A student from Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental has been selected to participate in the fully funded Youth Rising Workshop organized by the SEA Coalition for Academic Freedom (SEACAF) in Thailand. 

Dan Kristian Rivera, a master’s student in Peace Studies under the Religion and Peace Studies Department’s graduate program of Silliman University, will join 14 other youth delegates from across Southeast Asia at Mahidol University, Salaya Campus from October 31 to November 1, 2025. 

The delegates will undergo an intensive, creative exchange focused on art-making, storytelling, dialogue, and content creation promoting human rights and academic freedom.

"The Youth Rising initiative is envisioned as a nexus of academic and artistic freedom among young people. It brings together students, young scholars, and artists to explore how imagination and critical inquiry can confront repression and inspire collective action in academic spaces. Through participatory dialogue and creative sessions, the workshop seeks to reclaim campuses and classrooms as spaces of freedom, amplifying youth voices in the broader struggle for rights, democracy, and social justice in Southeast Asia," said Silliman University in a media release. 

Rivera expressed enthusiasm about representing the Philippines, saying his participation aligns with his advocacy of fostering safe spaces for open and critical conversations through writing and debating in his hometown, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur.

"Rivera is no stranger to youth leadership and civic engagement. He completed the YSEALI Academic Fellowship Program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in October 2024, which is a fully funded academic exchange under the U.S. State Department’s ASEAN program," the university said.

Following the workshop, participants are expected to continue cross-border collaborations and dialogues, reinforcing their shared commitment to academic freedom and social justice across the region, Silliman said.