What does academic freedom mean to you, and how often do you think about it? Did you know there are thousands of people imprisoned right now, some for the rest of their lives, simply due to something we so often take advantage of daily? This is not a distant issue, but a pressing one that demands our attention. Universities around the globe, including Roger Williams, are working in partnership with a nonprofit, Scholars at Risk (SAR). SAR is an international organization that protects scholars and students facing threats to their work, promotes academic freedom, and is part of the broader network that advocates for human rights. Students who take this university seminar course develop lifelong skills for groundbreaking research and advocacy that will help their future careers. Taking and applying continual pressure and advocacy is crucial to these scholars. It is essential to keep their names in the public eye and the media continuously, or they will be buried along with the other problems of humanity that get swept under the rug daily.
Iham Tohti is an economist from China who is currently serving a lifelong sentence. He was highly involved in his community and served as a renowned advocate. He was a professor in Beijing and reported on the equal distribution of resources and Chinese government propaganda. He has spent decades researching to resolve the conflict between Uyghurs and Han and also worked to help homeless children find their families that were victims of trafficking. Now he has gone eight long years without speaking to or seeing his family. He has been locked away simply for speaking up, being an educator, and advocating for academic freedom. He has been let down and failed by a corrupt system. His voice has been a lifeline to millions worldwide, and now he lives out his fate in a prison cell. With the immense privilege of academic freedom, we must unify and use our voices to advocate for people like him to be freed. We realize our power when we unify and learn our numbers against injustice. We have far greater power than anything. Applying pressure on unjust systems and the government is the only way to progress toward a better, more just place for people in Tohti’s situation.
In early November, RWU’s Human Rights Advocacy seminar was fortunate to hear from Tohti’s daughter, Jewher. She hasn’t had any contact or heard from her father since 2017. We had the privilege of listening to and asking questions regarding her father and family’s story, which was deeply heartbreaking but incredibly impactful. I was able to ask what the best mechanisms are for continuing to advocate for his freedom. With this information, I am writing here now. Seeing how much this has changed this family’s lives, a wave of emotion washed over the entire call. Putting myself in their shoes, I understand it could be anyone like you or me. That’s why it’s so important to apply this pressure and advocate, because the more voices, the greater the chance of change. Remember that your typical day is someone else’s dream. Use your voice and stand up to speak for what you stand for, if you have the privilege. Roger Williams is one of the schools that offers this course locally. It has been an excellent opportunity to expand our understanding of these complex issues and to find ways to advocate for or resist these harsh regimes and governments. Suppose SAR continues to grow and gain more outreach as more universities implement courses worldwide. In that case, we have the chance to free Tohti, which will help others like him be freed or prevent them from ever being in that position again. Throughout this interview, our entire class felt waves of emotion as she shared her and her family’s journey. The chance of never seeing her father wasn’t enough for the Chinese government. They made her wait on a Zoom call during negotiations until 3 in the morning, which she described as a tactic to hurt her and show who really holds the power. That wasn’t enough, so they made hundreds of fake AI pornography videos and posted them all over her husband’s work. What an absolutely disgusting abuse of power and a prime example of knocking people when they are already down.
Although these challenges were extreme and served as public embarrassment, this put a fire under Jewher. It clearly outlined, with all her failed attempts, the best mechanisms for advocating for and pushing back against the government. And with this, I compiled the best methods. Firstly, it is imperative to highlight individual cases using their images and voices. This is so important because it humanizes them and makes people realize that what’s taking place is everywhere and that everything is connected. Looking up individual cases on issues and printing out their pictures for advocacy work is a way to do this. Another incredibly impactful method is government engagement. Using any legislation that references human rights, including Iham Tohti’s name, they should include his name and highlight every possible occasion. Starting with smaller steps and smaller asks can make the government or institution think they are granting you a favor rather than simply asking for release. Instead, it’s more important to start by restoring rights such as visitation, phone calls, and books, among others. Smaller negotiations have worked for others imprisoned, but they haven’t worked for Tohti yet. Unfortunately, given his cases’ high profile, there is fear that freeing him may show weakness. Emphasizing that this is not an issue in China; it is a human rights issue and should not be politicized. Jewher emphasized something so important about being a student and the power we hold. She underlines the importance of writing to universities and of asking questions, because you cannot take action without getting answers first. Asking them which organizations they have been working with to assess whether they are free of forced labor is something you can and should do as a student. Asking these questions is the first step in any campaign. Then you can mobilize people to join forces. This goes into the last mechanism she touches on: educating others and expanding that advocacy. The more you talk and highlight a specific issue or case, the more it expands, which is the primary goal to expand so everyone knows and can’t forget. You can inspire anyone simply by educating yourself on something and spreading that, creating a ripple effect of advocacy.
She doesn’t know if her dad is alive, she has barely any contact with the rest of her family, she has been humiliated on public display, yet she persists in not only fighting for her father, but for others just like him, continually working to fight for human rights. She is highly inspirational and strong, what a fantastic leader and example of using her father’s situation to not only advocate and create initiatives for him, but for others as well. Her message that every decision we make might tie back to the case we’re looking at speaks volumes. We see this throughout her career and extracurricular activities, like teaching dance, which help her preserve her culture and identity. She is extraordinary, and fathoming what she has been through and what she has turned into is beyond inspiring. She is currently building a database dedicated to forced labor, open to all countries, and planned for release next summer. This is monumental because it will help to hold companies accountable and directly highlights that forced labor can be found in every country and industry.
It’s time to step up and use our privilege and free speech to help others, just as we would, except for their geographical location. No one can get you to care. The sheer number of horrible things happening in the world can feel overwhelming and chaotic, leaving you feeling desensitized. But not caring, not speaking up, will only make things worse. When things turn in too many directions, that’s when we stop caring. That is the very definition of losing humanity. That is when we become so disconnected from our actual being and unity. We must come together collectively and use our voice because we have a chance to make a difference when we stand together. These scholars are just a piece of a cruel, perpetual system. Getting them free is how we step forward and rattle the government, showing that borders do not change advocacy and care. No matter where injustice occurs, there will always be people worldwide fighting, knowing it could be them or someone they love. We can transcend these boundaries and change for the better. Applying pressure and having more and more people care about changing the norm is the only way to facilitate change. This inspires you to take that action, speak up, and push back against the injustices in this world, without being afraid to use your voice for what you believe in.
