Open Society Institute–Paris

Open Society Institute-Paris acts as a liaison and resource office to help foster cultural and educational exchange programs between Open Society Foundations and other Western European countries.

Since 1997, Open Society Institute-Paris has focused primarily on the Belarus Project, which was initiated in 1997 when the Belarus Soros Foundation was forced to close. The Belarus Project supports the development of open society in Belarus through a number of projects focusing on independent media, nonpartisan voter information and mobilization campaigns, human rights, and civil society resource centers. With the exception of this project, all other Open Society Institute-Paris operational and grant-giving programs are being phased out.

Open Society Institute-Paris translates and evaluates proposals and grant requests and directs them to appropriate Soros foundations and network programs. It also assists Open Society Foundations employees with obtaining Schengen visas for colleagues in the network. Since May 2001, Open Society Institute-Paris has acted as an Open Society Foundations board liaison office, helping all foundations to implement appropriate board rotation procedures.