Jiyan Foundation Statement in Observance of Human Rights Day

NEW YORK (December 10, 2021) — Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights Chairman Salah Ahmad released the below statement in observance of Human Rights Day, December 10, 2021:

“Human Rights Day is an exceptional opportunity for governments and civil society agencies in the Middle East and around the globe to recognize the importance of providing everyone living in their communities with access to tools and resources necessary to fulfill their human rights – civil, economic, cultural, social, health and political.

“There are millions of people in the regions of Kurdistan-Iraq, Iraq, and Syria that cannot even access basic necessities afforded to them under the Universal Declaration including access to education, mental health, and physical health care.

“We urge the international community, governments, and private enterprise, to consider measures within their powers to meet the basic standards of human rights for people denied access. From the day we opened our doors, Jiyan Foundation’s mission has been to provide mental health treatment, health, and legal services to survivors of human rights violations, genocide, terrorism, war, refugees, and endemic conflict in the region. Since 2005, we have provided support to over 100,000 people living in Iraq, Kurdistan-Iraq, and Syria. The need today is greater than ever before.

“Violent conflicts in the regions we support did not ease during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has provided us with an opportunity to review our methods and improve our services to make sure everyone has access to the support they need to thrive, have freedom, and live their lives to the fullest. We will make sure our programs will continue as long as they are needed.

“Jiyan Foundation stands in solidarity with the international community to pledge continuing support to ensure that human rights of everyone are realized. We will continue our fight for human rights and against terror, injustice, sexism, bigotry, and intolerance. Our work is crucial for lasting peace in our region.”

#FAOCEO Campaign in Los Angeles

Today, Human Rights Day, the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights is launching #FAOCEO, a single day LA-based mobile billboard campaign urging the world’s top CEOs and the leadership of companies that offer health services and support to invest in the mental well-being of survivors of terrorism, domestic violence, war, and genocide living in Kurdistan-Iraq, Iraq, and Syria.

The #FAOCEO campaign, created by advertising agency BBH London for the Jiyan Foundation, employs an interactive mobile billboard with QR codes that send direct messages to specific top executives, including Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Elon Musk (Tesla), Bill Gates, Cece Morken (Headspace), Brian Ternan (Health Net), Satya Nadella (Microsoft), and Sundar Pichai (Alphabet).

The goal of the campaign is not only to grab the CEO and their company’s attention, but also to enlist the general public in asking the corporate leadership of these companies to expand their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) programs to include mental health support for people living in this region of the world.

You can get get live updates on the campaign by following #FAOCEO on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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