As part of her visit to Warsaw, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya attended the 30th anniversary event of the School for Leaders Foundation. The organization works on fostering conscious leadership in various areas of public life, including in NGOs, local self-government bodies, as well as political parties and organizations.
The event took place at the Museum of Polish History and gathered renowned experts from various countries.
In her speech, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya called for persistence and courage in the fight for freedom and urged participants to take an active role in promoting democratic values and human rights.
📌 Leadership and responsibility
“Our shared history teaches us that leadership is about taking responsibility even in hopeless situations. It means learning on the go, being principled, consistent, brave, and helping others. I urge you to create change by using your voice, knowledge, and passion”.
📌 How leaders emerge
“I’ve learned that people are not born as leaders. Most people don’t even want to be leaders. I became a politician because of my love for my husband and the Belarusian people’s love for freedom. Our people craved freedom and change, and the dictatorial regime couldn’t suppress this energy”.
📌 Women’s leadership
“The way society brings up girls does not prepare women for political activity either. In our society, women are often ignored. Even the dictator himself said that people would never vote for a woman. But he was wrong”.
📌 Solidarity between Poland and Belarus
“I believe in the Belarusian people, and I believe in you and the future of your nation. I’m sure that none of the graduates of the School for Leaders will stop caring about Belarus, whether they become politicians, lawyers, or businesspeople. The same goes for Belarusians – we will never forget how the Polish people have supported us. Both our nations have a great history of solidarity”.
