Uyghur Projects Foundation

With limited access to Xinjiang and strict travel limitations instituted by the Chinese government, it is very difficult for outsiders to get aid directly to Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Many organizations are advocating on the behalf of Uyghur’s in Western countries, but it seems that the entire world is willing to turn their back on the Uyghur people because of the threat of Chinese economic and political sanction.

The Uyghur diaspora provides hope in preserving an ancient people and culture. In the same way that the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan diaspora in Dharamsala have preserved Tibetan Buddhism, Uyghur communities around the world now work to save their own culture and history. The Uyghur Projects Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3), is a Uyghur charity that works to support Uyghurs in exile.

The Uyghur Projects Foundation supports the activities of the Uyghur communities outside China that:

  • Get the voices of the voiceless Uyghurs heard among the world-wide communities.

  • Stimulate intergenerational transmission of traditional Uyghur music, dance and handcraft techniques to ensure the sustainability of Uyghur heritage, using means such as the Annual Uyghur Cultural Festival.

  • Create community-based art programs to educate younger generations about their cultural identity, thus supporting Uyghur artists in the field of Music, Dance, Poetry and Visual Arts.

  • Help develop new ways of preserving traditional Uyghur medicine.

  • Teach Uyghur language, culture and customs to the young Uyghur generations living abroad, using means such as Summer Student Program.

  • Build and maintain an Uyghur information online database to preserve Uyghur literature, Uyghur music, Uyghur songs, Uyghur dance videos and e-books on Uyghur history and culture.

The Uyghur NextGen Project was proud to partner with them last year in support of the international Uyghur community.