Osborne has pioneered methods of using music and the creative arts to support children who are victims of conflict. This approach was developed during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992–95), and since then this work has been implemented widely in the Balkan region, the Caucasus', the Middle East, East Africa, South East Asia and India. He was also awarded the Freedom Prize of the Peace Institute, Sarajevo, for his work for Bosnian children during the siege of the city. He has worked actively in many human rights initiatives, including the Workers' Defence Committee in Poland (1970–89), Citizens' Forum and the Jazz Section with Václav Havel in former Czechoslovakia (1987-1989), for Syrian refugee support organisations and directly for the Government of Bosnia-Herzegovina during the genocide. In 2012–14, Osborne served as co-Chair of the Global Agenda Committee for "Arts in Society" for the World Economic Forum.