Ithaca City of Asylum
Providing refuge for persecuted writers and artists
Dmitry Bykov
Pedro X. Molina
Raza Rumi
Sonali Samarasinghe
Irakli Kakabadze
Sarah Mkhonza
Reza Daneshvar
Yi Ping
About ICOA
Ithaca City of Asylum (ICOA) is dedicated to providing sanctuary to writers whose works are suppressed, whose lives are threatened, whose cultures are vanishing, or whose languages are endangered. An all-volunteer project of the Center for Transformative Action, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization affiliated with Cornell University, ICOA works in partnership with Cornell, Ithaca College, and Wells College. ICOA is a member of the International Cities of Refuge Network, joining people around the world advocating for freedom of expression.
Formed in 2001, ICOA has hosted eight residents: poet and essayist Yi Ping (China), playwright and novelist Reza Daneshvar (Iran), poet and memoirist Sarah Mkhonza (Swaziland), poet and playwright Irakli Kakabadze (Georgia), journalist and memoirist Sonali Samarasinghe (Sri Lanka), journalist and policy analyst Raza Rumi (Pakistan), editorial cartoonist Pedro X. Molina (Nicaragua), and poet, critic, and novelist Dmitry Bykov.
ICOA serves as a bridge to the community, assisting visiting writers and their families in meeting the challenges of a new environment.
ICOA assists residents in meeting their daily expenses while in Ithaca, including housing, furnishings, transportation, translators' fees, legal expenses, and performance and publication of new work. We rely on contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Email us for more information.
This documentary about ICOA was produced by Maureen Wietecha, our 2017 intern.
What is ICOA?
ICOA provides refuge in Ithaca, New York, for writers and artists whose works are suppressed, whose lives are threatened, whose cultures are vanishing, and whose languages are endangered. We also advocate for human rights and freedom of expression. ICOA is an all-volunteer project of the Center for Transformative Action and a member of the International Cities of Refuge Network.
You can attend our events, provide free or discounted services for our guests, or volunteer to join our board. But the simplest way to help is to make a tax-deductible donation! It's fast and easy to give online, or you can write a check payable to the Center for Transformative Action and mail it to Center for Transformative Action, P.O. Box 760, Ithaca, NY 14851. Make sure to write "ICOA" on the memo line.
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