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The Open Society Institute (OSI), a private operating and grantmaking foundation, aims to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform. On a local level, OSI implements a range of initiatives to support the rule of law, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, OSI works to build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as combating corruption and rights abuses. www.soros.org
OSI has provided almost $80 million since 1993 to increase the capacity of the
Roma to act effectively for themselves, to advocate for systemic change in government and EU policies affecting Roma, to challenge the negative image of Roma, and to make the Decade of Roma Inclusion a success.
The establishment of The First Roma Pavilion at the Venice Biennale was initiated by the Roma Cultural Participation Project of OSI's Arts and Culture Network Program. Activities supported by the Project contribute to OSI’s broader Roma inclusion mission by exploring Roma culture and social identity, emphasizing the cultural empowerment of Roma, and encouraging changes in the majority societies' attitudes. By sponsoring the Roma Pavilion, OSI aims to expose Roma contemporary art to a broad international audience as well as to stimulate debates about the role of Roma culture and the role of the Roma themselves in European society.
