The roots of our organization can be traced back to the former association Oghouz, a structure that brought together all Uyghur students in France. For a long time, it focused on presenting and promoting Uyghur culture within the academic sphere. In 2019, in response to the urgency of the situation caused by the Uyghur genocide, we decided to create the European Uyghur Institute (IODE). This transformation was driven by the desire to represent and defend the Uyghur community as a whole, not only in France but also across the rest of Europe and in the Uyghur region/East Turkestan. At the IODE, we adopt a modern, secular, feminist, and decolonial approach to all our actions. Nowadays, our work is structured around three main pillars.
Defending the rights of the Uyghur community
The defense of Uyghur rights in the face of the ongoing genocide operates on several fronts. Raising awareness about the Uyghur issue and mobilizing both the French and the European youth is a crucial part of our work (which includes publications, conferences, online events, demonstrations, public outreach, and more).
In parallel, we pursue legal actions such against, for example, Uyghur forced labour in the textile industry and the harassment of Uyghurs in the diaspora. Our work also includes defending Uyghur women’s rights in Europe.
A fundamental part of our work is to ensure that information about the Uyghur situation is accessible to the Francophone readership. This is why we regularly translate academic articles and news from English to French. Making information available to a wider audience helps advance advocacy for the Uyghur people and creates opportunities for people to get involved and support the Uyghur cause.
Preservation of Uyghur language and culture
Concerned with preserving Uyghur language and culture, our organization manages the Uyghur School of Paris. Weekly language, culture, and civilisation courses are offered to Uyghur children residing in the Île-de-France region. Uyghur music and dance are also a crucial element of this culture and preserving these ancient art forms is a key part of our mission. We regularly organize musique and dance classes, as well as the occasional workshop.
Finally, we periodically publish a bilingual and biannual journal titled A Glance at the Uyghurs (Regard sur les Ouïghour·e·s), which offers both a unique and diverse perspectives on the current state of Uyghur culture. Additionally, we co-organize the yearly International Uyghur Studies conference in partnership with various European universities, as well as seminars dedicated to Francophone Uyghur studies.
Participating in maintaining the connection of diaspora members with their roots and preserving Uyghur identity is essential to us. The cultural and academic events that we organize are invaluable for helping the community to come together and strengthen the sense of belonging to a shared culture.
Supporting the integration of the Uyghur diaspora in Europe
Our institute offers administrative support as well as translation and interpretation services. Since administrative procedures can often be complex and time-consuming, we are committed to helping members of the diaspora with residency permit renewal processes, political asylum applications, or naturalization requests, and more. We also offer French as a Foreign Language (FLE) classes for Uyghur adults to aid their integration into French society. Our institute is now the intermediate structure that exists between the diaspora and French administrative authorities.
Our activities also include supporting Uyghur students across Europe with their academic and professional progression. Finally, we organize psychological support workshops for members of the French diaspora to help them cope with the trauma caused by displacement and the ongoing genocide.
The above-mentioned are the different means through which the IODE carries out its mission on a daily basis. The core of our mission is the preservation, promotion, and defense of the Uyghur community in France and in Europe.