The Second Conference of the Belarusian Diaspora, initiated by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, will be held in Vilnius on April 22-23. It will feature representatives of organizations, communities, and initiatives of Belarusians abroad. The first conference of this format took place in September 2021 and brought together representatives of 40 Belarusian diaspora organizations from 26 countries. It is expected that more than 100 Belarusians from the diaspora, as well as representatives of democratic forces, will participate in the two-day conference in April.
Diaspora coordinator of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office and contact person for the Conference, Daniil Garkavy, explains:
“By holding this conference, we respond to the diaspora’s request to discuss pressing issues. We have noticed a lack of coordination between political structures and civil initiatives, too. It is important for all of us to learn to listen to and hear each other.
In March, the team organizing the conference, including representatives of the Office, the United Transitional Cabinet, and the Coordination Council, collected feedback from diaspora representatives. The key issue included in the agenda at the initiative of the diaspora was institutional support for diaspora organizations, many of which still function on a voluntary basis. We have outlined four thematic directions that we are currently studying and developing. The detailed program of the conference will be announced later. Follow updates on the website https://bydiaspora.net/”.
Belarusians from the diaspora are welcome to register for the Conference. The registration form is open until April 9.
