Get involved: How to take on a giant

We wanted to update you on our China campaign in 2020 and, at the same time, show how your campaigning fits into CSW’s broader advocacy strategy.

March: CSW published a report, ‘Repressed, Removed, Re-educated: The stranglehold on religious life in China’. As is so often the case, credible research is the foundation for our campaigning.

April:1,648 of you wrote to your MPs raising the Uyghur crisis and China’s ‘re-education camps’. Our Parliamentary Officer also met with ten MPs and provided over 60 briefings ahead of debates, and we submitted evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry into these camps. Thanks in part to these efforts, the Uyghur crisis has received significant action from MPs, with 130 MPs signing a cross-party letter to the Chinese Ambassador in September, condemning the treatment of Uyghurs.

June: CSW used its special consultative status at the UN to highlight the plight of Christians, Uyghur Muslims and others, and briefed state representatives behind the scenes.

September:1,449 of you wrote to high street brands like Marks & Spencer, urging them to ensure they do not use Uyghur forced labour in their supply chains. Within just a few weeks, many of you received a direct response from Marks & Spencer and we gave you guidance on how to respond, to keep up the pressure. As a member of the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region we are coordinating our efforts with over 180 other organisations; the campaign has received strong press coverage and we were able to apply much more pressure.

October: CSW made submissions of evidence to a parliamentary inquiry on the ‘reeducation camps’ in Xinjiang, China. A second inquiry explored the use of forced labour in UK supply chains.

November: Prayer underpins our work all year round and, for IDOP (International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church), we focused on the case of Early Rain Church, mobilising thousands to pray.

Be a part: Be part of the next phase! Add your voice atcsw.org.uk/campaigns