International Webinar on “Politics of political funding and debates on open society networks in the age of neoliberalism”

Islamabad: SPEAK UP International, a civil society organization organized an international webinar on “Politics of political funding and debates on open society networks in the age of neoliberalism”. The sub-themes of the webinar were;
1.            Debating the role of Gorge Soros and the Open Society Foundation in a neoliberal context,
2.            Political funding and populism in a post-truth era
3.            Political Funding and the neoliberal order
The purpose of this webinar was to explore the implications of political funding for the democratization process at the national and local levels. The webinar also highlighted the interest of political financiers like Gorge Soros and other individuals and groups by sponsoring political campaigns in different parts of the world. International Experts from Africa, Europe and Asia highlighted the depth and breadth of politics of funding and the role of political financiers.

From Africa, Mr. Yunis Ibrahim, an international developmental expert and global activist on Sustainable Development Goals highlighted the new trends in global politics and the implications of international financiers like Gorge Soros on democratic processes in different parts of the world. He mentioned that there are different global protests against Gorge Soros and Open Society Foundation activities that are funding the political actors for their own benefits and interest.

He pointed out the recent protest in front of the Hungarian National Assembly in Budapest as well as in the USA etc. Mr. Yunis while referring to the involvement of Soros in supporting Armenia against Azerbaijan said that the cash support by the open society foundation with the name of COVID-19 assistance was unjustified and against the international norms as well as the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

From Europe, Mr. Rosmel Rodriguez, a Ph. D Scholar, European Union Political Analyst and Ambassador of the European Climate Pact, and President of the European Committee of Global Peace highlighted the colorful objectives of the Open Society Foundation funded by George Soros, which are being presented in an excellent manner to suppress the communities and people around the world. This is a political tactic of implementing oppression against common people through fancy slogans of democratization. His Excellency Mr. Rosmel suggested some alternative solutions to meet such challenges by bringing a balance between local, national, and global contexts for achieving sustainable development and bringing real positive social change.

Dr. Shakeel, a well-known global political strategist, and academician from Asia, highlighted the non-compatibility of political funding with the ideals of democratization, human rights, and establishing an open society. He highlighted that political funding and said that political expenses increased rapidly in the 21st century all around the world but this increased funding and democratization have irreversible relationships with each other.

Dr. Shakeel also highlighted that funding bodies have their own interests which in many cases contradict public interests. The incompatibility causes political unrest and crises which lead to political instability in many parts of the world like the recent protest in the USA by Trump against Soros and others.

George Soros’s Funding and mission of the Open Society Foundation need comprehensive auditing in terms of their set objectives and outcomes. How many countries are there where international funders achieve the ideals of democracy? No one so far-he added.

In closing remarks, Mr. Yunis Ibrahim said that international political financiers are a threat to national and local politics. He mentioned that Russia and Azerbaijan have already banned the Open Society Foundation’s activities in their territorial jurisdictions. The webinar ended with a questions/answers session. Ms. Mahnoor Hussain, an international youth activist, and policy analyst hosted this international webinar.