End of year review – towards a brighter future.

FYF executive director Pari Ibrahim advocated for genocide recognition at a closed meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York, co-chaired by Spain and the United States

Dear friends,

The 2015 year has brought enormous challenges and some important opportunities. The Free Yezidi Foundation continues to mourn for the loss of Yezidi civilians and pray for the safe return of the thousands still suffering and held by terrorists. In some ways, this has left Yezidi activists powerless. On the other hand, FYF and other Yezidi-led organisations have worked tirelessly for advocacy and for justice on the behalf of victims and survivors.

In the last several months, I was honoured to speak at the House of Lords in London, at a UN General Assembly side event in New York, and at the UN Security Council. We visited key advisors of the UN Secretary General in New York and the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC in the Hague. During this time of difficulty, Yezidis need the international community to help on issues of justice, recovery, and security. We seek assistance from governments, but we also ask citizens around the world to stand with us and share our message.

Of equal importance, the Free Yezidi Foundation has been able to deliver on the ground. I am so proud that our Foundation employs Yezidis to help our survivors recover and rebuild the Yezidi community. Our women’s center and children’s center are immensely popular, and in fact we have had to turn back many women and children because the needs are far greater than our current capacity. Further, FYF is part of a joint project to deliver post-trauma training to local practitioners in Kurdistan – of great importance now and in the future.

In this regard, I ask our friends to donate to FYF and help us to continue delivering urgently needed services throughout 2016. Please visit our website to learn more about our recent activities. On 18 December, Yezidis celebrated the Ida Ezid holiday, hoping for recovery and a brighter future. I would like to wish everyone happy holidays and a peaceful New Year, and we thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide.

Thank you for supporting the Free Yezidi Foundation.

Pari Ibrahim

Executive Director
Free Yezidi Foundation

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