The Central European University, image from their website
Last week the Central European University in Budapest announced it would partially relocate to Vienna given the Hungarian government’s unyielding hostility to civil society and academic freedom. Around the world, civil society including academics, journalists and philanthropists, courageously pursue their mission, often at great personal cost.
We are a group of leaders of private philanthropic foundations committed to strong and vibrant civil society. A healthy, functioning democracy depends on it.
We condemn the violence directed to civil society activists globally. We deplore the growing climate of fear and intolerance in which civil society is publicly demonized, physically threatened and administratively shut down.
We stand side by side with our civil society peers.
Civil society is an essential pillar of democracy. Without it, our democracy is diminished.
We are proud to support it. We stand ready to defend it.
Signatories:
1. Max von Abendroth, Executive Director, Donors and Foundations Networks in Europe DAFNE, EU
2. Dr. Knut Olav Åmås, Executive Director, The Fritt Ord Foundation, Norway
3. Antti Arjava, Secretary General, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Finland
4. Andre Betting, Executive Director, Van Leer Group Foundation, the Netherlands
5. Göran Blomquist, Executive Director, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, Sweden
6. Sanne ten Bokkel Huinink, Director, Fonds 1818, the Netherlands
7. James Chen, Chair, the Chen Yet-Sen Family Foundation, Hong-Kong
8. Kathleen Cravero, President, Oak Foundation, Switzerland
9. Dr. Lothar Dittmer, Chairman of the Executive Board, Körber-Stiftung, Germany
10. Adriana Esmeijer, Director, Prince Bernhard Cultural Foundation, the Netherlands
11. Michael Feigelson, Executive Director, Bernard Van Leer Foundation, the Netherlands
12. Rosa Gallego, Executive Director, Spanish Association of Foundations, Spain
13. Carrillo Gantner AO, Chairman, Sidney Myer Fund, Australia
14. Carl Gershman, President, National Endowment of Democracy, USA
15. Prof. dr. Michael Göring, Zeit Foundation, Germany
16. Sandro Giuliani, Managing Director, Jacobs Foundation, Switzerland
17. Stephen Heintz, President, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, USA
18. Mall Hellam, Executive Director, Open Estonia Foundation, Estonia
19. Jenny Hodgson, Executive Director, Global Fund for Community Foundations, South Africa
20. Dr. Wilhelm Krull, Secretary General, Volkswagen Foundation, Germany
21. Massimo Lappuci, General Secretary Fondazione CRT, Italy
22. Peter Laugharn, President and CE, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, USA
23. Sara Llewellin, Chief Executive, Barrow Cadbury Trust, United Kingdom
24. Bharat Mehta CBE,Chief Executive,Trust for London, United Kingdom
25. Benoît Miribel, General Director, Fondation Merieux, France
26. Ieva Morica, Executive director, Foundation for an Open Society DOTS, Latvia
27. Isabel Mota, President, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Portugal
28. Anke Pätsch, Association of German Foundations, Germany
29. Joanna Luberadzka-Gruza, President, Polish Donors Forum, Poland
30. Hilary Pennington, Executive Vice-President of Programs, Ford Foundation, USA
31. Nick Perks, Trust Secretary, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, United Kingdom
32. Sigrid Rausing, President, Sigrid Rausing Trust, United Kingdom
33. Ebrima Sall, Executive Director, TrustAfrica, Senegal
34. Dr. Gerry Salole, CEO, European Foundation Center, Belgium
35. Göran Sandberg, Executive Director, Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse, Sweden
36. Teresa Sanjurjo, Director, The Princess of Asturias Foundation, Spain
37. Prof. Dr. Andreas Schlüter, Secretary General, Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, Germany
38. Michael Schwarz, Executive Director, Mercator Foundation, Germany
39. Moira Sinclair, Chief Executive, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, United Kingdom
40. Aleksander Smolar, President, Stefan Batory Foundation, Poland
41. Dr. Rupert Graf Strachwitz, Executive Director, Maecenata Foundation, Germany
42. Luc Tayart de Borms, Managing Director, King Bauduoin Foundation, Belgium
43. Roxana Vitan, President, Romanian-American Foundation, Romania
44. Mr. Dimitris Vlastos, The Bodossaki Foundation, Greece
45. Katherine Watson, Executive Director, European Cultural Foundation, the Netherlands