In addition to anticorruption activities, the Open Society Institute–Sofia works to increase civic engagement by encouraging civil society participation in EU policymaking as well as improving public knowledge on common European issues though open debates and media campaigns.
To promote social and political inclusion of Bulgaria’s Roma minority, the Open Society Institute–Sofia assists Roma in advocating for themselves and their communities and works to eliminate institutional racism and negative stereotypes in Bulgarian society. Recent organizing successes include the bringing together of Roma community leaders, local authorities, an electricity provider, and a microfinance institution for a project to restore power for tens of thousands of residents in a Roma neighborhood. The foundation also helps create alternative images of Roma in local and national media and increase Roma engagement in public affairs through internship programs and education reform advocacy.