Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Youth Policy and Students, Marharyta Vorykhava, participated in the Confidence in Tomorrow Conference in Strasbourg. The event was held on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe and was attended by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, and the President of the European Youth Forum, María Rodríguez Alcázar.
Belarus was represented at such an event for the first time thanks to the efforts of Belarusian youth organizations, the active work of democratic forces, and international partners. Previously, the country had not participated in such meetings due to the political isolation of the regime.
During the conference, Marharyta Vorykhava highlighted the repression against Belarusian youth organizations and called on the international community to support and protect them. She emphasized the importance of access to European education for Belarusian youth: “To involve young Belarusians in democratic processes, we need greater efforts and assistance from European partners”.
“Such events increase the international community’s awareness of the problems faced by Belarusian youth and intensify comprehensive pressure on the regime. This is an opportunity to raise additional resources for youth organizations and projects, as well as a step towards expanding exchange programs and educational projects”, – commented Marharyta Vorykhava.
