Friend,
I am thrilled to announce an exciting new chapter for the Dissident Project, a project dedicated to amplifying the voices of immigrants who have fled tyrannical regimes. Since we launched programs in 2022, Young Voices has sponsored over 140 live talks before high schools before 25,000 students.
Now, we’re taking their impactful messages beyond the classroom: the Dissident Project is launching a media fellowship! Two of our incredible speakers are spearheading this new endeavor, Alvin Hailin from China and Gabriela Blanco from Cuba.
Alvin Hailin was born and raised in Beijing, but he and his family never held a Beijing "Hukou," a caste-like system restricting Chinese citizens from freely moving and living within their own country. He's experienced repeated threats of severe consequences if he continued to express dissent against the Communist Party, the Chinese government, and their leaders. Upon arriving in the United States, Alvin joined the Dissident Project to share his story with more Americans.
Gabriela Blanco was born and raised in Havana, Cuba, under communist rule that has reigned for 6+ decades. Her family experienced the consequences of this firsthand, from having her great-grandparents’ business stolen and nationalized to being separated from her father for over 10 years. In 2019 she came to the United States and was reunited with her father and siblings after nearly a decade apart. Gabriela continues to be a voice for freedom with the Dissident Project.
Alvin and Gabriela have been trained in digital storytelling, content creation, and strategic social media engagement and will be inspiring even more young minds through a targeted social media and broadcast push in the coming months.
Stay tuned for updates as these fellows begin their journey, and be sure to follow the Dissident Project on Facebook, X, and Instagram to watch as their impactful stories unfold.
Sincerely,
Casey Given
President & Executive Director
