Knowledge, Creativity and Freedom

Knowledge and creativity are central to the richness of people's lives and to the progress of societies. As change in our communities becomes more constant and as ideas, technologies and people move more rapidly within and among countries, there is a profound desire to better understand the world, to connect more deeply with others, to come to terms with multiple and conflicting values and to find more meaningful ways to participate fully as citizens.

Growing Demand for Knowledge
This helps explain why the demand for education and knowledge, creative expression, and freedom of conscience has never been greater. It also indicates why the demand for access to media—already greater than ever—continues to grow throughout the world. These demands are increasing in all societies, whether long-standing democracies, nations in transition or repressive societies. Our Knowledge, Creativity and Freedom program supports this search for meaning and understanding in a fluid and interdependent, yet deeply unequal, world.

We work to support the perpetual human search for knowledge, meaning and understanding. Our work recognizes that traditions worldwide possess cultural and intellectual resources that broaden the vision of what it means to be human and offer wisdom that elevates what people believe they can achieve. To advance these goals, the program supports:

• Celebrating and understanding human diversity
• Civic engagement of creative talents
• Continued advancement of marginalized peoples
• Increased understanding of languages and cultures
• Access to opportunities in education, media and the arts

Our work in Knowledge, Creativity and Freedom is organized into two units.

• Education, Sexuality and Religion: Our work in this area supports education research and reform in grades K-12 and in university systems, as well as graduate fellowships and research in the social sciences and humanities. Our work on sexuality aims to build knowledge and deepen understanding of sexuality and its relationship to human fulfillment and identity. We also fund efforts to examine the role of religion in shaping social values and how religious practices and texts can contribute in positive ways to creating open and pluralistic societies.
  
  Fields
  

  Education and Scholarship
  Religion, Society and Culture
  Sexuality and Reproductive Health

  
  

• Media, Arts and Culture: We support the development of media, information and technology resources to advance human achievement and understanding. Our grants focus on infrastructure and access issues, as well as on independent production in print, film, radio and Web-based media. We seek to foster new artistic talent, strengthen arts institutions, develop cultural knowledge and resources, and encourage contributions of artists to the quality of civic life. We also assist projects that advance the understanding of cultural identity and community.
  
  Fields
  

  Arts and Culture
  Media