On its website, the Open Society Foundations says it is the world's largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights. Our Asia Pacific Regional Office coordinates our work, which ranges from ensuring protections to migrant laborers to supporting human rights and a independent media. The Open Society Foundations have been expanding and deepening its work in Asiaengaging on pressing local and regional issues, from ensuring protections for migrant workers to supporting independent journalism and human rights advocates. The Open Society Foundations and George Soros. . Since the coup, Myanmars military regime has engaged in countless human rights violations including military air assaults targeting villages of ethnic communities, burning civilian facilities, and cracking down civil society organizations inside the country. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning. 2023 Open Society Foundations, some rights reserved. And in the realm of public policy, we have been increasing our efforts to support institutions that can create a more informed government in Burma, which is better able to carry out necessary reforms. Our U.S. programs account for around 17% of our funding work, which includes supporting reform of the criminal justice system and drug laws, strengthening democratic participation, and supporting humane immigration laws. In Eurasia, a region of politically diverse states with widely differing levels of democratic development, the Open Society Foundations seek to promote citizen engagement in everyday issues such as local government and education. The executions, which were unanimously condemned by the UN Security Council on July 27, mark a further regression in the already dire human rights situation that has prevailed in Myanmar since the military coup of February 2021. We thank you for all your support and your considerations (TLB). This giving has often focused on those who face discrimination purely for who they are, Children gather around their teacher in a classroom in Karachi, Pakistan on February 24, 2014. Secret Discount Link We scan thousands of news sites, so you don't have to, saving We also helped with the introduction of a professional development program for teachers that links curriculum reform, textbook development, and the assessment system. Learn more. He said that making the official a national security adviser could hurt Myanmars relations with China. Then, it is found that US$3.81 million and Ks375 million were deposited in four banks namely KBZ Bank, AYA Bank, SME Bank and CB Bank. 04 The Foundations are the second largest private philanthropy after the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Your email address will not be published. Get an unlimited news experience Founded by George Soros, an eminent investor and philanthropist in USA, the OSF has become one of the major funders of civil society groups and individuals around the world. Europe. We award more than 100 grants each year, mostly to grassroots civil society organizations. "The Open Society Foundations are deeply concerned about reports that an OSM (Open Society Myanmar) staff member has been detained in Myanmar. Disclaimers Ed Kashi/VII for the Open Society Foundations. In Pakistan, we joined our Pakistan foundation to assist in the creation of a national center of excellence for early childhood care and education. And so easy to use. OSM upholds an anti-discrimination policy and welcomes applications irrespective of the applicants race, ethnicity, color, creed. Accordingly, those bank accounts came under control. financial markets. Protests on Burmas streets are now a common occurrence. I always seem to find something i missed out in the real fake world. The Open Society Foundations have been actively involved in Burma since 1994. That was a great lead to a new day . To learn more about how we use and protect your personal data, please view our privacy policy. The Open Society Foundation is accepting grant applications for the Burma Project. Blast occurs in front of house of ex-minister of Mon State Security Affairs, 4.4 magnitude slight earthquake hits in Mdy. To bolster the ability of the government to raise revenues and strengthen the provision of government services, Open Society has provided technical assistance on tax reform and the natural resource policy to Myanmars Ministry of Planning and Finance, the Internal Revenue Department, and the National Economic Coordinating Committee, with the aim of promoting fiscal responsibility. 07 We have been working in the United States since 1996. Foundation Open Society InstitutePakistan. JAKARTA - Myanmar's military regime, through state-controlled television MRTV, announced the confiscation of a bank account belonging to the social foundation Open Society Foundation (OSF) in Myanmar, which was founded by one of the world's richest men, billionaire George Soros. By entering your email address and clicking Submit, you agree to receive updates from the Open Society Foundations about our work. 09 Our name reflects the influence on our founder of the philosophy of Karl Popper. South Koreas response to the coronavirus pandemic has been cited as a model in the international press. The agreement on the spending of the money is due to be invalid on April 30, 2021. From the beginning, Open Society has supported democratic development in Asia, particularly in countries where democratic ideals remains contested. An elected official from Nepal who represents members of the Dalit community, which has historically been considered untouchable., Kishor Sharma/Majority World for the Open Society Foundations. The military junta also took control of assets totaling $3.81 million and 375 million kyats in OSF bank accounts at four private banksKanbawza Bank (KBZ), Ayeyarwady Bank (AYA), SMED and Co-operative Bank (CB), according to MRTV. Load more Open Society Foundation news or search news using your own keywords. Featured image: Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi holds talks with George Soros, founder and chairman of the Open Society Foundation, in New York in September 2016. 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Climate terrorism what really lies behind the effort to spread unfounded dismay? The Open Society Foundations were founded by George Soros, one of the world's foremost . The military said it had begun taking control of all illegal flows of money to OSF Myanmar, saying the foundation had breached the law that lays downs the rules and regulations for organizations in the country. or live RSS feed. Together with his son Alexander Soros, he met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the second time in Nay Pyi Taw on January 11, 2017. Millions of professionals find us an indispensable source for Read the latest from our staff, grantees, and partners about how were working around the world to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. Privacy Policy, Contact us While nationwide protests in 1988 and 2007 revealed a widespread desire for democracy and an end to government oppression, each was followed by violent crackdowns, which left many dead, imprisoned, and exiled. 2020 expenditures for Latin America and the Caribbean, 2020 expenditures for Middle East and North Africa. To learn more about how we use and protect your personal data, please view our privacy policy. In 1962, a military coup thrust Burma into a half century of military dictatorship, which decimated public institutions, isolated the international community, and saw the continuation of decades-long wars with several of the countrys many ethnic groups. that affects your company, organization or interest. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. The US$5 million was deposited in the bank without interest. Read the latest from our staff, grantees, and partners about how were working around the world to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. Submit a Grant Genuine peace and national reconciliation will not be possible without respect for the fundamental principles of equality and nondiscrimination. The Burma Project, established by the Open Society Foundations in 1994, is dedicated to increasing international awareness of conditions in Burma and helping the country make a successful transition from a closed to an open society. Company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales.Company number: 10187396Download Section 172 Report. In his book Open Society and Its Enemies, Popper argues that no philosophy or ideology is the final arbiter of truth, and that societies can only flourish when they allow for democratic governance, freedom of expression, and respect for individual rights. Our grantsranging from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollarsare awarded to organizations, scholars, and activists in over 120 countries. With the Cold War over, he expanded his philanthropy to the United States, Africa, and Asia, supporting a If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than fair use you must request permission from the copyright owner. The Open Society Foundations form a global network of entities and programs committed to local knowledge and national expertise. 2023 Open Society Foundations, some rights reserved. It said it would take legal action against SMED for allowing OSF to deposit $5 million and withdraw $1.4 million without obtaining approval from the CBM. Part of the global Open Society Foundations network, they support a wide array of initiatives in Myanmar to advance education, public health, rule of law and independent media among other things. The Open Society Foundations have been expanding and deepening its work in Asiaengaging on pressing local and regional issues, from ensuring protections for migrant workers to supporting independent journalism and human rights advocates. Eurasia, South Africa, and Myanmar, OSF has since expanded its network to Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, and had . Proposals must be submitted at the address given on the website. To learn more about how we use and protect your personal data, please view our privacy policy. In Pakistan, we have worked with the largest network of NGOs to train women as community-based paralegal advisors in remote villages. The country quickly went from an economic and social capital of the region to one of its least developed and most repressive states. About us, Premium Sign in To learn more about how we use and protect your personal data, please view our privacy policy. Since 2017, Open Society Myanmar has been registered as a national, independent foundation in the country, following the establishment of a memorandum of understanding with the government in 2012. This investment funds 417 small businesses, mainly in the agriculture sector, which employ some 41,700 people in total. intranet, workgroup or mobile device. User Agreement. There are 609,302,966 articles in our news database. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. However, the real agenda of the OSF has little to do with philanthropy. Pakistani university students use their mobile phones to record video of a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Jan. 7, 2011. It provides. Since 2017, Open Society has invested $3.3 million to support at least 11 civil society organizations to help reduce the harms of drug use; expand access to evidence-based health services; and foster effective, humane drug policies in Myanmar. Liberty Beacon is the place to go to find all the news that fakes falsify or forget. Communists took power, Soros left Budapest for London and then emigrated to the United States, His philanthropic organisation has been active in Myanmar since the 1990s, and set up a local foundation in 2017, when Aung San Suu Kyi was in power. Advertise, Guest Posting & Backlinks With the relaxation of censorship, newsstands have sprung up all over Burma, including this one near 49th Street in downtown Yangon, Burma on December 13, 2012. The government denies the allegations. Unless otherwise specified, this website is not affiliated with any of the organizations mentioned above. Our national and regional foundations and thematic programs give thousands of grants every year toward building inclusive and vibrant democracies. vast array of new efforts to create more accountable, transparent, and democratic societies. 01 The Foundations today include twenty three national and regional Foundations, each with its own local board whose members oversee the work and shape funding priorities to meet local needs. In 2017, lawmaker U Soe Thane, who served as Presidents Office minister under U Thein Seins administration, objectedto a ministerial appointment by the NLD government on grounds that the appointed minister had failed to disclose his previous work for the George Soros Foundation. Regarding the money, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the SMED Bank and Open Society Myanmar. To promote economic justice, the foundation has invested $5 million in small- and medium-sized enterprises since 2018. NEW YORKThe Open Society Foundations are appalled and deeply saddened by the recent horrific executions by the military regime in Myanmar of former NLD Member of Parliament Phyo Zeya Thaw, prominent activist Kyaw MinYu, as well as Aung Thura Zaw, and Hla Myo Aung. ER Editor: We are not familiar with the site that is the source of this story, The Irrawaddy. For more information, please visithttp://themimu.info/calls-for-proposals, Terms of Use Over the past three decades, our giving has focused on supporting people who are trying to make their communities fairer, freer, and more harmonious. With a focus on supporting marginalized groups such as Burma's ethnic communities, women, and youth, we have helped foster a generation of civil society and media leaders who represent one of the best hopes for a peaceful transition to democracy. In the 1980s, he helped promote the open exchange of ideas in Communist Hungary; after the fall of The Open Society Foundations (OSF) is an international grant-making network that supports civil society groups around the world, with the aim of advancing justice, education, public health and independent media. Myanmar has started controlling illegal cash flow from George Soros and Alexander Soros Open Society Foundation to Open Society Myanmar, Myawady TV announced during night hours news on March 15. 03 The Foundations provide no more than 33% of the funding to the vast majority of the organizations we work with, . The Open Society Foundations work in the Middle East and North Africa seeks to promote democratic governance and to protect human rights amid entrenched regional conflicts and political restrictions. Thanks to the heroic efforts of civil society groups, prisoners in Pakistan did not suffer a mass outbreak of COVID-19. The military regime in the Southeast Asian nation is accusing Soros' Foundation of violating multiple financial restrictions which are placed by Myanmar on such organizations. Premium Sign up To this end we support efforts to build the capacity of civil society groups and other key stakeholders to advocate for a transparent and accountable government, responsible foreign aid and investment practices, and universal access to education, health care, information, and justice in Burma. We believe the transition in Burma will not be successful without genuine national reconciliation and the promise, for all of the people of Burma, of equal rights under the rule of law. Your free trial has expired. Myanmar has started controlling illegal cash flow from George Soros and Alexander Soros' Open Society Foundation to Open Society Myanmar, Myawady TV announced during night hours news on March 15. In 2020, Open Society committed more than $500,000 to support civil society organizations working to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar by distributing health kits, while also providing $25,000 in legal aid services to migrant workers who were unable to earn a living due to the virus. Open Society Myanmar (OSM) works to build a vibrant and tolerant society in Myanmar. US waging of war with Chinas neighbours in various forms (4). While the government preaches peace and national reconciliation, the Burmese military launched offensives against Kachin and Shan communities in Eastern Burma, ending a 17-year ceasefire with the Kachins and displacing approximately 100,000 civilians. The regime also claimed that the worlds largest private funder for justice, democratic governance and human rights (ER: no mention of his funding regime-change coups ) had failed to obtain approval from the Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM)s Foreign Exchange Management Department for a deposit of US$5 million (7.04 billion kyats) with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank (SMED) in Myanmar in 2018. of expression, transparency, accountable government, and for societies that promote justice and The government initiated a dialogue with democratic opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, released hundreds of political prisoners, relaxed media restrictions, legalized labor unionization, implemented several economic reforms, and accelerated a ceasefire process with ethnic armed groups. The material provided here is solely for informational purposes only without any warranty. 2023 Open Society Foundations, some rights reserved. Challenges to Burmas democratic transition abound. They discussed the opening of Open Society Myanmar as a branch of their foundation, said the Myawady TV news. 9 FACTS ABOUT THE OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS. 08 Again and again, the Foundations have joined policy debate on controversial issues that other funders might avoid. Open Society Foundation is providing financial support to NGO, INGOs and CSOs across the world. Read the latest from our staff, grantees, and partners about how were working around the world to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. We are proud to work with people who find themselves being shunned by society simply because of who they are. Any news page or search results can be turned into an email news alert This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Read the full disclaimer here. Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. The military regime has seized control of the bank accounts of billionaire George Soros' Open Society Foundation (OSF) in Myanmar and announced that it will take legal action against the foundation, which is accused of violating restrictions on the activities of such organizations.. On Monday, military-controlled MRTV announced that the military had issued arrest warrants for . Open Society Foundations Call for Immediate Release of OSM Staff Member in Myanmar Date March 17, 2021 Contact Communications media@opensocietyfoundations.org +1 212-548-0378 en LONDONThe Open Society Foundations are deeply concerned by reports that Phyu Pa Pa Thaw, finance manager of OSM (Open Society Myanmar), has been detained in Myanmar. Open Society Myanmar has continued to work with governmental and civil society actors to expand inclusive education and access to health care, support drug policy reform, protect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, and support a new generation of political leaders who will help secure the countrys democratic reforms. The foundations support has helped 5 million more people to gain access to electricity, including through solar energy. Twenty four banks in Myanmar came under scrutiny to control accounts flow of Open Society Myanmar. During direct military rule, the foundation supported exiled outlets like the Democratic Voice of Burma, which provided much-needed information from inside the country. action to expand the number and type of sanctions on senior military leaders and those around them, fully supporting and expediting the work of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar established by the UN Human Rights Council in September 2018. Arakan State witnessed what appeared to be state-sanctioned violence against the Rohingya, a minority Muslim ethnic group, during which at least 89 people lost their lives and state security forces conducted mass arbitrary arrests. In short, there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the countrys future. In the years since, the world has been amazed at the speed of the transition, and rightfully so. Though the government is in dialogue with opposition members, its tenuous ceasefire process with ethnic leaders lacks transparency, divides ethnic representatives, and largely excludes civil society. In Nepal, for instance, we have supported efforts to ensure that women and Dalits are included as candidates for local authority positions. In response, we launched the Ukraine Democracy Fund so far raising $45 million alongside partners to protect Ukrainian civil society and support those displaced and affected by the conflict. Since 2015, Open Society has invested $1.2 million to support at least 13 grassroots media outlets. OSM worked in a range of areas including. We are similar to Google News but focus on news tracking by country, Our network includes national and regional foundations, as well as programs with regional or global reach, active in more than 120 countries, including hubs in Europe and the United States. Most significantly, the government allowed for the development of a more open political environment in which Daw Aung Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy, won a landslide victory in parliamentary by-elections. Every year the Open Society Foundations give thousands of grants to groups and individuals that work on the issues we focus onpromoting tolerance, transparency, and open debate. Since 1994, Open Society has supported more than 5,000 Myanmar students with full scholarships to study at top international universities. Care Workers Deserve Credit for South Koreas COVID-19 Response, Fighting the Pandemic in Pakistans Prisons. We gave $221,268 to groups campaigning for free and fair elections. Deadline: 4 March 2019 Open Society Myanmar has launched a request for proposals to provide grant support to eligible local organizations, foundations and networks to design and implement programs/projects in alignment with the priority areas mentioned below. In October 2018, officials from Open Society Myanmar arrived at SMED Bank in Wadan Street in Yangon opened a bank account with US$100. We urge G20 leaders and donors to increase support for humanitarian aid, including funding for civil society to document these heinous acts and push for international accountability. OSF has been supporting Myanmars democratic transition and promoting human rights, including those of marginalized groups, since 1994.