Gara LaMarche

The Open Society Institute works to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. To achieve its mission, OSI seeks to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. On a local level, OSI implements a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, OSI builds alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. OSI places a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of people in marginalized communities. Investor and philanthropist George Soros in 1993 created OSI as a private operating and grantmaking foundation to support his foundations in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Those foundations were established, starting in 1984, to help countries make the transition from communism. OSI has expanded the activities of the Soros foundations network to encompass the United States and more than 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Each Soros foundation relies on the expertise of boards composed of eminent citizens who determine individual agendas based on local priorities.

The New Press, Inc. prints and publishes books. It publishes educational and cultural books. Its customers include booksellers, educators, critics and readers. The company was founded by Andre Schiffrin in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

The Atlantic Philanthropies is a Non-Profit organization, which focuses on health, social, and politically liberal public policy causes. The company was founded by Charles F. Feeney in 1982 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

The American Civil Liberties Union, Inc. is a non-profit organization that aims to protect the First Amendment's guarantee of religious liberty and advocates for reproductive rights. The organization is based in the United States, with subsidiaries across the country. The ACLU is currently working to safeguard the right to protest, advocacy, and expression in a case before the Supreme Court.

Human Rights Watch is one of the world's leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. By focusing international attention where human rights are violated, they give voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their crimes. Their rigorous, objective investigations and strategic, targeted advocacy build intense pressure for action and raise the cost of human rights abuse. For 30 years, Human Rights Watch has worked tenaciously to lay the legal and moral groundwork for deep-rooted change and has fought to bring greater justice and security to people around the world.