Open Society Foundations
The Open Society Foundations, founded by philanthropist George Soros, work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies that are accountable and open to the participation of all people. The Foundations fund a range of programs around the world, from public health to education to business development.

Videos from Open Society Foundations

Rumble Young Man, Rumble: III

Open Society Foundations 06:15 Politics and Advocacy

OSF looks to help cultivate the newest generation of mentors for young black boys.

Rumble Young Man: Engaging Through Mentorship

Open Society Foundations 05:23 Politics and Advocacy

Leaders and mentors share advice and practices at OSF's Campaign for Black Male Achievement event.

Rumble Young Man, Rumble: Responsible Fatherhood

Open Society Foundations 02:49 Politics and Advocacy

Leaders share their expertise and lessons learned in mentoring young men.

The Power of Participatory Democracy

Open Society Foundations 04:43 Politics and Advocacy

Discussing the need for good governance and inclusion of everyday citizens-- especially those that are marginalized-- to influence policy for a better government, neighborhoods that meet the needs of all, and ending poverty.

The Role of Arts and Culture in an Open Society

Open Society Foundations 05:59 Politics and Advocacy

Human rights advocates discuss the need for art as a means of self-expression in the face of oppression, as it gives voice to those outside the mainstream and connects us to each other.

The Power of Rights

Open Society Foundations 07:02 Politics and Advocacy

Kofi Annan, EJI's Bryan Stevenson. George Soros, Pulitzer Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, U2's Bono and more discuss movements towards human rights, government accountability, and how the fight for democracy and freedom is global and constant.

Why We Can't Arrest Our Way Out of the Drug Problem

Open Society Foundations 02:26 Politics and Advocacy

Former Seattle chief of police Jim Pugel talks about the War on Drugs, how criminalizing drug users and dealers does not end epidemics, and the need for treatment and resources to help them.

Why Do People Stereotype Black Men?

Open Society Foundations 02:03 Politics and Advocacy

American Values Institute's Alexis McGill Johnson talks how media perpetuates implicit bias, and how this contributes to unequal representations within the criminal justice system and access to education and health care.

Pretrial Detention

Open Society Foundations 02:37 Politics and Advocacy

One out of every three prisoners globally is held in pre-trial detention, which can last years, and targets the young and poor as they are subject to paying bribes, torture and disease.

Torture Can Happen Anywhere

Open Society Foundations 02:14 Politics and Advocacy

Juan E. Mendez, U.S. Rapporteur on Torture and former lawyer, talks about being a victim of torture, its ineffectiveness, brutality, and how it only breeds more crime, fear and terrorists.

A Young Filmmaker Tells His Story

Open Society Foundations 01:35 Politics and Advocacy

Filmmaker Richard Memminger talks about growing up in Harlem with a complicated family history, how being a creator is like therapy, and how you can control your own narrative.

The Tool for Success

Open Society Foundations 01:45 Politics and Advocacy

Jake Hayman of Future First talks about the lack of opportunities that prevent marginalized communities from upward social and economic mobility, and how schools can be make-or-break networks.

Strengthening the Global Health System for All

Open Society Foundations 02:05 Politics and Advocacy

Christine Stegling of International Preparedness Treatment Coalition discusses customizing health care according to each country's needs to better serve its most marginalized people, particularly for HIV/AIDS treatments.

We All Face Barriers

Open Society Foundations 02:01 Politics and Advocacy

George Soros, human rights advocates and scholars of law discuss how they protect the disabled with legal rights to ensure a higher standard of living.

Disability Rights Fund

Open Society Foundations 02:01 Politics and Advocacy

Diana Samarasan talks about people with depression and other psycho-social and mental health disabilities that are institutionalized-- enduring conditions that violate their human rights-- and how she empowers them.

No Government Should Get to Decide This

Open Society Foundations 02:23 Politics and Advocacy

How governments deny the identities of transgender people, which affects legal documents that may affect their abilities to travel, vote, work, attend school, receive health care or bank, and what they endure to have these papers changed including confinement and sterilization.

Moving Walls: Samantha Box

Open Society Foundations 01:14 Politics and Advocacy

Samantha Box, photographer of the Invisible: Homeless LGBT Youth gallery, talks about documenting Sylvia's Place in NYC, a shelter for those in crisis who find a haven in which to create new families.

Moving Walls: Gabriela Bulisova

Open Society Foundations 01:38 Politics and Advocacy

Gabriela Bulisova of The Option of Last Resort talks about the asylum-seeking Iraqis who worked for the US Army, who were abandoned and branded as traitors by their countrymen.

Disability and Decision Making

Open Society Foundations 03:07 Politics and Advocacy

Michael Bach of the Institute For Research and Development On Inclusion and Society advocates for legal rights for those with intellectual and cognitive disabilities.

How Police Can Arrest the Spread of HIV

Open Society Foundations 02:23 Politics and Advocacy

Daniel Wolfe talks about the criminalization of and discrimination against drug users and sex workers, and how this creates barriers to seeking HIV treatment.

Patent Manipulation

Open Society Foundations 02:29 Politics and Advocacy

Tahir Amin of the Initiative For Medicines, Access and Knowledge talks about drug companies driving up prices for necessary medications, keeping them out of reach for many in health crises.

How Newark Cleaned Up Its Police Department

Open Society Foundations 01:56 Politics and Advocacy

Udi Ofer of ACLU-NJ talks about how municipal police departments racially profile communities of color through stop and frisk and other civil rights abuses with impunity in Newark, New Jersey.

How California Is Reducing Its Prison Population

Open Society Foundations 02:47 Politics and Advocacy

Lenore Anderson of Californians for Justice and Safety talks about her advocacy for Proposition 47, how mass incarceration hasn't made society safer and the need to invest in public services.

Open Society Foundations 04:04 Politics and Advocacy

A military veteran talks about substance abuse, homelessness, suicide and PTSD, his incarceration, and advocating for supporting veterans' emotional and physical needs.

The Engaged Photographer

Open Society Foundations 06:16 Politics and Advocacy

Susan Meiselas, curator of Moving Walls, takes us on a photographic journey and talks about how photography can meaningfully engage people and inspire change through global awareness.

Embrace the Ideas We're Afraid to Talk About

Open Society Foundations 01:17 Politics and Advocacy

Writer A.M. Homes of the PEN American Center Writers' Fund talks about her banned book and how freedom of speech is never a given.

Early Childhood Intervention

Open Society Foundations 07:34 Politics and Advocacy

Advocates discuss the likelihood for Central Asian and Eastern European children to be institutionalized for having a disability and how they work to keep these families together.

Open Society Foundations 04:58 Politics and Advocacy

A poet who was jailed as a teen talks about how mass incarceration prevents former inmates from securing jobs, housing and education and increases recidivism.

Disability Rights

Open Society Foundations 02:58 Politics and Advocacy

Democracy Is More Than Just Holding Elections

Open Society Foundations 01:47 Politics and Advocacy

John Gaventa of the Coady International Institute talks about the power of voting and holding elected officials and public servants accountable.

Open Society Foundations 08:47 Politics and Advocacy

A music-making teacher develops confidence in at-risk students as they participate in the Baltimore Urban Debate League and combat the school-to-prison pipeline.

Condoms as Evidence

Open Society Foundations 06:12 Politics and Advocacy

Sex workers globally document the harassment they face from law enforcement, who criminalize them and confiscate their contraception, leaving them susceptible for disease.

Clemmie Greenlee

Open Society Foundations 04:43 Politics and Advocacy

A mother who loses her only child to gang violence becomes an activist and mentor to help others.

Open Society Foundations 03:01 Politics and Advocacy

Uncovering the Central Intelligence Agency's history of mental and physical violence during interrogations in the name of defeating terrorism, and holding the government accountable for transparency.

Policing After Freddie Gray

Open Society Foundations 04:46 Politics and Advocacy

Baltimore residents reckon with decades of oppression, police brutality and poverty in the aftermath of Freddie Gray's murder as they begin to shape their own narrative and are spurred towards activism.

A Modern Day Robin Hood Takes Aim at Poverty

Open Society Foundations 02:22 Politics and Advocacy

David Hillman of the Robin Hood Tax Campaign discusses wealth redistribution and alleviating poverty by increasing sales, income and corporate taxes to give to global public goods and services.

Sort By

Get Involved

In addition to building democracies, Open Society is also dedicated to the youth, and in 2015, established a Youth Fellowship giving young activists and allies from around the world access to the tools to create a brighter future for the global community.

Young people under 30 who are involved in social justice, advocating for issues like rights for LGBTQ, women and the disabled, and in turn, raising awareness of these issues through various forms of media will be rewarded.

Those awarded fellowships will be offered a stipend and travel costs, in addition to support for projects that will be completed and amplified to a broad audience. 

Apply for Grants, Scholarships, More

 

Stay Connected with NYXT!

We would like to continue providing you with the most interesting updates based on what is important to you.

Subscribe to our Newsletter