Pursuing Justice for Syria
An Unprecedented Chance to Confront Russian Attacks on Hospitals in Syria
Russia’s President Putin sent fighter jets to bombard opposition-held areas of Syria—including hundreds of attacks on hospitals and medical facilities. Now Syrians have turned to the UN Human Rights Committee for justice.
Justice on the Job
Building Worker Power in Brazil
Labor conditions for Brazil’s most vulnerable workers have gone from bad to worse. A drive to develop the muscle of an intersectional labor movement can change all that.
Climate Finance
Unlocking Sorely Needed Investment in Green Energy Projects Across the Global South
Allied Climate Partners, supported by Open Society and other funders, aims to mix public and private funds to support clean energy production and transport in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Defending Democracy
Q&A: “The Biggest Challenge Is the Uncertainty”
Two years after Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, civil society strives to protect democracy as the West wavers in its support. Oleksandr Sushko discusses the way forward.
Topics
Latest Voices
Defending Citizenship
How the U.S. Government Is Trying to Unmake Americans
Under the Trump administration, the U.S. government has been waging an attack against naturalized citizens who live near the southern border. Here are their stories—and how they’re resisting this assault on the American dream.
A Crisis Averted
Fighting the Pandemic in Pakistan’s Prisons
Thanks to the heroic efforts of civil society groups, prisoners in Pakistan did not suffer a mass outbreak of COVID-19. What the near miss underlined, however, is the country’s urgent need for criminal justice reform.
Rest in Peace
Remembering David Rothman, a Liberator and Pioneer
Rothman, a scholar-advocate of the highest order who had a profound influence on Open Society, wrote on a wide array of subjects concerning ethics and medicine, and helped free thousands of people from involuntary institutionalization.
Love Prevails
Q&A: How Marriage Equality Won in Costa Rica
By emphasizing love, equality, and authentic storytelling, advocates for same-sex marriage in Costa Rica were able to overcome a challenging public opinion environment and achieve a landmark victory for LGBT rights.
A More Open Future
Q&A: In Kyrgyzstan, a Small Investment Can Make a Big Difference
Using accessible and innovative approaches such as music, dancing, street theater, and more, rights advocates in Kyrgyzstan are doing the grassroots-level work that is essential for a healthy civil society.
Sex Work Is Work
The Multiplying Threats Facing Sex Workers Today
The COVID-19 virus has disproportionately harmed millions of sex workers, who are grappling with economic catastrophe, a global pandemic, and government policies that make an already dire situation even worse.
Bring Them Home
Q&A: Racial Justice and Restitution
During a moment of reckoning with the legacies of racism, the African Foundation for Development is working to return objects to Africa that were looted during the eras of colonialism and imperialism.
Event Recap
A History of Presidential Lies
While U.S. President Donald Trump is known for lying, a new book from the journalist Eric Alterman argues that he is far from the first president to do so—and raises questions about the relationship between executive power and “alternative facts.”
Strength in Numbers
Q&A: How Collaborative Journalism Defeats Censorship
Responding to increasingly violent attacks on reporters all over the world, the organization Forbidden Stories brings journalists together to amplify the stories that enemies of a free press want to keep hidden.
Public Health First
Incarceration Should Not Be a Death Sentence
Despite earlier promises to fight the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the number of nonviolent offenders in jails and prisons, governments worldwide are dragging their feet and prioritizing the drug war ahead of public health.