English
We invite all Belarusians and friends of Belarus to take part in this important event of 2026.
The conference will provide an opportunity to reflect on the changes that have taken place in recent years, explore the networks and mechanisms of support for Belarusians and Belarus, examine the outlook for the region, and define the role that we — the democratic forces, Belarusians, and Belarus as a whole — play and will continue to play in these processes.
Warsaw, Poland
August 8–9, 2026
Language, education, culture and the information space are interconnected areas that are crucial to preserving Belarusian identity and shaping the country’s future. Today, more than ever, these fields face serious challenges and require up-to-date assessments, coordinated approaches and practical solutions. The Office for National Revival of the United Transitional Cabinet will present four policy papers, each dedicated to one of these areas. The papers include an analysis of the current situation, future projections and concrete recommendations.
Organizer:
Office for National Revival of the United Transitional Cabinet
Registration:
https://surl.lt/bwdxnc
What role will artificial intelligence play in Belarus’s future? This debate will explore both sides of the question, discussing AI’s potential for democracy, data security and the risks of new technologies being used for propaganda. Can AI become an ally of democratic transformation, or is it inevitably destined to become a tool of surveillance and manipulation?
The discussion will go beyond theory. A new AI-powered platform will be presented for the first time, demonstrating how artificial intelligence can analyze the financial performance of Belarusian state-owned enterprises and propose transformation scenarios as part of future state sector reform. This is a real-world example of how AI is already contributing to democratic transformation — and an opportunity to see the future of reform in action.
Organizer:
Office for Economy and Finance of the United Transitional Cabinet
Registration:
https://surl.li/trrxsv
Have an idea? Let’s discuss it. The regime is trying to remove elections from the Belarusian public agenda, democratic forces face difficulties reaching Belarusians abroad, and diaspora communities in many countries remain fragmented. Could locally elected Belarusian community councils — soimiks — provide an answer? We will discuss whether such representative bodies are needed, how they could function, and whether they could help unite Belarusians abroad.
Organizers:
Anatoli Liabedzka, Advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Parliamentary Cooperation and Constitutional Reform; European Dialogue Center
Registration:
https://forms.gle/mf6KKcQGrAS9Wp2X6
Repression, exile and shrinking financial support — can Belarusian civil society not only survive, but also maintain its influence?
The event will present the findings of the Civil Society Organization Sustainability Index, which has been assessing Belarusian civil society organizations since 2000. It will provide an evidence-based overview of the sector’s current state, followed by a discussion on what is needed to ensure that civic organizations and initiatives remain a driving force for democratic change.
Organizer:
CSO Fusion
Language: Belarusian, with simultaneous interpretation into English.
Registration (until August 6):
https://forms.office.com/e/CBbSquPYrZ
In August 2020, Minsk spoke the language of freedom, solidarity, and hope. Photographs of protest street art, white-red-white flags carrying the personal stories of Belarusians, and video installations will immerse visitors in the atmosphere of a city united by its belief in change. The exhibition runs from August 5 to 23.
Organizer:
Free Belarus Museum
Venue:
Free Belarus Museum, ul. Foksal 11, Warsaw
Free admission
The situation in Belarus and the wider region is changing. The United States has successfully secured the release of political prisoners, proceedings against Aliaksandr Lukashenka have been launched in The Hague, Russia is facing strikes on its own territory, and the regime has softened its pro-war rhetoric. At the same time, repression continues, although its forms are evolving. These developments create both new challenges and new opportunities for the democratic forces of Belarus. How can they seize the political initiative and change the status quo?
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Kyiv in May has opened new opportunities for Belarus–Ukraine cooperation. How can Belarusians and Ukrainians support one another? What joint steps can be taken in the near future, and what cooperation is already underway? What should be the priorities for strategic cooperation?
Change in Belarus is only a matter of time. Every dictatorship eventually falls. The question is: what comes next? What could a democratic transition look like? Which reforms should be prepared, and is it worth preparing them already today? Can Belarus overcome its total dependence on Russia? What can the European Union offer Belarus, and what can Belarus offer the European Union? We must think both about what we want to leave behind and about the future we want to build.
Belarus has become a testing ground for modern authoritarianism, where mechanisms of repression and persecution are refined — from “extremist” lists and the suspension of consular services abroad to the case against the European Humanities University and the misuse of INTERPOL. How can we ensure the safety of activists inside Belarus and abroad? How can legal assistance be strengthened? How can cooperation with governments and international organizations be strengthened to counter transnational repression?
Belarusian identity is under increasing attack from the ideology of the “Russian World” and the regime's policy of Russification. This is particularly evident in the education system, which plays a central role in shaping identity. If education in Belarus has become an instrument of ideological control, colonial narratives and practices, and large-scale repression, how should the country’s democratic community in exile respond? The Belarusian diaspora is currently the only place where national identity, culture, and the humanities can be preserved and developed.
The Belarusian state has ceased to fulfil its basic obligations to a significant share of its citizens and, in many cases, has itself become a source of threat. As a result, Belarusians have had to build elements of their own social protection system beyond the state and across national borders. Can we move from fragmented solidarity initiatives to a transnational Belarusian social protection system that serves both people inside Belarus and Belarusians in exile?
