Open Society Foundation for South Africa

Open Society Foundation for South Africa http://www.osf.org.za/ has confirmed that its Board has approved a request to grant the DNA Project a Development Grant to enable it to develop an organisational plan for the DNA Project in preparation for the submission of a full proposal to the OSF-SA board in March 2008.

Vanessa Lynch, Founder and Director of the DNA Project, was contacted by the OSF-SA following her appearance on the SA actuality programme, Carte Blanche, which covered the endeavours of the DNA Project. The OSF-SA, which is committed to promoting the values, institutions and practices of an open, non-racial and non-sexist, democratic, civil society, works for a vigorous and autonomous civil society in which the rule of law and divergent opinions are respected. Recognising that the objectives of the DNA Project promoted justice in SA, it requested a meeting with Vanessa Lynch last year. A proposal for a development grant was thereafter submitted to the OSF-SA by the DNA Project, which was approved by the Board of OSF-SA in December 2008. The purpose of the development grant is to enable the DNA Project to prepare a full proposal to the OSF-SA for funding for the various objectives of the DNA Project.

“We feel very honoured that such a highly regarded organisation, as the OSF-SA, has recognised the good work that the DNA Project is doing. In particular, we are very privileged to be given an opportunity to take the DNA Project to the next level, thereby ensuring that its objectives are more fully realised”, commented Vanessa Lynch.

The Open Society Foundation was founded by George Soros in April 1993 to promote the ideal of an open society in South Africa; an ideal which includes democracy, a market economy, a strong civil society, respect for minorities and tolerance for divergent opinions.  In its work the foundation will encourage new approaches and ideas which will contribute to the creating of an open society in South Africa.