Here is a sampling of grants made in this area: Establishing Links with China:  Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – Beijing Center With the help of a $1,000,000 grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace will establish the first independent international think tank in China. The Carnegie Endowment’s Beijing center will conduct and disseminate research in collaboration with Chinese institutions.  The goal of the China Program is to facilitate China’s integration into the international system through assessments of China’s politics, economy, and military capabilities; clarification of the differences between U.S. and Chinese interests, and the provision of counsel to both governments.  The program seeks to enhance bilateral relations and improve the prospects of U.S.-Chinese cooperation through high-quality research and working partnerships with policy-oriented institutions in China. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, headquartered in Washington, DC, is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the United States. Working to Prevent Global Conflict:  International Crisis Group The International Crisis Group, an independent, non-governmental organization, seeks to strengthen the international community’s capacity to anticipate and prevent deadly conflict around the world.  More than 110 staff members on five continents conduct intensive field research and analysis of specific conflicts and develop detailed policy prescriptions to address them. The International Crisis Group was the first international organization to expose the violence in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, and it has played a major role in bringing the humanitarian crisis to the public’s attention.  Other countries where the Crisis Group is closely monitoring conflicts include Iraq, Afghanistan, the Congo, Colombia and Nepal.  The organization publishes regular reports and briefings as well as the monthly bulletin, CrisisWatch, designed to provide members of the policy and business community, the media, and the general public with a succinct, regular update on the state of all the most significant situations of conflict or potential conflict around the world. Promoting Cooperation Between Israelis and Palestinians:  The PeaceWorks Foundation – OneVoice Initiative A grant to the PeaceWorks Foundation supports its OneVoice Initiative, a grassroots movement to engage Israeli and Palestinian citizens in dialogue about the Middle East conflict.  The initiative educates citizens about the prospects for conflict resolution, cuts through destructive stereotyping, and helps participants reach consensus.  In particular, OneVoice aims to engage youth, ages 18-28. OneVoice has already trained more than 130,000 “citizen negotiators” and collaborated with over 40 Israeli and Palestinian NGOs.       Supporters of the OneVoice Initiative include a broad spectrum of dignitaries across all political lines, including Ambassador Dennis Ross, James Zogby, global religious authorities including the UK Chief Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Sacks and the Chief Palestinian Islamic Justice Sheikh Taysir al Tamimi, and celebrities like Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman, Jason Alexander and boxing champion and humanitarian Muhammad Ali. Increasing Awareness of California Budget Issues:  The San Francisco Foundation The San Francisco Foundation, a regional community foundation serving the Bay Area, is spearheading a project to provide support for grassroots organizations in California seeking to increase awareness and transparency about the California state budget and to mobilize local communities for budget reform.  The project involves meetings of statewide policy research groups and grassroots organizers interested in fiscal and budgetary policy education in California as well as an effort to engage the public and community groups about state budget issues and build relationships with policymakers. Ensuring Education Access for All Americans:  Southern Education Foundation, Inc. The Southern Education Foundation, Inc., based in Atlanta, GA, is working on a project to examine the possibility of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to improve education quality and access for all Americans.  Providing public education in the U.S. is largely the responsibility of state and local governments, and the quality of education varies tremendously from state to state.  This project will help sponsor research on the role of federalism in education, state constitutional educational amendments, school finance, student demographics and public opinion on education issues.  Whether or not a constitutional amendment is practical, the Southern Education Foundation seeks to increase public awareness of and governmental responsiveness to the need to improve education access and quality across the country.