- Soros Foundation
A Soros Foundation is one of a network of national foundations, mostly in Central and
Eastern Europe , which fund volunteer socio-political activity, created byGeorge Soros , international financier and self-proclaimed philanthropist, and coordinated since early 1994 by a management team called theOpen Society Institute .Soros foundations are autonomous institutions established in particular countries or regions, especially those emerging from behind the
iron curtain [Hoduski-Abbott, Bernadine E., "Lobbying for Libraries and the Public's Access to Government Information", Lanham: Scarecrow, 2003. p75] to initiate and support open society activities. Such countries include the formerCommunist bloc in Central and Eastern Europe, parts of the formerSoviet Union ,South Africa , andHaiti [Hoduski-Abbott, Bernadine E., "Lobbying for Libraries and the Public's Access to Government Information", Lanham: Scarecrow, 2003. p75] . The priorities and specific activities of each Soros foundation are determined by a local board of directors and staff in consultation with George Soros and OSI boards and advisers. In addition to support from the Open Society Institute, many of the foundations receive funding from other sources.Intended programs include "the education of librarians and others; expansion of a
free press ,Internet , ande-mail communication; publishing;human rights ; arts and culture; and social, legal, and economic reform" [Hoduski-Abbott, Bernadine E., "Lobbying for Libraries and the Public's Access to Government Information", Lanham: Scarecrow, 2003. p75] . One such program, for example, is theLibrary of Congress - Soros Foundation Visiting Fellows Program for librarians. George Soros insists that staff in local Soros Foundation offices conduct the initial interviews of applicants and then allow LC to make the final decisions. Soros very much seeks to "influence the future of the newly democratized Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union... [through] educating librarians about how to improve their libraries and assist the policymakers of their countries.. [in order to] provide a strong foundation for democracy" [Hoduski-Abbott, Bernadine E., "Lobbying for Libraries and the Public's Access to Government Information", Lanham: Scarecrow, 2003. p76] . Another example of Soros's commitment to the development of Eastern Europe in particular is his pledge of $206 million to the endowment of Central European University ["Soros Pledges $206-Million to Hungarian University," "Chronicle of Philanthropy", July 2005, Vol. 17 Issue 19, p20] .In 1997 George Soros received the James Madison Award from the Coalition on Government Information [Hoduski-Abbott, Bernadine E., "Lobbying for Libraries and the Public's Access to Government Information", Lanham: Scarecrow, 2003. p76] . He has also been compared to
Andrew Carnegie by Barabara Ford, president ofAmerican Library Association , insofar as his philanthropy, if on an international scale [Hoduski-Abbott, Bernadine E., "Lobbying for Libraries and the Public's Access to Government Information", Lanham: Scarecrow, 2003. p76] .ee also
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Open Society Institute Notes
External links
* [http://www.soros.org/ Open Society Institute website]
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