HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2025-4661
HR 4661
By Representatives Santos, Salahuddin, Farivar, Duerr, Scott, Walen, Cortes, Taylor, Callan, Zahn, Fitzgibbon, Doglio, Parshley, Reed, Ryu, Berg, Obras, Donaghy, Tharinger, Macri, Pollet, Mena, Jinkins, Street, and Bergquist
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was born in Turkey on July 27, 1998, but was raised in Seattle, Washington where she attended West Seattle High School as well as the Ida B. Wells School for Social Justice, an alternative Seattle Public Schools college preparatory program at the University of Washington campus; and
WHEREAS, Eygi possessed a profound sense of peace and justice which cultivated her enduring personal commitment to social and environmental activism as a tireless community leader who organized peaceful protests including a 2016 mass student walkout against xenophobia and for religious freedom in Seattle, who stood in solidarity with indigenous, displaced, and marginalized communities across the country, who spent time supporting the elderly and individuals with disabilities, and who worked as a behavioral technician to serve children on the autism spectrum and their families; and
WHEREAS, Eygi was equally enthusiastic and energetic about engaging in global movements for peace and sustainability, devoting herself to the mutual advancement of climate justice and human rights through her understanding of the interdependence of healthy ecosystems and thriving societies whether supporting physical therapy and eco building projects in Myanmar, participating in coral reef restoration in Australia, or transforming recycled plastics into usable fuel in Indonesia; and
WHEREAS, Eygi ardently advocated against human displacement in the United States and internationally, supporting refugees and immigrants who resettled in Seattle by assisting with administrative paperwork, finding housing, as well as securing food and other basic human needs, and volunteering to serve as a human rights observer in embattled regions of the globe; and
WHEREAS, Eygi graduated from the School of Psychology at the University of Washington in June 2024 with plans to pursue a Ph.D. in anthropology and with dreams to serve American immigrant communities through original research and with clinical counseling, but on September 6, 2024, her dreams and her life were tragically cut short by a sniper bullet as she bore witness to events unfolding in the Middle East; and
WHEREAS, In honor of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi as a human rights advocate, community organizer, and university alumna, the University of Washington Middle East Center established a public lecture series in her name to foster public education, dialogue, and civic engagement on issues of international human rights, global peace, and environmental sustainability;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives posthumously recognize the extraordinary life of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi and commend her legacy of activism which continues to inspire other Washingtonians to fight for social and environmental justice and to work for a more equitable, sustainable world; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to the family of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi.