LOS ANGELES – Jewish World Watch (JWW), the Los Angeles-based nonprofit committed to bringing help and healing to survivors of mass atrocities around the globe, is thrilled to announce that it is one of a select number of organizations throughout the country to receive a share of a half a million dollar grant from the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. The inaugural grant-making initiative aims to support organizations that reflect Elie Wiesel’s legacy as an educator, activist, journalist, student and man of faith.
JWW is joined by World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) as recipients of this year’s Activist Portfolio Grantees, selected based on their advocacy of and for the Uyghur community, at least 1.8 million of whom have been separated from their families and forced into “re-education camps” since 2017 in northwest China or East Turkestan.
“Our inaugural Activist Portfolio grants are laser-focused towards advocates working purposefully and urgently towards restoring the rights and dignity of the Uyghur population,” said Elisha Wiesel, Chairman of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity.
“We are honored to be among the first organizations to receive a grant from the Elie Wiesel Foundation,” said Serena Oberstein, Jewish World Watch Executive Director. “For those of us working at the intersection of Judaism and activism, Elie Wiesel’s legacy represents perseverance, hope, and the obligation each of us has to work for a world free of genocide. This partnership affirms JWW’s efforts to raise awareness and shift policy in the fight for human rights for all people. This grant will allow us to continue maximizing our impact worldwide to cultivate a world free of genocide and mass atrocities.”
As a direct result of the grant, this winter, JWW, WUC, and UHRP will host a conference of Uyghur activists and allies in New York to address the international response to the Uyghur genocide. The inaugural conference will foster collaboration among stakeholders, energize current efforts of Uyghur activism, and discuss new ways to activate the Jewish community and engage other citizens of conscience. Meanwhile, WUC, UHRP, and JWW will engage global stakeholders with opportunities for activism in digital forums to allow for greater advocacy.
“The opportunity to work alongside our valued allies at the Elie Wiesel Foundation and in collaboration with Jewish World Watch and World Uyghur Congress is of enormous value,” said Omer Kanat, Executive Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project. “The conference in December will be a chance to demonstrate a commitment to upholding the vow of ‘never again’ in solidarity, and to call for further action to stop 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.”
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