Foundation for an Open Society DOTS

The Foundation for an Open Society DOTS (previously Soros Foundation – Latvia) fosters creation of an environment, process, and dialogue for an open society in Latvia, helping to seed ideas and conceive solutions. The Foundation DOTS unites free thinkers, innovators and enthusiasts. It is a catalyst for change, actively seeking out new ideas for cooperation and co-creation.

Foundation DOTS issue areas:

Democracy. To strengthen the quality of democracy in Latvia by supporting innovative, meaningful efforts for public involvement in social and political processes, fostering critical thinking, a culture of discussions and conversations, acceptance of a diversity of opinions and intellectual curiosity.

Social economy/ Social entrepreneurship. Quality of life, individual initiative and solidarity, equitable development. Promoting social entrepreneurship and the sharing economy, which is at the core of a sustainable economy.

Inclusive society. Fostering a sense of belonging and civic pride in all of Latvia’s inhabitants. Ethnic and linguistic diversity and the plurality of opinions is an added value for Latvia. It should not be divisive and should not be used as a convenient excuse to legitimize authoritarian tendencies.

Open society concepts are at the core of the Foundation DOTS value system, underpinning our choices about where to direct our efforts. Foundation DOTS promotes an active and diverse civil society, the rule of law, respect for minorities and vulnerable groups and their opinions. We envision a society where critical thinking, mutual respect and a strong sense of accountability are the norm in public life for average citizens and decision-makers alike.