The Financial Times has named George Soros, the founder of Open Society Foundations its “Person of the Year” (subscription required).
“He is the standard bearer of liberal democracy and open society,” they write. “These are the ideas which triumphed in the cold war. Today, they are under siege from all sides, from Vladimir Putin’s Russia to Donald Trump’s America.”
The piece continues: “For more than three decades, Mr. Soros has used philanthropy to battle against authoritarianism, racism and intolerance. Through his long commitment to openness, media freedom and human rights, he has attracted the wrath of authoritarian regimes and, increasingly, the national populists who continue to gain ground, particularly in Europe.”
OSI-Baltimore is the only US field office of Open Society Foundations (OSF), working to identify and implement solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing American cities. OSI-Baltimore receives a portion of its funding from OSF, but relies on local donors to for a large portion of its local grant-making and advocacy. Please consider making a year-end donation to help OSI-Baltimore continue this crucial work.