 20-25 Zona 10
executive director Dobrila Govedarica Soros Foundation–Latvia
Guatemala City 01010, Guatemala
email [email protected] Alberta 13
Open Society Institute–Sofia Riga, Latvia LV 1010
website www.soros.org.gt
(Bulgaria)
executive director Elena Díez-Pinto email [email protected]
56, Solunska Str.
website www.sfl.lv
Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
Fondation Connaissance executive director Andris Aukmanis
[email protected]
et Liberté (Haiti)
website www.osi.bg
143 Avenue Christophe Foundation Open Society Institute–
executive director Georgi Stoytchev Macedonia
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, HT 6112
Alternate mailing address: Blvd. Jane Sandanski 111, P.O.B. 378
P. O. Box 2720 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
Port-au-Prince, Haiti [email protected]
[email protected] website www.soros.org.mk

website www.fokal.org executive director Vladimir Milcin

executive director Lorraine Mangones

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Soros Foundation–Moldova Open Society Foundation Open Society Initiative
32 Bulgara Street for South Africa for West Africa
Chisinau, MD-2001 P.O. Box 143, Howard Place, 7450, Immeuble EPI
Cape Town, South Africa Boulevard du Sud X
Republic of Moldova
2nd floor, B2, Park Lane, Corner of Park Rue des Ecrivains
email [email protected];
and Alexandra Roads
[email protected] Point E, Dakar, Senegal
Pinelands, 7405, Cape Town, South
website www.soros.md Postal address: B.P. 008, Dakar-Fann
Africa
executive directorVictor Ursu email [email protected] (general
[email protected]
inquiries); [email protected] (grant
website www.osf.org.za applications)
Foundation Open Society
executive director Zohra Dawood website www.osiwa.org
Institute–Representative
Office Montenegro executive directorNana Tanko
Njegoseva 26 Open Society Initiative
for Southern Africa
81 000 Podgorica, Montenegro
1st Floor, President Place, Cnr Baker
email [email protected] OSI Regional Directors
& Hood Avenue
website www.osim.org.me
Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa
director Sanja Elezovic East Africa
South Africa mailing address:
Binaifer Nowrojee (Nairobi)
P. O. Box 678
Stefan Batory Foundation (Poland) Wits 2050, South Africa
10a Sapiezynska Street Latin America and the Caribbean
email [email protected]
Warsaw 00-215, Poland Sandra Dunsmore (Washington, D.C.)
website www.osisa.org
email [email protected]
director Sisonke Msimang
website www.batory.org.pl Southern Africa, West Africa,
South Africa
executive director Anna Rozicka
Open Society Institute Assistance
Julie Hayes (New York)
Foundation–Tajikistan
Soros Foundation–Romania 37/1 Bokhtar Street, Vefa Business
Southeast Asia
33 Caderea Bastiliei Str. Sector 1 Center, 4th floor
Maureen Aung-Thwin, Director of the
Bucharest 010613, Romania Dushanbe, Tajikistan 734002
Burma Project/Southeast Asia Initiative
email [email protected] email [email protected] (New York)
website www.soros.ro executive director Zuhra Halimova
executive director Gabriel Petrescu
Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Open Society Foundation (Turkey) Turkmenistan, Middle East
Fund for an Open Society–Serbia Cevdet Pasa Caddesi and North Africa
Kneginje Ljubice 14 Mercan Apt., No. 85, D.11 Bebek Anthony Richter, Director of the Central
11000 Belgrade, Serbia Eurasia Project/Middle East and North
Istanbul 34342, Turkey
Africa Initiative (New York)
email [email protected] email [email protected]
website www.fosserbia.org website www.aciktuplumenstitusu.org.tr
Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic,
executive director Jadranka Jelincic director Hakan Altinay
Moldova, Romania, and Slovakia
Jonas Rolett (Washington, D.C.)
Open Society Foundation– International Renaissance
Bratislava (Slovak Republic) Foundation (Ukraine)
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia,
Bastova 5 46 Artema Str. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia,
811 03 Bratislava, Slovak Republic Kyiv 04053, Ukraine and Tajikistan
[email protected] [email protected] Michael Hall (New York)
website www.osf.sk website www.irf.kiev.ua
executive director Alena Panikova executive director Yevhen Bystrytsky Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,
Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro,
Serbia, and Slovenia
Beka Vuco (New York)

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Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Education Support Program Media Program
Poland, Russia, and Ukraine Hugh McLean, Director (London) Gordana Jankovic, Director (London)
Leonard Benardo (New York) Biljana Tatomir, Deputy Director
EUMAP–EU Monitoring (Budapest)
Turkey and Advocacy Program Algirdas Lipstas, Deputy Director
Annette Laborey (Paris) Katy Negrin, Project Manager (London)
(Budapest)
Miriam Anati, Advocacy and Open Society Fellowship
OSI Initiatives Communications (Budapest) Leonard Benardo, Director (New York)
(Initiative and network program personnel can Nazia Hussain, Project Director,
be contacted at OSI offices as indicated) Muslims in EU Cities (London)
Open Society Justice Initiative
AfriMAP–Africa Governance James Goldston, Executive Director
Global Drug Policy Program (New York)
Monitoring and Advocacy Project
Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, Director Robert Varenik, Director of Programs
Ozias Tungwarara, Director (Warsaw)
(Johannesburg) (New York)
Pascal Kambale, Deputy Director Zaza Namoradze, Director (Budapest)
(Washington, D.C.) Human Rights and Governance
Grants Program
Bronwen Manby, Senior Program Public Health Program
Adviser (London) Yervand Shirinyan, Program Director
Françoise Girard, Director (New York)
(Budapest)
Mugambi Kiai, Program Officer Marine Buissonnière, Deputy Director
(Nairobi, OSIEA) (New York)
Information Program
Shari Turitz, Director of Programs
Arts and Culture Network Program Darius Cuplinskas, Director (London) (New York)
Andrea Csanadi, Senior Program Daniel Wolfe, Program Director,
Manager (Budapest) International Higher Education International Harm Reduction
Support Program Development (New York)
Burma Project/Southeast Rhett Bowlin, Director (Budapest) Rebecca Tolson, Deputy Director,
Asia Initiative Katalin Miklos, Deputy Director International Harm Reduction
(Budapest) Development (New York)
Maureen Aung-Thwin, Director
(New York) Judith Klein, Program Director,
Mental Health Initiative (Budapest)
International Women’s Program
Kathleen M. Foley, MD, Medical
Central Eurasia Project/Middle Maryam Elahi, Director (New York)
Director, International Palliative Care
East and North Africa Initiative Sarah Wikenczy, Advocacy Project Initiative (New York)
Anthony Richter, Director (New York) Director (New York)
Mary Callaway, Project Director,
International Palliative Care Initiative
Documentary Photography Project Latin America Program (New York)
Amy Yenkin, Director (New York) Sandra Dunsmore, Regional Director Jonathan Cohen, Project Director,
(Washington, D.C.) Law and Health Initiative (New York)
Early Childhood Program Heather Doyle, Project Director, Sexual
Local Government and Public Health and Rights Project (New York)
Sarah Klaus, Director (London)
Service Reform Initiative Cynthia Eyakuze, Project Director,
Adrian Ionescu, Director (Budapest) Public Health Watch (New York)
East East: Partnership
Beyond Borders Program Scott Abrams, Deputy Director
(Budapest) Roma Initiatives
Mary Frances Lindstrom, Director
(London) Robert Ebel, Chair of LGI Steering Bernard Rorke, Director (Budapest)
Committee (USA)
Kristof Varga, Manager of Local
Government Information Network
(LOGIN) (Budapest)

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Scholarship Programs OSI Offices Open Society Institute–Budapest
Martha Loerke, Director (New York) Oktober 6. u. 12
Alex Irwin, Deputy Director (New York) Open Society Institute H-1051 Budapest, Hungary
Audrone Uzieliene, Deputy Director 400 West 59th Street tel (36 1) 327 3100
(London) New York, NY 10019 USA fax (36 1) 327 3101
tel (212) 548 0600 email [email protected]
Special Initiatives fax (212) 548 4679 website www.soros.org
Emily Martinez, Director (Washington, website www.soros.org Katalin E. Koncz, Executive Director
D.C.) George Soros, Chair governing board Katalin E. Koncz,
Aryeh Neier, President Aryeh Neier, Istvan Rev, William
Think Tank Fund Stewart J. Paperin, Executive Vice Newton-Smith
Goran Buldioski, Director (Budapest) President
Annette Laborey, Vice President Open Society Foundation–London
Youth Initiative Maija Arbolino, Chief Financial Officer Cambridge House
Noel Selegzi, Director (New York) and Director of Finance 100 Cambridge Grove
Stephanie C. Behrens, Director of London W6 0LE, United Kingdom
International Human Resources tel(44) 207 031 0200
Ricardo A. Castro, General Counsel (44) 207 031 0201
U.S. Programs fax
(The Open Society Institute’s U.S. Programs Tawanda Mutasah, Director of Programs email [email protected]
are headquartered in New York, except for Anthony Richter, Associate Director and Marijke Thomson, Managing Director
OSI–Baltimore) Director of the Central Eurasia Project/
Fiona Napier, Director of International
Middle East and North Africa Initiative
Advocacy
Ann Beeson, Executive Director, Laura Silber, Director of Public Affairs
U.S. Programs and Senior Policy Advisor
Nancy Youman, Deputy Director, Open Society Institute–Paris
Yalan Teng, Chief Information Officer
U.S. Programs 38 Boulevard Beaumarchais
George Vickers, Director of International
Erlin Ibreck, Director, Strategic Operations 75011 Paris, France
Opportunities Fund tel(33 1) 48 05 24 74
Laleh Ispahani, Director, Transparency fax(33 1) 40 21 65 41
OSI International Advisory Board
and Integrity Fund
Marieclaire Acosta, Suliman Baldo, email [email protected]
Raquiba LaBrie, Director, Equality
Leon Botstein, Maria Livanos Cattaui, Annette Laborey, Executive Director
and Opportunity Fund
Asma Jahangir, Ivan Krastev, Pierre
Leonard Noisette, Director, Criminal Mirabaud, Aryeh Neier (President),
Justice Fund Open Society Institute–
Wiktor Osiatynski, Istvan Rev, Ghassan
Washington, D.C.
William Vandenberg, Director, Salame, John Shattuck, George Soros
Democracy and Power Fund (Chair), Jonathan Soros 1120 19th Street, N.W., 8th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20036 USA
Open Society Institute–Baltimore U.S. Programs Board tel(202) 721 5600
Diana Morris, Director Deepak Bhargava, Leon Botstein fax(202) 530 0128
(OSI Trustee), Geoffrey Canada, email [email protected]
201 North Charles Street, Suite 1300
Joan Dunlop, Sherrilyn Ifill, Aryeh Neier website www.osi-dc.org
Baltimore, MD 21201
(OSI Trustee), George Soros (OSI Stephen Rickard, Director
email [email protected] Trustee), Jonathan Soros (OSI Trustee),
Morton H. Halperin, Senior Policy Advisor
Bryan A. Stevenson, Ethan Zuckerman
After-School Program
Herbert Sturz, Founding Chairman of Open Society Institute–Brussels
The After-School Corporation Rue d’Idalie 9-13
B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
tel(32 2) 505 46 46
fax(32 2) 502 46 46
email [email protected]

Heather Grabbe, Director

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Credits
Soros Foundations Network Report 2008

Published by the
Open Society Institute
400 West 59th Street
New York, New York 10019 USA
www.soros.org

Produced by the
Office of Communications
Laura Silber, Director of Public Affairs
Ari Korpivaara, Director of Publications

Editors
Ari Korpivaara, William Kramer

Photography Editors
Pamela Chen, William Kramer

Story Writers
Chuck Sudetic, OSI senior writer, wrote the three feature stories in this report: “Securing Citizenship for
Millions of Stateless People,” “Dominican by Birth, Haitian in Name Only,” and “Roma Health Scholars Learn
to Help Their People.” Photographer Karen Robinson interviewed the people quoted in the “We Are British”
photo essay. Reporter Cecilia Vaisman interviewed the people quoted in “We Are Mauritanians.”

Editorial Assistants
Rachel Aicher, Gabi Chojkier, Karynn Fish, Rachel Hart, Alexander Krstevski, Paul Silva, Laura Wickens

Designer
Jeanne Criscola | Criscola Design

Printer
GHP Media, Inc.

Photography
Lynsey Addario for the New York Times: 78–79 Roger Lemoyne/Redux: 70–71
Jon Anderson for the Open Society Institute: 20–27 Benjamin Lowy/VII Network: 77
Marcus Bleasdale/VII: 46–47 Justyna Mielnikiewicz/Altemus: 84–85
Eric Bouvet/VII Network: 60–61 Karen Robinson/Panos Pictures for the Open Society
Pamela Chen/Open Society Institute: 30–33 Institute: 2–3, 38–45

Carolyn Drake/Panos Pictures: 74, 90–91 Lorena Ros for the Open Society Institute: 66–67

Christian Holst/Reportage by Getty Images: 50–51 Jacob Silberberg/Panos Pictures: 82

Ferenc Isza/AFP/Getty Images: 68 Maria Steen/Moment: 64–65

Boryana Katsarova/AFP/Getty Images: 68–69 Aubrey Wade/Panos Pictures for the Open Society
Institute: 6–13
Marvi Lacar/Reportage by Getty Images: 54–55
Lori Waselchuk: 58

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 This annual report describes
2008 activities of the Open Society Institute
and the Soros foundations network.
For daily reports about open society issues,
go to OSI’s website, www.soros.org.

SOROS FOUNDATIONS NETWORK REPORT 2008

Copyright © 2009 by the Open Society Institute

400 West 59th Street, New York, NY 10019 USA
www.soros.org

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce

this book or portions thereof in any form.

cover photography credits

top left Pamela Chen, “We Are Roma,” page 30

top right Karen Robinson, “We Are British,” page 38
bottom left Aubrey Wade, “We Are Mauritanians,” page 6
bottom right Jon Anderson, “We Are Dominicans,” page 20

Complete photography credits appear on page 96.

 S o r o s F o u n d at i o n s N e t w o r k R e p o r t 2008

S o r o s F o u n d at i o n s N e t w o r k R e p o r t 2 0 0 8
Human Rights
Justice
Accountability

We ArE . . .