Focus AreasRecent political developments in Central Europe demonstrate that populism and anti-democratic values continue to thrive in some new EU member states. An increasing number of governments show little interest in independent oversight of government activities, protection of minority rights, media independence, and the rule of law.
Public discourse in some new EU member states has taken a particularly negative turn, with attacks against vulnerable groups and minority communities as well as against NGOs promoting tolerance and accountability. Debates within EU member states on issues such as immigration and security exacerbate negative discourse at the local level. Civil society in the region seems ill-prepared to counter these illiberal tendencies systematically and consistently.
Most think tank leaders agree that more should be done, and that liberal democratic values are at the core of their missions. However, given the current funding environment, tackling these types of issues is increasingly difficult. The Think Tank Fund response is to establish a competitive project fund that will support established policy centers in the region to confront issues critical to open society.
Via Open Society New Response Projects, the Think Tank Fund aims to support independent policy centers in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia to promote policy research and alternatives on political and social issues critical to effective and accountable democratic governance in their own countries.
Open Society New Response Projects should reflect the core values of the applicant organization as well as tackle key social and political policy areas. Open Society New Response Projects will provide think tanks in the region with the opportunity to:
- sustain work on sensitive and unpopular social and political issues, particularly work that seeks to improve the position of disadvantaged and marginalized groups;
- promote transparent and effective democratic processes in their countries and to counteract illiberal tendencies; and
- advance systems for monitoring the performance of governmental institutions in ensuring tolerance and public accountability.
The issues to be addressed should be important in the policy context of the applicant’s country and linked with the promotion of open society values. Applicants should have already undertaken similar research and policy work for a number of years. They should clearly demonstrate that the proposed research is in line with their missions. Funding requests can be related to new initiatives or to ongoing activities that require funding. Similar to its guidelines for core funding, the Think Tank Fund will avoid providing support for single-issue think tanks and funding for individual projects that fall within the mandates of other OSI programs.
In line with the Think Tank Fund's aim of fostering inclusive policy change, Open Society New Response Projects should increase public participation in policy discussions, influence public policy discourse and help to shape the policy agenda. Projects should aim to address the full policy cycle and reach out to relevant stakeholders. Priority will be given to research and policymaking that directly respond to threats to liberal democratic governance and promotes open society values.
For more information, view the full Open Society New Response Projects grant guidelines.
