Open Society Institute–Sofia

The Open Society Institute–Sofia seeks to promote open society in Bulgaria by advancing government accountability, legal reform, civic participation, social equality, education, and European integration.

The foundation’s anticorruption work remains central to its mission, as government accountability is key to advancing civic engagement and economic development. To that end, the foundation engages in monitoring and policy reform advocacy to promote transparency and eliminate graft. The foundation has also worked to increase civic engagement by encouraging the participation of civil society in EU policymaking as well as improving public knowledge on common European issues though open debates and media campaigns.

To promote social and political inclusion of Bulgaria’s Roma minority, the Open Society Institute–Sofia both assists Roma themselves in advocating for their communities and works to eliminate institutional racism and negative stereotypes in wider Bulgarian society. In one particularly notable instance, the foundation brought together leaders of a Roma community, local authorities, an electricity provider, and a microfinance institution in a project that restored power for tens of thousands of residents in a Roma neighborhood. The foundation also works to create alternative images of Roma in local and national media and increase Roma engagement in public affairs through initiatives such as internship programs and education reform advocacy.