At Open Society

Munir Nuseibah, director of Al-Quds University’s Community Action Center, explains how a scholarship helped him become a more effective human rights advocate—and inspired him to ensure other Palestinians have the same opportunity. (Published: January 4, 2019)

Intersex Human Rights Fund’s Ruth Baldacchino explains how, in the face of prejudice, discrimination, and abuse, intersex people are speaking up for themselves and defending their rights. (Published: November 30, 2018)

Blair Glencorse, founder and executive director of Acountability Lab, explains how his organization is working to build a healthy civil society where powerful people are answerable to their communities. (Published: August 31, 2018)

Sherrie Westin of the Sesame Workshop discusses a partnership with the International Rescue Committee, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations to support early childhood development for Syrian refugee children. (Published: August 3, 2018)

Douglas Belchior, one of the founders of the antidiscrimination group UNEafro, explains why reform in Brazil is so needed—and offers a vision of a better Brazilian future. (Published: April 6, 2018)

Maira Gabriel Anhorn discusses how the local development association Redes de Maré is helping the residents of Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela fight for their rights. (Published: December 1, 2017)

For too long, intersex people have lived under the weight of social stigma and personal shame. Kimberly Zieselman, director of the advocacy group interACT, explains why that dynamic is finally coming to an end. (Published: November 3, 2017)

The Belarus Free Theatre has long been a monument to democracy and human rights—and the target of one of the world’s worst dictatorships. Cofounder Natalia Kaliada explains why, despite the persecution, the show goes on. (Published: October 23, 2017)

Trans activists around the world are fighting for their rights, but a critical shortage of funding stands in their way. Broden Giambrone, director of International Trans Fund, explains how a new participatory initiative brings resources to grassroots activists for trans people’s rights. (Published: August 4, 2017)

Groundswell Fund’s Naa Hammond explains why reproductive justice is about more than just reproductive rights—it also means addressing race, class, sexuality, and identity. (Published: July 7, 2017)

After a decade-long campaign, Taiwan is on the verge of becoming the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. Jennifer Lu, research fellow at the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association, discusses how her organization is leading the push to make marriage equality a reality in Taiwan. (Published: June 2, 2017)

Dr. Carl Hart has spent his career studying the effects of drugs on the human brain. The science shows us that a fear-based approach to fighting addiction is misleading and often harmful. (Published: April 7, 2017)

Big data is being used to make decisions about virtually every aspect of our lives, affecting people’s access to credit, housing, jobs, and more. Julia Angwin, a journalist at Pro Publica, discusses big data, how it can be tainted, and how seeking accountability can be an insurmountable task when the data is incorrect. (Published: January 6, 2017)

Executions in Pakistan are surging, and an estimated 60 percent of death row inmates are innocent. Sarah Belal, founder and director of Justice Project Pakistan, talks about nontraditional forms of advocacy, and how educating the public on the realities of capital punishment can lead to lasting change. (Published: December 14, 2016)

There’s a growing trend among countries to make it a crime to purchase sex work, but not to sell it, effectively criminalizing the client but not the sex worker. Kate McGrew, coordinator at Sex Workers Alliance Ireland, explains why that’s not the solution sex workers really need. (Published: November 9, 2016)

In a country where LGBTI individuals remain a persecuted minority, activist Mima Simić believes that by countering media messaging, advocates can influence public opinion and make Croatia a more hospitable environment for all. (Published: June 1, 2016)

In Brazil, where abortion is illegal, the mosquito-borne Zika virus is raising anew the issue of reproductive rights and the health consequences of politicized public policy. Debora Diniz, founder of Anis—Institute of Bioethics, is working to redress some of the disparate impacts of the disease. (Published: April 6, 2016)

At the city’s Insite facility, people who use drugs can self-inject in a safe, supervised environment using clean equipment. And it’s the only place in all of North America where they can do so legally. Liz Evans, founder of PHS Community Services Society, explains why. (Published: March 15, 2016)

Home to nearly one-third of the world’s homicides, Central and South America have become desensitized to violence. Refocusing public perception could help solve the problem. Antanas Mockus, the former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, explains how. (Published: March 4, 2016)

A group of veterans who fought in the Palestinian Territories are testifying about what they did with the goal of making Israeli society face up to its military’s actions. (Published: July 06, 2015)

By exploiting the patent system, Big Pharma makes lifesaving medicines unaffordable to many in need. Tahir Amin, co-director of the Initiative for Medicines, Access, and Knowledge, explains how it works, and what his group is doing to stop it. (Published: May 20, 2015)

Michael Bach of the Institute for Research and Development on Inclusion and Society discusses how “supported decision making” can allow those with disabilities to take back control with the help of their families and communities. (Published: March 26, 2015)

Lenore Anderson of Californians for Safety and Justice reflects on Prop 47 and the hard work still ahead. (Published: March 24, 2015)

Why should you care about the right to free expression? Ask someone whose book was banned. (Published: August 28, 2013)

Professor Myaing Myaing Nyunt says that something as simple as teaching doctors and students about consent forms will encourage democratic transition. (Published: December 22, 2014)

Wouldn’t you like to give those in power a report card? This is what citizen engagement looks like, and it’s possible for all of us, according to John Gaventa, head of the Coady International Institute. (Published: April 11, 2014)

Many consider Tunisia to be the first democratic Arab country in the region. But democracy can’t succeed without the informed efforts of its citizens. That’s where Al-Bawsala, an NGO founded by Amira Yahyaoui, comes in. (Published: November 1, 2014)

In South Africa, 75 percent of the country’s young people are in poorly performing and under-resourced schools, perpetuating a system of social and economic inequality. One grassroots movement is working to change this. (Published: September 9, 2014)

Richard Memminger was born dependent on crack cocaine; his mother was addicted to drugs. Documentary filmmaking gave him the ability to tell his story—not be defined by it. (Published: January 27, 2014)

Sending people to prison for low-level, nonviolent drug offenses doesn’t work. That’s why the Seattle Police Department launched an innovative program that offers treatment instead of jail time. (Published: July 30, 2014)

For many Palestinians, getting to the next town—to go to work, to a hospital, to school—may as well be going to the other side of the moon. Sari Bashi discusses how one Israeli group helps them overcome the barriers. (Published: March 19, 2014)

Jake Hayman wants to improve your social networks—and he doesn’t mean Facebook and Twitter. He believes every student deserves successful mentors—not just a privileged few. (Published: January 7, 2014)

Torture doesn’t happen only in interrogation rooms. Sometimes it takes place where you might least expect it. Juan Méndez, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, explains. (Published: February 13, 2014)

We create stereotypes, quick references, to help us navigate the world, says Alexis McGill Johnson of the American Values Institute. One of those stereotypes is that we equate black men with fear. (Published: September 30, 2013)