The organization said its new approach will not only support human rights through funding but also through working side by side with human rights groups.
The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity (EWF) announced last week that it plans to launch a new philanthropic strategy to promote human rights across the globe.
The organization said its new approach, which it calls a “hybrid approach,” will not only support human rights through funding but also through working side by side with human rights groups.
Furthermore, EWF’s revamped grantmaking program will provide funding to educators who the group believes embody the legacy of Holocaust survivor, writer and human rights activist Elie Wiesel and to educational programs “inspired by Jewish Values,” the group said, adding that “The Foundation is seeking to support programs and projects that foster dialogue, especially in engaging ways.”
Additionally, EWF plans to promote “programs that restore the rights and dignity of the Uyghur population” with activist grants. The foundation said it will award at least one grant, worth between $50,000 and $200,000, in each portfolio in 2022
“The values my father stood for – combatting indifference, educating youth, calling out injustice, and defending human rights – continue to be the moral bedrock of the Elie Wiesel Foundation,” said Elisha Wiesel, co-chair of EWF. “We are so excited to announce our new grantmaking program to provide nonprofits that embody those values with the resources to achieve lasting impactful change.”
I think it is very appropriate that his Foundation put the fate of the Uyghur people as one of its main priorities and will be focused on delivering resources and moral support to those advocating for the Uyghurs.
Natan Sharansky, EWF Advisory Board member and human rights activist
Natan Sharansky, a human rights activist and member of the EWF Advisory Board, added: “Elie Wiesel was my dear friend and trusted partner in the fight for human rights around the world. I think it is very appropriate that his Foundation put the fate of the Uyghur people as one of its main priorities and will be focused on delivering resources and moral support to those advocating for the Uyghurs. The free world cannot stay silent about China’s horrific persecution of its Uyghur minority. I know firsthand the power of outside support to those standing bravely against totalitarian regimes. That is why I am glad to serve as an Advisory Board member at the Elie Wiesel Foundation, dealing with this issue.”