About the Event
In this panel, displaced media makers hailing from China, El Salvador and Palestine discuss how their media praxis talks back to oppression and imagines liberatory futures. How does a journalist in exile address injustices of the past and present, while still imagining a future beyond? How does a displaced artist bridge the time and space which now separate them from their homelands? By bringing together journalists in exile from varied contexts of violence and occupation, this panel challenges us to rethink our approach to media, space and nation.
About the Speakers
Mariana Belloso is a Salvadoran journalist, editor, and media analyst with more than two decades of experience in economic reporting across print, radio, and digital platforms. She has led the economic sections of two of El Salvador’s leading newspapers Diario El Mundo and La Prensa Gráfica. She also served as general editor of Alharaca, an independent media outlet. Her expertise spans fiscal policy, finance, and international trade, and she has covered multilateral negotiations and global economic trends. Forced into exile in the United States after facing digital surveillance and harassment for her critical reporting on government policies, Mariana now coordinates the Latin American Network for Journalism in Exile (Red Latinoamericana de Periodismo en el Exilio, RELPEX), a pioneering initiative of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). Through RELPEX, she advocates for the rights and professional continuity of journalists displaced by authoritarian regimes and violence, building support systems and employment opportunities for media professionals in exile.
Kasim Kashgar is a Uyghur journalist and former reporter for Voice of America, with expertise in covering China, human rights, and diaspora communities. From 2019 to 2025, he produced over 300 multilingual news reports for VOA, focusing on human rights in China, U.S.–China relations, and the global Uyghur diaspora. Prior to seeking asylum in the United States in 2017, he was a prominent English educator and founder of one of the largest Uyghur-owned language schools in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. He is completing a memoir exploring themes of exile, resilience, and freedom of expression, and is also leading the launch of Uyghur Monitor, an independent nonprofit media initiative committed to democracy, accountability, and independent reporting on Uyghur issues. His work has appeared on international media platforms, and he was named a 2025 Kiplinger Fellow in AI and Journalism.
Youmna El Sayed is an internationally recognized journalist and public speaker, and served as the Al Jazeera English Correspondent in the Gaza Strip. With over ten years of experience reporting from the frontlines of conflict, she has worked with leading international media outlets including Al Jazeera English, TRT World, TRT Digital, RT, the Kuwait English Channel, CNA, and the Associated Press. Specializing in stories of war, displacement, identity, and human dignity, she have consistently brought to global attention the untold human narratives of those living under siege, occupation, and conflict. Her core mission is to be a voice for the voiceless. Through her work, she seeks not only to inform but to humanize and empower, shedding light on stories too often silenced or overlooked. Her journalism stands as a testament to the role of media in resisting oppression, amplifying truth and defending fundamental human values.