A note from members of NUR's Board of Directors, Ajinur Setiwaldi and Kawsar Yasin

Like many organizations in the Uyghur diaspora, NUR envisions a democratic East Turkistan where people enjoy human rights, freedom, and self-determination. At NUR, we believe democratic principles should also guide how we organize, collaborate, and make decisions in the diaspora today.

The strength and legitimacy of a movement derives from the individuals and organizations working within it, and more importantly, from the participation of the communities they seek to serve and represent. NUR is committed to working with Uyghur communities, and with those whose struggles intersect with our own, to build a more sustainable movement through shared knowledge and skills, collective decision-making, and diffused leadership.

These are our commitments:

• To use our expertise and resources to increase knowledge-sharing and collective capacity. A movement’s resilience depends on sharing knowledge, skills, and decision-making among its people, and the Uyghur diaspora possesses enormous knowledge, rich experience, and incredible talent. Our challenge is to create opportunities for individuals and groups to contribute these important resources to our collective cause. Knowledge and skills are sources of power, and when we share them across our communities and strengthen the capacity of individuals and organizations to use them effectively, we build a more resilient and sustainable movement.

• To uphold community ownership of knowledge. Who produces and wields knowledge matters as much as the knowledge produced. Too often, communities impacted by repression are engaged primarily as sources of information rather than researchers, experts, and decisionmakers. NUR seeks to build and strengthen the representation of Uyghur knowledge and interests within international human rights spaces where Uyghur voices have been largely absent. NUR envisions a model of community-produced, participatory research that places greater ownership of knowledge in the hands of the people whose experiences are being documented. Meaningful participation requires opportunities for Uyghurs to shape research priorities, develop Uyghur-centered methodologies, interpret findings, and determine how the knowledge produced informs advocacy and policy. Through NUR’s fellowship program, collaborative projects, youth-led research initiatives, and other opportunities for participation, we seek to build capacity for Uyghurs to produce, own, and use knowledge about our communities, and to be recognized as experts in the spaces where that knowledge matters.

• To build relationships rooted in mutual respect, collaboration, and meaningful participation. Democracy is inherently collective. It requires us to engage with a range of perspectives, negotiate differences, and work towards common goals. While the experiences of East Turkistan communities are distinct, they are interconnected with those of Tibetan, Mongolian, Han and other communities across the globe confronting similar threats to their rights and freedoms. Collaborative research provides opportunities to explore common challenges while respecting distinct experiences and priorities of each community. Cultural exchanges promote better understanding and solidarity, and coordinated advocacy amplifies our shared messages. These partnerships allow us to practice democracy through dialogue, cooperation, and consensus-building to strengthen our movements.

• To practice transparency, accountability, and shared power. Practicing democracy requires a willingness to share power, build consensus, and remain accountable to our communities, and critically examine our own organizational practices. NUR seeks to cultivate an open research and advocacy environment where different perspectives are welcomed, constructive dialogue is encouraged and decisions are made through active consultation and other transparent, participatory processes. These practices stand in stark contrast to the secrecy, intimidation and silencing tactics of transnational repression. Repression seeks to isolate people, restrict information, and undermine collective action. Transparency and accountability build trust and strengthen legitimacy. Greater representation, with increased diffusion of expertise and broader participation, makes our movement more resilient to the Chinese government’s efforts to undermine it through targeting of a few organizations or individuals.

Our vision and commitment is to a movement where knowledge is shared, expertise is cultivated, and leadership is developed across our community. Our challenge is to help create the conditions and opportunities for more individuals and organizations to meaningfully participate in research and advocacy so together we build a movement that belongs to all of us.