George Soros and the Roma: Praxis, Equity and Empowerment

For three decades the philanthropist and billionaire investor George Soros has played a prominent role in promoting a vision of ‘Open Society’ in Central Eastern Europe (CEE), promoting the transition from communist statism to liberal democracy through his philanthropic measures, most notably his support for the Open Society Foundations. Within this body of work an important aspect has been Soros support and commitment to the development of Roma civil society. Support from Soros endeavours has enabled the development and progression of Roma civil society, especially at the transnational level, preparing and training Roma community leaders in the skills of community development and project management. Thousands of Roma individuals have also benefited from generous scholarship programmes funded by Open Society and Soros, completing school and university studies and other forms of training, thereby engendering role models. Soros-supported initiatives have also been highly influential in transnational diplomacy within for example the Council of Europe and the European Union, playing an important role in policy frameworks like the Decade for Roma Inclusion and the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies.