Help Badr Stay in the US

Many of you know Badr El Bendary as a tireless advocate for conflict resolution and human rights, a political activist who fought for justice in Egypt's 2011 revolution, and a kind soul dedicated to peace. You may also know that these attributes are dangerous today in Egypt, where the current government has jailed tens of thousands of dissidents in the past years, including many of our friends in the human rights community. Badr already lost his sight when he was shot in the face by police during a demonstration, and his safety remains threatened should he return to Egypt. 

After years of moving from city to city around the world, Badr finally made the difficult decision to seek asylum as a political refugee in the United States. While his case is promising, these processes often take time.

As Badr awaits his work authorization, he’s staying productive! Over the next six months (until April 2021), Badr plans to remain connected with the activist community in DC and amongst the Middle Eastern diaspora, investigating how this pandemic moment has impacted lives and activism. This research will help to inform his applications to Ph.D. programs as he seeks to continue his studies.

Due to his immigration status as an asylee, Badr does not have authorization to receive income for any of his activities; to support Badr’s important contributions to the conflict resolution and human rights fields, his personal and professional next steps, and his daily needs, consider contributing to this GoFundMe page.

We are setting up this GoFundMe as friends of Badr's; aside from the fees charged by GoFundMe, all donations will go to him directly. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.