INSPIRING HOPE IN HUMANKIND. ON THE ASHES OF A GENOCIDE.

Every day, HÁWAR.help dedicates itself to creating a world in which every human being can heal and grow in safety and with agency, regardless of their ethnic background, faith, gender or lifestyle. A world in which human rights are respected as the highest good and in which women and children have no need to be afraid of embracing new opportunities and dreaming big. A world in which educational initiatives and open societies support especially those people who have been scarred by life and still have the courage to hope and heal. There’s still a long way to go, but we’ll keep on moving, no matter what.

In 2014 the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS) in Iraq and parts of Syria carried out a systematic campaign of annihilation against ethno-religious minorities – including Christians, Shiite Muslims, Turkmen, and Shabaks – but the Yazidis were hit hardest. In the summer of 2014, tens of thousands of people were tortured, raped, and executed. Yazidi women and children were separated from their families and sold into sexual slavery or as child soldiers. HÁWAR.help’s Founder and Chairwoman, Düzen Tekkal, who has Yazidi roots herself, travelled to Iraq as a German journalist to document the genocide being committed against her religious community. When she returned, she was a changed person, having witnessed first hand how quickly genocide can become a reality in the 21st century. Only 70 years after the Holocaust and while the whole world watches. In the Kurdish, “HÁWAR” means “cry for help”. Düzen followed her people’s cry for help: HÁWAR.help was founded in 2015

OUR STORY

OUR MISSION

TESTIMONIALS

“There are very clear voices of Yazidis in Germany, like the one of the journalist Düzen Tekkal with her human rights organisation HÁWAR.help, who try everything to change the situation.”

Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister
“Women are agents of change: when they are equipped to independently build their own livelihood, it benefits their entire society, lifts them out of poverty and has a positive impact on gender equality.”

Dr. Hannah Neumann, Member of the European Parliament
“The fight for humanity begins with not looking away when human rights are violated. HÁWAR.help not only brings attention to human rights abuses, but gives a voice to the victims of systematic persecution. It is an indispensable ally in the struggle for a humane world.”

Theresa Breuer, Journalist, Kabul Luftbrücke e.V.
“Great work is being done here with integration through sports to support refugees. Moreover, this work enables the girls to connect with their peers and to find their way in life.”

Dr. Angela Merkel, former Chancellor of Germany
“I greatly admire and support HÁWAR.help’s important work. We are making progress.”

Dr. Gerd Müller, former Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development
“Screening the HÁWAR.help documentary provides us with an opportunity to show the world that the UN stands in solidarity with every victim of the so-called ISIS.”

Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict
“It makes me very proud that my Yazidi daughters from Germany have not forgotten where they come from. In light of the tragedy of the genocide, they left their safe home in Germany and came to help their sisters in Iraq.”

Baba Shek †, High Leader of the Yazidis
“HÁWAR.help stands for the aspiration to create a world in which every human being can unfold in a self-determined manner and within a safe environment, regardless of gender, ethnicity or religion. I have taken on this mission. You too can help eliminate any form of persecution from the world.”

Düzen Tekkal, HÁWAR.help Founder and Chairwomen