Seeing the opening image of an infant cuddling a globe on seethevoices.org is
quite……adorable. But what makes this image so special is quite……admirable. Behind this
design is an even more memorable message. Meet Iris Fu, senior at Crescent Valley High
School in Corvallis, Oregon, who founded See the Voices. Inspired into creating a platform for bridging global divides through dynamic discussion, Iris’s story is one of turning tragedy into triumph. Resilience personified, she is a prime example of someone who puts the “passion” in “compassion”, showing that the greatest global gifts are rooted in intrinsic innovation. See the Voices is a kaleidoscope of outreach, ranging from an international video pen-pal program to an American Dialogue series that strives to capture compelling diversity in the United States. The organization’s impact has expanded across the world, reaching chapters in locations ranging from Sao Paulo to Saudi Arabia while spreading stories that seek to share slices of culture. Read on to discover more about Iris – a vibrant entrepreneur, author, musician, and student – who is committed to tying together the confluence of her identities to help today’s world “see the voices”.
Innovation is often portrayed as stemming from glorious moments of inspiration. You, however, trace your innovation to a family situation (parental divorce) of clashing cultures. How has being candid about this challenge strengthened your resolve and resilience as an entrepreneur?
Realizing that I failed the first time I tried to bridge divides, but attempting again even
after failure, has made me a more resilient person. I have realized that failure doesn’t define me; it’s how I continue on that really matters.
A couple months ago, a student from Corvallis, Oregon, where I live, told me that she has
never traveled outside of the state and that she rarely interacts with non-Christian individuals. After connecting with a seventeen-year-old Muslim from Egypt, learning about his beliefs, and relating to him through their shared experience of losing a father, she found compassion for Islam, a religion she used to despise. Only now, years after my parents’ divorce, did I find success in bridging divides. See The Voices has been my compass in finding the potential I have within to effect real change in the lives of others.
To any budding entrepreneur, I would say that the number one builder of self-confidence
is to pick yourself up after you trip, because only then do you discover your own strength.
See the Voices features anonymously published perspectives from across the world through its Global Voices online newsletter. How did this particular idea evolve?
I wanted to create greater understanding between people of opposing backgrounds, but
since the school environment, and society in general, tend to discriminate against minority
voices, I wanted to protect the identities of writers to allow them to really be vulnerable.
Ultimately, Global Voices really allows people to share their stories without worrying about how others may judge them.
You mentioned that the WEIRD (White, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) nature of your hometown, Corvallis, inspired you to look beyond liberal perspectives. How are you going to ensure that See the Voices’s newly created American Dialogue series does the same?
In the American Dialogue series, our team wants to ensure that we look for all
perspectives, politically, culturally, and socioeconomically. Politics is not a main focus of See
The Voices (we are more focused on bringing international cultures together to a commonplace). However, by bringing in diversity from diverse regions of the world and the country, we will undoubtedly bring in people from majority-conservative states or regions as a result. Therefore, I hope that by focusing our efforts on being nonpartisan and welcoming to all, that we bring in political diversity into our American Dialogue series.
Some youth entrepreneurs believe that the most substantial success is reaped when one first strives to strengthen their immediate community. In your opinion, is this bottom-up style the greatest path to success? Why or why not?
The bottom-up approach to changemaking is certainly valid by principle, which I believe
is to focus on the specific and tangible before broadening scope. I would argue that See The
Voices is essentially following the same first principle. We are targeting a specific community-- students aged 13 to 23--and have specific programs in place to benefit this community. The only way that we can pursue our mission of increasing understanding across cultures is to include diverse cultures in our community. This means that we must harness the power of the internet to bridge these cultures together into one common community, seethevoices.org. We expanded our initiative from seethevoices.org to chapters in specific schools around the world.
How did you go about creating leadership for your international chapters and ensuring that it sustains despite the geographical distance?
This is actually something I am struggling with, especially as many of our chapter leaders
are moving to college. Our current system is to have a chapter leader application form every
year. We have a chapter curriculum for chapter leaders follow, and chapter leaders are required to attend weekly meetings. The meetings are really crucial for us. It is a tool for community building and making our initiative feel more tangible. Oftentimes, after expanding to more locations, people may feel far away from others in an organization. By having our weekly meetings, we get to interact face-to-face and bond over our initiative on a more personal, intimate level.
“See the Voices”. Interesting name. Was the juxtaposition of the senses (sight and sound) intentional?
Great question! See The Voices initially started as an anonymous blog sharing the
experiences of different students from around the world. Because the idea was that students
would read about others’ voices, I named the initiative “See The Voices.”
Have your impressive musical experiences influence how you perceive cultural connections? Do you have any advice for musicians involved in advocacy?
Music is an incredibly powerful tool of diplomacy! In fact, this summer, I participated in
a study abroad scholarship sponsored by the US Department of State. While my program was geared toward studying foreign languages and interacting with locals through language, the State Department also hosts scholarships allowing artists to travel abroad to establish diplomatic relations. Seeing the government dedicate funding toward musicians strengthened my belief in music as one of the best ways of building cultural connections.
On my trip abroad this summer, I was able to bring my flute with me. Playing for my host
family in the first few days built an automatic connection. People are fascinated by music, no
matter what language they speak. Music is truly a universal bond and common language between human beings of all backgrounds.
For musicians, I would recommend integrating music with your advocacy in any way
possible. For example, I have fundraised for environmental initiatives in my town by playing
gigs at the Corvallis Farmers’ Market. People’s moods are instantly elevated when they hear
happy jams--they are drawn to you and your music! As a result, they are more willing to
approach you, ask about your initiative, and donate.
If you could pick a pen-pal, where would you want them to be from? Why?
I would love to meet someone from Eastern Europe. I don’t have many friends from this
region, so it would be nice to interact one-on-one with a peer on a personal level to learn more about the cultural and everyday influences on the people there.
To see the vibrant voices, intrinsic innovation, and dynamic discussions, visit seethevoices.org.
Words By Sibani Ram