Support the Uyghur Wellness Initiative
Since the late 1980s there has been a steady stream of Uyghurs who have immigrated from China to the US, Canada, Western Europe, and Australia. Like most immigrant communities they have maintained close contacts with their kinship networks back home. In the Spring of 2017 the Uyghur diaspora began to notice their relatives in China asking to limit their phone and texting communication, and, finally, stop altogether.
A recent CNN article states, “The Chinese government's alleged actions in Xinjiang have violated every single provision in the United Nations' Genocide Convention, according to an independent report by more than 50 global experts in international law, genocide, and the China region.
The report, released in March by the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy think tank in Washington DC, claimed the Chinese government "bears state responsibility for an ongoing genocide against the Uyghur in breach of the (UN) Genocide Convention."
What has taken the world four long years to finally call genocide has been experienced as a human tragedy every single day in the homes of North American diaspora Uyghurs. Their anguish over the treatment of their loved ones back home manifests as depression, anger, chronic exhaustion, a withdrawal from loved ones, and a general feeling of hopelessness - all signs of secondary trauma.
In 2020 a group of concerned human rights and mental health activists came together and began to think how to serve the Uyghur families and individuals suffering because of the unknown status of their loved ones in China. That’s why we’ve formed the Uyghur Wellness Initiative (UWI), developed training materials, and recruited mental wellness professionals to volunteer their time to see Uyghur clients.
Your donation will support project management and administration costs for this growing initiative.
CREATE YOUR OWN CROWDFUNDING TEAM TO SUPPORT THE UYGHUR WELLNESS INITIATIVE
“She [my counselor] makes time for me, listens to me, and sends me resources. It helps a lot…” - Rena
“It’s been very helpful, my counselor gives me good suggestions. He has helped me set up goals like exercise, not to overschedule myself, and finding someone to be accountable to. When we first started I never believed I could have made such progress.” - Envar
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