Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Dear Pavel, Aliaksandr, Dzmitry, Vadzim, Aliaksandr. Thank you for your willingness to share your vision of the strategy in the first panel. I will share with you the six priorities that I see – and take a seat in the room and listen with interest to your positions and discussions. And along with your proposals, I hope to hear about your willingness to implement these proposals.
The first priority is to defend the independence and national interests of Belarus. To this end, we must do everything to bring the country out of international isolation, achieve the withdrawal of Russian troops, and get rid of total dependence on Russia, because it has become the main sponsor of the regime and a threat to the sovereignty of our country. We must discourage any attempts to use Belarus for alien aggression. We must train a reserve of managers, civil servants, and officers, who will serve their people. We should popularize the Belarusian language, culture, and develop the educational system (for example, help open Belarusian universities, schools, and kindergartens in neighboring countries) – to strengthen the national identity.
The second priority is to increase internal and external pressure on the regime. We should support the partisan resistance movement, Belarusian volunteers in Ukraine, and expand the Peramoga Plan. Open cases under universal jurisdiction. And in the UN court and the International Criminal Court – against those involved in the aggression against Ukraine and crimes against Belarusians.
The third priority is to promote the development of Belarus' independent media and civil society. It is critically important for Belarusians to have access to truthful information and be able to implement their own projects, ideas and initiatives. We need internships for journalists and activists, training, cooperation with Google and Meta. We need to help media and initiatives find resources, help them with tools to bypass blockages and pressure.
The fourth priority is to help Belarusians solve their problems. A huge number of people have to cut down on their expenses, cannot leave the country, and have no access to quality education and health care. Therefore, we need to open new educational, visa, and other opportunities. Help the families of political prisoners and all those who suffered from repression. We need a vision of how to solve the economic crisis.
The fifth priority is to develop a road map for the transition from dictatorship to democracy. Together, we will develop an action plan to stabilize the situation, which will have to be implemented quickly and coherently.
And the sixth priority is to reorganize our movement to ensure it works effectively. Today we will discuss how to reform the Coordination Council and form a united transitional cabinet, and tomorrow – how to create a digital platform to unite Belarusians. This is extremely important to lay the right foundation for all future work.
This is how I understand the situation. And now I pass the floor to you and I ask you to tell me how you see the priorities of the work – so that we can integrate them and act together”.
