Press Release – For Immediate Release
31 March 2022
Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
0049 (0) 89 5432 1999 or [email protected]

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has successfully concluded its capacity-building training program for youth activists, in Bursa, Turkey, from March 25 – 27, 2022.

Over 40 Uyghur youth activists from Central Asia, Europe and Turkey travelled to Bursa, Turkey and 7 others joined virtually to learn about conducting successful and effective advocacy in local and international settings. The workshop provided young Uyghur activists with the skills, resources and tools to facilitate their engagement with different stakeholders in an effective and sustainable way.

On March 25, the WUC with the City of Bursa jointly organised a welcome dinner reception for the participants. The reception was attended by the WUC delegates and representatives in Turkey, Turkish politicians, scholars and the media. 

During the two-day workshop, participants learned from WUC Vice-President Perhat Muhammet about the history of the Uyghur movement and the founding core principles of the WUC and the role it has played in advancing the Uyghur cause. It was then followed by a session on the colonial history of East Turkistan and its significance and impact on the current Uyghur genocide, presented by Dr. Erkin Ekrem. This was followed by a session on the Theory of the Case, which helped participants to build a narrative and react to a counter-narrative. The remaining sessions provided the participants with the knowledge and resources to build a campaign and run it successfully and strategically. 

Prominent community leaders, scholars, and human rights activists gave presentations to recognize, address and mitigate the risks and challenges related to human rights advocacy, especially with hostile states, such as China. The speakers included Luke De Pulford, Rahima Mahmut, Mia Hasenson-Gross, Lucia Parruci, Dr. Erdem Özdemir and Zumretay Arkin. 

The workshop ended with highlighting best practices in international advocacy and coalition-building efforts that can lead to tangible results. 

The WUC sincerely thanks the participants of our capacity building training, the speakers who shared their experiences and tools to carry out effective advocacy with the Uyghur youth, the city of Bursa for assisting, and all those who supported the WUC to organise this training in Bursa.

As the Uyghur genocide is unfolding and the Chinese government’s repressive policies reach every element of Uyghur society, we must be equipped with the necessary tools and resources to bring concrete solutions to end this genocide.