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SUMMARY:The Great Firewall with Yi-Ling Liu | WorldNow
DESCRIPTION:Thirty years ago\, the world began to discover the power of the Internet: a digital world and resource to connect\, share ideas\, learn\, and earn. While the rest of the world connected\, the Chinese government began creating a system of strict surveillance and censorship on its internet – now known as the Great Firewall. \nToday\, as the country’s leadership intensifies its control of public discourse and Western headlines reduce the Chinese public to a faceless monolith\, what is the true online and on-the ground reality for Chinese citizens? \nJoin us February 10th on WorldNow as author and journalist Yi-Ling Liu tells the untold story of the Chinese internet. Hear how Chinese citizens have navigated the last 30 years of surveillance and censorship while searching for freedom and connection – behind the Great Firewall \nThe details:\nWhen: Tuesday\, February 10 | 7:00pm-8:00pm Eastern / 6pm Central\nWhere: Zoom Webinar\nTickets: No charge\, RSVP required \nReserve your spot today \n\n\n \n\nMeet the Author\n \nYi-Ling Liu is a writer & editor covering AI and Chinese society\, from a human-centered lens. She is currently a journalist-in-residence at the Tarbell Center for AI Journalism. She is the author of The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet¸out on February 3rd. \nHer work has been published in The New York Times Magazine\, The New Yorker\, Harper’s Magazine\, WIRED\, and The New York Review of Books. She is a New America Fellow\, a recipient of the Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award\, and an Overseas Press Club Foundation Scholar. Born and raised in Hong Kong\, and a graduate of Yale University\, she now lives in London. \n\nMeet the Host\n\nJim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe\, NM\, he is a Director of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk\, Jim produces and hosts The Forum\, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM\, Santa Fe Public Radio. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. \n  \n\nAbout the Book\n \nThe Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet by Yi-Ling Liu \nAn eye-opening exploration of the Chinese internet that reveals the intricate dance between freedom and control in contemporary China.\nIn the late 1990s\, as the world was waking up to the power and emancipatory promise of the internet\, Chinese authorities began constructing a system of online surveillance and censorship now known as the Great Firewall. But far from being a barren landscape\, the digital world that sprouted up behind the firewall brimmed with new subcultures and tech innovations\, offering many Chinese citizens previously unimaginable connection and opportunity. \nToday\, as the country’s leadership intensifies its control of public discourse and Western headlines reduce the Chinese public to a faceless monolith\, journalist Yi-Ling Liu presents an intimate portrait of China’s online ecosystem—and a crucial lens into the on-the-ground reality of life there. Tracing the last three decades of the Chinese internet’s evolution—from its lexicon to its memes to the precise nature of its censorship—she equips readers with a critical tool to assess the past\, present\, and future of a global power. \nDrawing on years of firsthand reporting\, The Wall Dancers weaves together the stories of individuals navigating China’s transformation into both the world’s largest online user base and one of its most populous authoritarian states. As these entrepreneurs\, activists\, artists\, and dreamers experience the internet’s power as a tool for both control and liberation\, they grapple with universal questions of success and authenticity\, love and solidarity\, faith and resilience. \nThe Wall Dancers is at once an unforgettable work of human storytelling and a vital exploration of what it means to live with dignity and hope within the technological systems that now shape all our lives. \nOrder a copy of The Wall Dancers\, out on February 3\, 2026. \n\nPresented by\nWorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut with the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and the World Affairs Councils of America. Presented in partnership with Councils nationwide: \n \n\n\n\nMission Partners\n \n\nMark & Linda Caplan\nDonna Collins\nSusan & Peter G. Kelly\nSe-Min Sohn\n  \nSupport global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more on our website about available opportunities. \n\nStay Globally Involved\nRenew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut\, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities\, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries\, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you. \n\n\n\n\n\nThe World Affairs Council of Connecticut provides a platform for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas on global issues. The views expressed by speakers and contributors to this organization’s public programs—in person\, online\, and through affiliated social media sites— are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of CTWAC\, its individual staff\, board members\, members\, or sponsors. As a nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization\, CTWAC’s purpose is to foster informed discussion and greater understanding of the world\, without endorsing any particular viewpoint.
URL:https://ctwac.org/event/the-great-firewall-liu-worldnow/
LOCATION:Zoom Webinar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ctwac.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Great-Firewall-WorldNow.png
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