Ezidis make up a unique ethno-religious group with communities in several Middle Eastern countries, including Iraq and Syria. Recently by the self-proclaimed “Islamic State” has been carrying out a campaign of genocide against the Ezidis. Founding members of the Ezidi Relief Fund, a nonprofit humanitarian organization, will be discussing who the Ezidi people are, the immense challenges they currently face, what is being done to help them, and how we can get involved in the relief effort.

Lusik Usoyan is a founder and president of the Ezidi Relief Fund. Usoyan is an Ezidi native, born in Armenia, whose family was a victim to great persecutions and the Armenian genocide in the early twentieth century. She received a degree in economics and has a strong background in international and Middle Eastern politics.

Jacob Brewer is a BYU undergraduate student majoring in Arabic language. Brewer has been involved with ERF from its inception in August 2014 as a co-founder and currently serves as a board member and VP of strategy.

Galena Chenina is a co-founder of ERF with a strong background in public affairs and international humanitarian work. Chenina serves as chair for the board of directors and as ERF’s VP of public affairs and treasury.