What a year it’s been — we completed 33 speeches in the Fall, surpassing last year’s count by seven speeches, and impacted over 5,000 students face to face.

A fearless Venezuelan activist live-streamed her abduction by Maduro’s oppressive government, which detained her without charges after she exposed the state’s human rights abuses, sparking international protests and a fight for her freedom.

Isn’t fall just the best time of year? The oppressive heat of summer recedes. People return to their well-worn rhythms, crack open new notebooks and gather bouquets of newly sharpened pencils. We loved September at the Dissident Project. Our third dissident class has come out of the gate particularly strong! Let’s get into the updates.

After witnessing the corrosion of Castro’s “socialist utopia,” Cuban dissident Gabriela Blanco is warning young Americans about authoritarianism.

The Dissident Project is welcoming a new speaker class for the 2024-2025 school year. These incoming dissidents from countries including the People’s Republic of China, Iran, Cuba and Russia will take their testimonies into high schools across the country to share with the next generation of American students what it was like to live under totalitarian regimes. 

Grace Jo became an American citizen in 2013 and aspires to open her own interior design business. She also gives speeches around the country about her experience escaping from North Korea.

Iranian dissident Tahmineh Dehbozorgi is honoring her family’s past by speaking out for America’s future.

It’s easy in an election year to despair of American democracy, to bewail the flaws in the voting system, and to agonize over misinformation campaigns and the “fake news” accusations from bombastic public figures. But as a foreign student, even the divisive discourse of the election season seems to prove the lasting power of American liberty: At least here, people still remember how to fight for their right to speak.

Over 80 human rights organizations sign joint statement urging government action in response to latest arrest warrants and bounties on Hong Kong pro-democracy activists

At this month’s APEC summit, the Chinese government organized goon squads to harass pro-democracy activists who were protesting Xi Jinping.

Any attempt to correct Hamas extremism is silenced in college and dismissed as “Islamophobic”

We are thrilled to announce that the Dissident Project has been selected as a finalist for the Gregor G. Peterson Prize in Venture Philanthropy, a $250,000 annual award given to a "trailblazing start-up in the non-profit sector."

We interrupt the regularly scheduled program with an exciting announcement! The Dissident Project has been nominated for the Gregor G. Peterson Prize in Venture Philanthropy and has advanced to the final round of consideration.

From my experience, I can tell you patriotism is not a dirty word. Pride of country is essential to solving any issues we have in our country. Without a sense of commitment for the place we call home, we’re doomed to rapid decline.

With her eyes wide open, going back to her old life and beliefs was no longer an option. Although she could not change her upbringing, she was determined to share her revelation with the world in the hopes that her testimony would promote freedom and equality on a global scale.

Please welcome our new speaker - Seohyun Lee!

“Nothing of value comes without sacrifice,” Evan said. “Every freedom we have in the United States was bought and paid for by somebody. If we do not continue to protect it, we will have to pay that price someday.”

At the Dissident Project we are committed to sending our speakers to high schools across the country in person. That human interaction is vital for the speakers to connect with students and deliver their message of freedom. Their stories must be heard and considered if the next generation of Americans has a chance of taking seriously the growing threat of authoritarianism.

Last month, we hosted our Dissident Summit in which we trained and welcomed new faces to our team. We interviewed a few from the new class to offer you an inside look at how the summit went and what it was like for the speakers to come together for the first time.

Welcome back to your monthly Dissident Project update, where I give you a quick rundown on who's been where, who they impacted, and what's in development! I know you've been on the edge of your seat, so let's jump right in.