Ithaca City of Asylum
Providing refuge for persecuted writers and artists
Category: Human rights
Sept. 23: DISSIDENCE: Exiled writers on resistance and risk
City of Asylum writers in residence in Ithaca, Pittsburgh, and Detroit will share their experiences in “DISSIDENCE: Exiled Writers on Resistance and Risk” on Friday, September 23, 7 p.m. at the Community School of Music and Arts. Timed for Banned Books Week, the event also celebrates ICOA’s 20th birthday.
Read MorePodcast features asylum cities movement
The latest episode of the Peace Talks Radio public radio show and podcast looks at the cities of asylum movement. ICOA board member Jonathan Miller interviews former ICOA artist-in-residence Pedro X. Molina, City of Asylum Pittsburgh co-founder Henry Reese, and International Cities of Refuge Network program director Elisabeth Dyvik.
Read MoreYi Ping pens chapter on Chinese peace laureate
Poet and editor Yi Ping, ICOA’s first writer-in-residence, has contributed to a book celebrating the life and work of Liu Xiaobo, the late Chinese activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. The Journey of Liu Xiaobo: From Dark…
Read MoreSolidarity in times of crisis
We send you greetings in this time of collective isolation. We hope that you are healthy, safe, and supported by family and friends. Like many of you, we have been asking ourselves what we can do to pitch in, both…
Read MorePEN America launches free speech campaign
PEN America, an important partner of Ithaca City of Asylum, has launched a campaign called Free Speech 2020 to “catalyze action across the country to defend press freedom, fight online harassment, combat disinformation, and uphold protest rights.” The initiative seeks…
Read MoreExiled journalists share their stories
In an emotional discussion before a rapt audience, ICOA’s three most recent writers-in-residence shared their stories of adjustment and perseverance while living in exile in Ithaca. All three were forced to leave their home countries because of their work as…
Read MoreComing events look at migration and exile
Ithaca City of Asylum (ICOA) is taking part in several community events in November. Each seeks to expand the local conversation on migration, immigration, displacement, and exile. Three are part of the monthlong exhibition and event series How Did We…
Read More“Literature provides shelter,” says Arundhati Roy at PEN World Voices Festival
Giving the 2019 Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture at the PEN America World Voices Festival on May 12, Arundhati Roy asked the audience to consider the role of literature in today’s world. “As we lurch into the future, in this…
Read MoreRelease of Myanmar journalists hints at power of public attention
We were thrilled to learn that Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were freed on May 7 after more than 500 days in prison in Yangon. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists had been sentenced to seven years in detention for…
Read MoreWorld Press Freedom Day shines light on threats to journalists
On May 3, Ithaca City of Asylum (ICOA) joins human rights and free expression groups everywhere in recognizing World Press Freedom Day. This year’s theme is the free press in elections. Through events, social media campaigns, and other activities, we call attention…
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