Open Society Foundations

As the ICC judges review the Prosecutor’s application for warrants, Open Society calls on all states to respect international law and the independence of the ICC. https://osf.to/3QUMAWh The development comes against the background of the continuing conflict in Gaza. Open Society continues to urgently call for an immediate ceasefire, release of hostages, provision of humanitarian assistance, accountability for crimes on all sides of the conflict, and a commitment to providing the people of Israel and Palestine with the justice they are owed and the peace they need.

The first woman and the first person from the Global South to lead the organization, Binaifer Nowrojee became president of the Open Society Foundations on June 1. In a profile by the NationAfrica, she credits her parents with giving her confidence and credits her upbringing in Kenya with giving her good grounding. A pursuit for justice and human rights has been central to Binaifer’s career, from studying law in the United States, to working with rape survivors in Rwanda advocating to make sexual violence during conflict an international crime, to her 20+ years of working in key positions within Open Society. Share if Binaifer’s words resonate with you. Read more: https://osf.to/4cpjt63 #OpenSociety #BinaiferNowrojee #NewLeadership #HumanRights #Justice

Neglect should not be the new normal. From Sudan to Burkina Faso to Honduras, the numbers of displaced people are rising, and there is a lack of political will, media attention, and funding to address these crises. Our partner Norwegian Refugee Council has released its annual Neglected Displacement Crises Report:

A new Media Index for Africa that ranks how global influential news providers like the Guardian, Al-Jazeera, the New York Times, and Xinhua cover the continent highlights a need to tell more progressive narratives about Africa and tell the full story of a vibrant, dynamic, and evolving continent. “Africans can’t ignore the outsized influence these global media outlets have on how the world sees Africa and how Africa sees itself,” says Moky Makura, of Open Society grantee Africanofilter, one of the index’s partners whose mission is to shift these stereotypical narratives about Africa. #OpenSociety #GlobalMedia #Africa

Celebrating love, equality, and progress this Pride Month. The courage and dedication of LGBTQI+ champions pave the way for a brighter future. #OpenSociety #PrideMonth #LGBTQI Credits: Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty; Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty; Sakchai Lalit/AP; Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

Why Georgia’s recently passed foreign agents law shows the limits of foreign philanthropy and aid, how “degrowth Communism” could save the planet, and more in the latest edition of The Ideas Letter, published by our Ideas Workshop.

We believe that access to the ballot box by all people is central to building a pluralistic, multiracial democracy. We fund ways to build nonpartisan civil engagement, protect voting rights, ensure fair political representation, fight against disinformation, and more. Learn more about our election integrity work in the U.S.

Depictions of Africa in the global news media still perpetuate colonial-era stereotypes of a crisis-laden continent. As my colleague Ruth Omondi writes, we need journalists to tell the full story—the story of a vibrant, dynamic, and evolving Africa. https://lnkd.in/eF7KnwnB

Ukraine’s democracy is under attack. Listen: https://lnk.to/WWWD In the newest episode of “What’s Wrong with Democracy?”, a podcast produced by Tortoise Media and supported by us, host Ben Ansell investigates whether the war in Ukraine is a death knell or rallying cry for democracy and how worried we all should be about autocracy’s rise with guests Olga Onuch of The University of Manchester and Nicole Bibbins Sedaca of Freedom House. #OpenSociety #Democracy #Ukraine #NewPodcasts

Who should bear the costs of damage caused by climate change? What are the responsibilities of states to protect their people from harm? Juliana Vengoechea and Daniela Ikawa, both lawyers at our Open Society Justice Initiative, explain why a forthcoming opinion from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights could shape answers to these questions across the Americas.