Soros Foundation–Moldova

The mission of the Soros Foundation–Moldova is to advance open society values by providing support for Moldova’s democratic institutions, fostering public debate and access to information, improving education, and advocating for policy alternatives. The foundation’s projects include efforts to defend the rights of minorities, establish a rights-based approach to public health, monitor government activities, support media independence, and expand legal aid.

The foundation’s advocacy led to the creation of a national legal aid system in 2007, which greatly expanded access to justice for Moldovans. It has since been at the forefront of efforts to ensure that the system provides high quality services to indigent defendants.

The foundation has strived to make human rights an essential part of the country’s response to HIV/AIDS by supporting harm reduction alternatives for drug users, such as methadone maintenance, and funding organizations that document human rights violations against people living with HIV/AIDS. It has also led the movement to reform mental health care, helping to end the institutionalization of mentally disabled children in large residential facilities and develop community-based services to replace residential institutions.

In its efforts to improve civic participation in politics and governance, the foundation has launched public information campaigns on issues from local election laws to European integration. It has also been a key supporter of independent media, helping to sustain a network of regional radio and television stations that has helped expand news coverage and access to information.