Between the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, climate change, and the rising cost of living, we are facing multiple once-in-a-generation crises at the same time. But while politicians may be tempted to be cautious, a new poll commissioned by the Open Society Foundations finds that people are still inclined toward solidarity and looking for bolder action.

The survey, which comes ahead of this month’s 77th UN General Assembly, emphasizes the need for “concerted and ambitious responses” from world leaders, according to Open Society President Mark Malloch-Brown. “In difficult times, we tend to focus on what divides us. But this poll shows a common sense of the nexus of crises engulfing the world; we are more united than we think.”
 
The survey, carried out in July by Datapraxis, YouGov, and local providers for the Open Society Foundations, is one of the most ambitious surveys of its kind since Russia launched its full-scale assault on Ukraine six months ago. It covered more than 21,000 people around the world—with more than two-thirds of its respondents living in Africa, Latin and North America, the Middle East, and Asia.

Charting Ukraine’s Future

Rebuilding Ukraine is about more than roads and buildings. For civil society organizations, it is investing in the dream of an inclusive, transparent, and accountable democracy. Over 100 Ukrainian civil society organizations, including the International Renaissance Foundation in Ukraine, have signed a blueprint of what that recovery could look like. And while the challenges are immense, civil society will be critical partners and leaders in the path forward.

I Left My Heart in Afghanistan

Gaisu Yari is one of the thousands of Afghans that were forced to flee when the country fell to the Taliban last year. After reaching safety, she started building a network of other refugees and recording their stories. This effort to connect with fellow members of the Afghan diaspora has transformed into Afghan Voices of Hope, a storytelling project that is capturing not only the pain of leaving home but also the dreams that are still alive.