Elie Wiesel Foundation Awards Grants to Support Uyghur Rights

Jewish World Watch, the World Uyghur Congress, and the Uyghur Human Rights Project receive funding to support Uyghur Rights globally

By Uyghur Times

July 12, 2023 

According to Jewish World Watch, World Uyghur Congress, Uyghur Human Rights Project, and Jewish World Watch (JWW), a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization, have been awarded a share of a half-million-dollar grant from the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. This grant, aimed at supporting organizations aligned with Elie Wiesel’s legacy, will aid JWW in its advocacy for the Uyghur community, alongside the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP).

The grant recognizes JWW’s efforts to restore the rights and dignity of the Uyghur population, which has faced immense persecution in recent years. 

Elisha Wiesel, Chairman of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, expressed the importance of supporting advocates working diligently to protect the Uyghur community. The Activist Portfolio Grantees, including JWW, WUC, and UHRP, are committed to raising awareness, shifting policies, and fighting for human rights for all people.

“Our inaugural activist portfolio grants are specifically aimed at supporting advocates who are diligently working to restore the rights and dignity of the Uyghur population.” He added, “Elie Wiesel’s legacy represents resilience, optimism, and the responsibility we all share to strive for a world without genocide,” He said.

Serena Oberstein, Executive Director of Jewish World Watch, expressed gratitude for the partnership with the Elie Wiesel Foundation. Serena Oberstein, the executive director of JWW, expressed her gratitude for being among the first recipients of a grant from the Elie Wiesel Foundation. She stated, “We are honored to be recognized by the foundation and to receive their support.” The grant will empower JWW to continue making a global impact and promoting a world without mass atrocities.

As a direct outcome of this grant, JWW, WUC, and UHRP will collaborate to organize a conference in New York this winter. The conference will focus on the international response to the Uyghur genocide, fostering collaboration among Uyghur activists and allies. The event aims to energize ongoing Uyghur activism, engage the Jewish community, and mobilize citizens of conscience. Additionally, WUC, UHRP, and JWW will host digital forums to provide global stakeholders with opportunities for activism and advocacy.

the World Uyghur Congress also will be organizing the “International Uyghur Forum: Global Parliamentarian Convention” which will be held on October 30-31, 2023, at the National Diet of Japan (House of Representatives Building). The conference is organized by the Japan Uyghur Parliamentary League, the Parliamentary League for Investigating and Taking Action on Human Rights Violations by China, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), the Japan Uyghur Association ( JUA) and Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC). It aims to bring together parliamentarians from various countries who are working on the Uyghur Genocide and supporting Uyghurs worldwide.

Omer Kanat, Executive Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, said, “The December conference will serve as a powerful demonstration of solidarity and our unwavering commitment to the principle of ‘never again’. We will also use this platform to call for further action against the ongoing genocide.”

This conference comes at a crucial time, when solidarity building is timely,” said Dolkun Isa, President of World Uyghur Congress. “It is our collective moral and legal obligation to end the ongoing Uyghur genocide.”

The collaboration among JWW, WUC, UHRP, and the Elie Wiesel Foundation reflects the dedication and determination of these organizations to bring attention to the plight of the Uyghur community and work towards a future free from genocide and mass atrocities.