Download the Book “30 Years: Open Society and Its Friends”

You can now download and read the book 30 Years: Open Society and Its Friends, one of the outputs of the 30 Years initiative, a project that has provided perspective on three decades, 1991–2021, of the presence and work of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) in the Balkans. “It has examined how the unique philanthropic efforts of George Soros, his open society ideas and philosophy persevered during the stormy recent history of the region and how that work is still a moving force, alive and active”- 30 Years initiative.

You can also read about REF’s activity and results in the Balkans, a text signed by Redjepali Chupi, REF’s co-director.

“The initial results of REF’s work were becoming visible from the very beginning, in the first two to three years. Several Balkan countries with direct financial support from REF (and later from their own budgets through the relevant ministries) began to implement early childhood development projects. In primary education, many projects in partnership with schools, municipalities and ministries of education have begun to be implemented in order to support Roma families and their children in the education process. Current scholarships in secondary and higher education serve as financial support, while mentoring/tutoring provide additional academic support in the process of achieving positive results and successful transition from secondary to tertiary level of education.

With each new academic year, the number of Roma students in the region, especially in the Balkans increased, which I would say renewed hope, expecting them to become proactive individuals and professionals shortly after graduation who will be the main bearers of the processes and changes in the Roma community.

The involvement and contribution of several Balkan countries and their relevant ministries and government bodies became visible by including the Roma issue in their strategic documents, and even through the creation of special action and operational plans to improve the educational structure of the Roma population in general was at all levels of education. Some of them started to allocate their own budget funds, which together with the funds allocated by REF offered a new approach and perspective in the treatment of the Roma issue. This was the first attempt to create special public policies aimed directly at the Roma community, which was not the case before” – Redjepali Chupi.

The 30 Years Initiative consists of two complementary components: a virtual tour of seven presentations/discussions on the region, each of which offered a particular perspective on the 30 years – Virtual Momentum – and the book 30 Years: Open Society and Its Friends. Taken together, the two parts of the initiative offer an excellent and significant opportunity to look at the region and its many challenges, accomplishments, difficulties, failures, political and social circumstances—its past, present and future.