Washington, Jan 6 :The United States’ highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, was awarded to 19 individuals this year, representing various fields including politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and science.

Among the honorees was George Soros, renowned investor and founder of the Open Society Foundations. He was recognized for his worldwide efforts to “strengthen democracy, human rights, education, and social justice,” as stated in an official release from the White House.

A Lifelong Mission to Foster Open Societies and Global Justice

George Soros began his philanthropic journey in 1979 by providing scholarships to Black South Africans during apartheid. In the 1980s, he advanced the free exchange of ideas in Communist Hungary, funding academic exchanges with the West and supporting emerging independent cultural initiatives. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, Soros established Central European University to nurture critical thinking, a concept largely unfamiliar to universities in the post-Communist bloc.

As the Cold War ended, Soros expanded his philanthropy globally, directing his efforts toward Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the United States. His initiatives aimed to build accountable, transparent, and democratic societies. He was an early and outspoken critic of the war on drugs, describing it as “arguably more harmful than the drug problem itself,” and played a pivotal role in launching America’s medical marijuana movement. By the early 2000s, he was a prominent supporter of same-sex marriage.

Throughout his life, Soros’s philanthropic endeavors have remained deeply rooted in his commitment to the principles of an open society, adapting to address evolving challenges while staying true to his core values.