On March 20, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in the discussion “How to Defend Belarusian Independence: The Role of Academic and Cultural Community” in Warsaw. She delivered remarks emphasizing that the independence of Belarus must be defended not only through international policy but also through culture, language, and education.
The meeting was held at the Belarusian Solidarity Centre in a roundtable format. Participants included:
- Pavel Latushka, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet;
- Artsiom Brukhan, Speaker of the Coordination Council;
- Palina Prysmakova, Secretary of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic (BNR);
- Nadzeya Belakhvostsik, journalist;
- Andrei Vardamatski, sociologist and professor;
- Andrei Yanushkevich, publisher;
- Palina Brodzik, Head of the Free Belarus Center and member of the Coordination Council’s second composition;
- Mikalai Dziadok, former political prisoner.
Irena Katsialovich of the National Anti-Crisis Management moderated the discussion.
The conversation marked the 108th anniversary of the BNR’s declaration of independence and focused on the role played today by intellectuals, artists, and cultural initiatives amid ongoing repression, professional bans, and the forced displacement of people by the Lukashenka regime.
Key topics discussed included:
- ways to maintain intellectual ties with Belarus;
- consolidated efforts to strengthen the influence of the Belarusian intelligentsia on civil society;
- efforts by the democratic forces to support Belarusian creators more effectively.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Our culture and our language are our weapons, our shield against the so-called ‘Russian world’. And you, our intellectuals, are the guardians of our heritage. It is clear that without its own intellectuals, a nation has no future. When we look at how many talented, educated people have had to leave Belarus over the past five and a half years, we understand that the Lukashenka regime is indifferent to the country’s future”.
The meeting was organized by the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
