Media & Information
Even Though I’m Free, I Am Not
In James Mackay’s portraits, Burmese dissidents pose with the names of political prisoners on their raised palms, to pay tribute to and stand in solidarity with peers who remain imprisoned for their activities and beliefs.
Read More | See more work on Media & InformationAung San Suu Kyi, leader of the opposition party, the National League for Democracy, was arrested for the first time in July 1989. She has been detained on three separate occasions and has spent more than 15 years under house arrest in Rangoon. Released from her latest sentence in November 2010, she continues to work to achieve democracy and national reconciliation in Burma in spite of continued threats and oppression from the ruling military regime. On her hand is written the name of Soe Min Min, a member of the National League for Democracy who was arrested in 2008 for praying at Shwedagon Pagoda for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. He is serving a nine year sentence at Insein prison. Update: Soe Min Min was released from Insein prison according to a conditional amnesty announced by the Burmese regime on January 12, 2012.
More from this collection »Photo credit: © James Mackay
Health
Stop Torture in Health Care
Far too many people experience cruel and degrading treatment in the name of health care. We are working to put an end to human rights violations and abuses in health care settings.
Read More | See more work on HealthFrom the Campaign to Stop Torture in Health Care: Detention as Treatment in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Image is a frame from the film "Violence Is Not the Solution." In all corners of the world, people who use drugs are forcibly detained in "rehabilitation" centers where they may be subjected to beatings, forced labor, medical experimentation, denial of basic health care (including evidence-based drug treatment), and other severe human rights violations. Thousands of people throughout Southeast Asia are locked away in so-called drug rehabilitation centers where they are regularly beaten, abused, and denied access to medical care. The Campaign to Stop Torture in Health Care is working worldwide to put an end to human rights violations and abuses in health care settings.
More from this collection »Photo credit: © Scott Anger and Bob Sacha for the Open Society Foundations
Governance & Accountability
Grassroots Justice
Unfair or inaccessible legal systems leave four billion people around the world without the means to protect themselves. Legal empowerment aims to return power to the people.
Read More | See more work on Governance & AccountabilityVita Kalembet, a paralegal, is helping Alina Grotsyk navigate Ukraine's complex bureaucracy to secure child support for her son. Kalembet is one of a growing number of paralegals working in rural Ukraine, where economic and political transition over the past two decades has left many people with limited access to public services or information. But in four regions, community law centers funded by the Open Society Foundations are helping ordinary people assert their rights under the law.
More from this collection »Photo credit: © Stephanie Sinclair/VII for the Open Society Foundations
Education & Youth
Expanding Learning, Expanding Opportunities
Our advocacy and debate initiatives strive to ensure that young people of different backgrounds have equal access to education and individual expression.
Read More | See more work on Education & YouthStudents at Hilton Elementary School in West Baltimore leave school at 5:30 p.m. The additional hours give kids the full array of activities that all parents would like for their children but that many families can’t afford.
More from this collection »Photo credit: © Bruce Weller for the Open Society Foundations
Rights & Justice
Lost in Pretrial Limbo
As millions of people around the world languish behind bars—without being tried or found guilty—their families slip deeper into poverty, hunger, and homelessness.
Read More | See more work on Rights & JusticeIn Mpungu, Malawi, villagers prepare for the funeral of the local head man. His nephew and heir, Benson Sango, will be unable to attend. Benson has been held in Maula prison, in the capital, Lilongwe, for more than two years without bail or a trial. The Global Campaign for Pretrial Justice is documenting the costs of excessive and unnecessary pretrial detention. We are helping governments develop bail and supervision systems that can make detention exception, and not the rule.
More from this collection »Photo credit: © Ed Kashi/VII for the Open Society Foundations
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Evidence supporting effective drug policy is vast. It's time to apply this evidence, eschew ideology, and learn from success stories like the Czech Republic.
States that choose to go down Arizona's path will undoubtedly face the large price tag of litigation costs, subject their constituents to economic despair, and undermine public safety.
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The Burma Project/Southeast Asia Initiative supports civil society efforts to advance free expression, ensure government accountability and justice, and empower marginalized groups to exercise their rights.
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