George Soros, founder of the Open Society Foundations, has been awarded the European Civil Rights Prize of the Sinti and Roma in recognition of his decades-long dedication to advancing the rights and dignity of Roma communities across Europe. The award, endowed by Germany’s Manfred Lautenschläger Foundation, honors the legacy of Holocaust survivors and Roma civil rights pioneers Oskar and Vinzenz Rose.
For over forty years, Soros has been a committed advocate for Roma inclusion, supporting initiatives that challenge discrimination and expand access to education, healthcare, and justice. His efforts have helped establish key institutions such as the European Roma Rights Centre, the Roma Education Fund, and the Decade of Roma Inclusion, which collectively enabled over 150,000 Roma students to attend school and brought landmark anti-segregation cases before the European Court of Human Rights. In 2017, his foundation also supported the creation of the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture in Berlin, further promoting Roma representation and cultural identity.
In 2024, Soros’s commitment culminated in the launch of the Roma Foundation for Europe, an independent, Roma-led organization supported by a €100 million pledge from the Open Society Foundations. His work also extends to economic empowerment through the Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative, which has demonstrated that Roma entrepreneurs are equally creditworthy when given fair access to finance—challenging widespread biases in Europe’s economic systems.
Accepting the award on his father’s behalf, Alex Soros, chair of the Open Society Foundations, emphasized that the family’s partnership with Roma communities is rooted in justice, dignity, and self-determination. He described the award as both a recognition of progress and a reminder of the ongoing struggle against prejudice and exclusion.
In his statement, George Soros reflected on the long history of Roma discrimination—from the Holocaust to more recent injustices such as barriers faced by Roma refugees from Ukraine. He underscored that the treatment of Roma people remains a critical test of Europe’s commitment to equality and human rights, asserting that open societies must protect the rights of all, particularly the marginalized.
The European Civil Rights Prize of the Sinti and Roma, established in 2007, honors individuals and institutions working to advance the human rights of Sinti and Roma communities. Past recipients include former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and architect Daniel Libeskind. Soros announced that he will donate his prize money to the Roma Education Fund, which continues to strengthen Roma inclusion through access to quality education and employment opportunities.
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