Thanks to my friend Elizabeth I found out about an amazing project
called City of Asylum that tries to help writers around the world who
are persecuted or endangered, so that "they can continue to write and
their voices are not silenced."
It's an international
network, but there are three American contributing centres: Las Vegas,
Pittsburgh and Ithaca, NY. They help authors gain visas that allow them
to live and work in the USA, and even provide stipends and short term
help with housing. The Pittsburgh iteration currently supports exiled writers-in-residence from Burma, China, El Salvador and Venezuela.
It's
a brilliant idea, one that deserves more resources and a greater
profile. Amongst the best of America are the ideals of freedom of
expression and freedom from fear - this project pursues both for the
good of all of us.
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