top of page

VOICES OF COURAGE

Joshua Wong is a pro-democracy activist and politician from Hong Kong. In December 2020 Joshua has been convicted and jailed for the third time in his life. This time on the pretext of "unlawful assembly" outside a police station to mark the 2020 anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre. His detention has sparked international condemnation of China's appalling policies.

In 2011, being just 15 years old, he co-founded the pro-democracy group Scholarism, which was one of the leading organisations during the peaceful "Umbrella Revolution" in 2014. Joshua became one of the internationally well-known faces and voices of the "Umbrella Movement", whose crucial demands were fair and transparent elections. The protesters used their umbrellas as protection against the pepper spray of the police. In 2016 Joshua co-founded the democratic party Demosistō. He served as secretary-general of the new party until its dismissal following the implementation of the Hong Kong national security law in June 2020. The passing of this national security law has reduced Hong Kong's independence and severely curtailed previously existing democratic rights. In 2019 Joshua was banned to run for the upcoming elections by the government of Hong Kong. 

Joshua Wong has received numerous awards including the nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. 2017 Joe Piscatella and Matthew Sultan produced the stirring documentary "Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower". In his book "Unfree Speech: The Threat to Global Democracy and Why We Must Act, Now" Joshua shares not only his inspiring story but the conviction that everyone matters in this fight for democracy. This interview has been recorded shortly before his conviction and detention. He is serving a 27-month-long prison sentence.

bottom of page