The Forum 2000 Conference opens in Prague with a performance of Uyghur music, song, and dance. During the event, Uyghur leaders will participate in panels to discuss human rights, China’s repressive policies, and the ongoing genocide in East Turkistan.
The 29th Forum 2000 Conference, which convenes global thinkers, politicians, human rights defenders, and civil society representatives to debate the future of international democracy, officially began on October 12, 2025, in the Czech capital. The event opened with Uyghur musical performances and will continue through October 14.
Leading representatives of Uyghur civil society organizations also gathered in Prague for the conference. Among the participants were Turgunjan Alawudun, President of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC); Zumretay Erkin, Vice President of WUC; Rushan Abbas, WUC Executive Committee Member and President of Campaign for Uyghurs; Enver Can, President of the Ilham Tohti Initiative; independent researcher Nyrala; U.S.-based lawyer and human rights advocate Rayhan Asat; and from Türkiye, Dr. Gülzade Tanrıdağlı and her daughter Dolunay Tanrıdağlı.
Throughout the conference, Uyghur leaders and activists will speak in various panels addressing human rights violations and China’s policies of repression in East Turkistan (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonoms Rigion in China).
Organized under the theme “Facing the Odds: Democratic Resilience in Action,” the conference is co-hosted by the Visegrad Fund, National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and Robert Bosch Stiftung. Other partners include the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, Eastern Partnership (EaP), Prague Congress Centre, Swiss Confederation (FDFA), Carl Gershman, United States–Japan Foundation, and several other international institutions.
This year’s Forum 2000 focuses on how democratic societies can strengthen their resilience amid rising authoritarianism, disinformation, and rapid technological change. Key discussion areas include Reinforcing Democratic Ties in a Fractured World, Responding to 21st-Century Authoritarianism, Forum for Ukraine, and Democracy and Technology.
A Conference That Began with Uyghur Music
For the first time in its history, the Forum 2000 Conference opened with Uyghur music and dance. Dr. Gülzade Tanrıdağlı and her daughter Dolunay Tanrıdağlı were invited to Prague through the initiative and support of Enver Can, founding president of the Ilham Tohti Initiative.
During the opening ceremony on Sunday evening, the duo performed a traditional Uyghur song and dance accompanied by Enver Can, drawing great admiration and prolonged applause from the audience.
A Politically Significant Message
The decision to open this year’s Forum 2000 Conference — dedicated to human rights and democracy — with Uyghur music carried strong political symbolism. Enver Can had proposed the idea nearly five months earlier, pledging to fund their travel, if the organizers accepted it.
Ultimately, the proposal was approved, and Sunday’s opening ceremony concluded with a powerful Uyghur cultural performance that served both as a celebration of cultural identity and a symbolic message to China. Enver Can commented: “With this performance, a clear message was delivered to Beijing.”
During the conference, Uyghur activists were warmly welcomed by Jakub Klepal, Executive Director of Forum 2000.
Enver Can thanked Klepal for his hospitality and said after the opening ceremony: “It was an honor for us to be received by Jakub Klepal. We thank the Forum 2000 Team for the warm reception and hospitality. Yesterday at the opening ceremony of the conference, we all together sent a strong message to Beijing. We feel that we are really not alone!”
Forum 2000 as a Platform for Democracy
Founded in 1997 by President Václav Havel and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel, Forum 2000 has become one of the world’s leading democratic platforms, known for its discussions on human rights, democracy, the rule of law, and the future of the international order.
As in previous years, the 2025 Forum 2000 Conference brings together defenders of democracy from around the world, aiming to promote solidarity against authoritarian pressure and reinforce global cooperation among democratic nations.
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