September 23, 2026
Event begins at 6:00 PM, Doors open at 5:30 PM
The mass internment of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region has been described by many nations as crimes against humanity, if not genocide. What began as a significant human rights concern has also become a trade and commercial one: Xinjiang is a major global source of raw materials and components that are used in products worldwide. With the passage of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in 2021, U.S. importers now face a legal presumption that goods with ties to the region are made with forced labor. Supply chain due diligence now sits at the intersection of human rights, national security, and everyday business practice.
CCWA is honored to be joined by Nury Turkel, one of the world’s leading voices on Uyghur human rights, to discuss the crisis in Xinjiang and its implications for the global economy. How did a regional campaign of repression become embedded in international supply chains? What leverage do companies, consumers, and governments have to pressure China into reforms?
Nury Turkel is an attorney, author, and human rights advocate, and the first U.S.-educated Uyghur-American lawyer. Born in a re-education camp during China’s Cultural Revolution, he came to the United States in 1995 and was later granted asylum. He co-founded the Uyghur Human Rights Project, and served as a Commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom from 2020 to 2024, including as Chair from 2022 to 2023. His recommendations were incorporated into both the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act of 2021. His law practice focuses on export controls, economic sanctions, and supply chain due diligence. He is the author of No Escape: The True Story of China’s Genocide of the Uyghurs, winner of the 2023 Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing, and was named to the TIME 100 in 2020 and Fortune’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders in 2021.
Please note that this event will be held at the Martin L. King Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library. All are welcome!
ADMISSION
Foreign Policy Forums are free for everyone! Pre-registration required.
ACTIONS
5:30 PM Doors open
6:00 PM Program begins
6:45 PM Q&A
7:15 PM Program concludes
Questions? Contact Jacob Connell at jconnell@ccwa.org.
VENUE INFORMATION
Martin L. King Branch of Cleveland Public Library
MLK Branch of Cleveland Public Library, 10601 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland OH 44106
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