The Cultures of Resistance Network is a radical-left anti-war, environmentalist, and social change organization funded by activist Iara Lee and her deceased husband George Gund III under the name Caipirinha Foundation. The Network’s interests vary from opposing international logging to the morality of joining the U.S. military. ¹

A number of recipients of Cultures of Resistance Network funding support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement to delegitimize the state of Israel, most prominently Code Pink. ²

Mission

The Cultures of Resistance Network funds anti-war, left-of-center social change groups, including environmentalist, gun control, and local-policy organizations. ³ The Culture of Resistance Network has funded dozens of organizations throughout its history. At least 10 of its projects support Palestinians in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ⁴

The Network’s funding supports groups in five areas. ³ Urgent Action funding goes to causes which the Network views as those which must be solved immediately. Funding goes to a number of human rights groups and causes, as well as two which are anti-Israel and climate change alarmism. ⁵

Education Not War funds educational programs in conflict-ravaged nations such as Afghanistan and Pakistan and advocates for the end of child soldiers. ⁶

The Human Rights Not War initiative supports the Palestinians over Israel and funds climate change alarmism. It also supports indigenous people with a variety of educational and advocacy methods, and highlighted veterans who question the morality of joining the U.S. military. ^{7 9}

Make Art Not War uses art to raise awareness of poverty and war issues in a number of nations. Several Network-funded projects support Palestinians against Israel. ¹⁰

Related Projects

Iara Lee is Cultures of Resistance Network’s founder and primary funder. In this role, she also uses Network resources to assist with other projects. Dozens of groups have received direct funding from Lee due to Network staff and advisors’ research and recommendations. Like the Network’s financial support, many of the projects support human rights, while others are radical left-of-center climate change and culture initiatives. ¹¹

Lee also continues her film work, making short and full-length documentaries of a variety of public policy and cultural issues internationally. ¹² Many of her films have featured the “Freedom Flotilla,” a radical pro-Palestinian group which has tried to run an Israeli blockade of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. A 2010 incident led to the deaths of nine activists at the hands of Israeli military. ¹³

Leadership

Iara Lee was married to hockey, film, and environmental enthusiast George Gund III until his death in 2013. ¹⁴ She has spent decades in the film industry, and supports left-leaning human rights groups like Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders, as well as the radical environmental group Greenpeace. ¹⁵

Lee and Gund co-founded the Cultures of Resistance Network as well as a Cleveland, Ohio philanthropic foundation which bears his name. ¹⁶ Lee remains the Network’s primary funder, with annual donations providing the Network’s revenues. ¹⁷ She is most known for her videos of the Gaza Flotilla incident from 2010 and her six-year Cultures of Resistance documentary which examined resistance movements in several countries. ¹⁸

Funding

The Cultures of Resistance Network has no staff. Almost all of its funding goes to grants. ¹⁹ Its revenues are typically between $200,000 and $400,000 in a given year, though sales of assets boosted revenues in 2011 and 2012 to almost $860,000 and over $1.4 million, respectively. ¹⁷ Lee donated $700,000 in 2018. Approximately $70,000 of that went to the radical anti-war group Code Pink. ²

1. Cultures of Resistance Network, Main Page. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://culturesofresistance.org/
2. ProPublica, Cultures of Resistance Network Foundation, 2018 990-PF. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/203587464/08_2019_prefixes_20-20%2F203587464_201812_990PF_2019080916556448
3. Cultures of Resistance Network, About Us. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://culturesofresistance.org/about
4. Cultures of Resistance Network, Groups We Support. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://culturesofresistance.org/groups-we-support
5. Cultures of Resistance Network, Urgent Action. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://culturesofresistance.org/project-area/urgent
6. Cultures of Resistance Network, Education Not War. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://culturesofresistance.org/project-area/education
7. Cultures of Resistance Network, Human Rights Not War. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://culturesofresistance.org/project-area/humanrights

9. Sustainability Not War focuses on funding climate alarmism, reforestation, animal rights, and food issues. It supports “Fair Trade” policies. ⁸ Cultures of Resistance Network, Sustainability Not War. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://culturesofresistance.org/project-area/sustainability

10. Cultures of Resistance Network, Make Art Not War. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://culturesofresistance.org/project-area/arts
11. Cultures of Resistance Network, Allied Projects. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://culturesofresistance.org/allied-projects
12. ultures of Resistance Films, Filmography. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://culturesofresistancefilms.com/filmography#k2-invisible-footmen
13. BBC News, “Mavi Marmara: Why did Israel stop the Gaza flotilla?,” June 27, 2016. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/10203726
14. [1] Yardley, William, “George Gund III, Owner of Sports Teams, Dies at 75,” January 21, 2013. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/21/sports/hockey/george-gund-iii-owner-of-sports-teams-dies-at-75.html
15. Cultures of Resistance Network, “Director Iara Lee,” Accessed February 07, 2020. https://culturesofresistance.org/iara-lee
16. The George Gund Foundation, Awarded Grants. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://gundfoundation.org/grantmaking/awarded-grants/
17. ProPublica, Cultures of Resistance Network Foundation, 2011-2015 990-PFs. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/203587464
18. Hallinan, Conn, “Review: Iara Lee’s ‘Cultures of Resistance,’” July 25, 2012. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://intpolicydigest.org/2012/07/25/review-iara-lee-s-cultures-of-resistance/
19. [1] ProPublica, Cultures of Resistance Network Foundation, 2011-2015 990-PFs. Accessed February 07, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/203587464