On April 22-23, over 120 representatives of Belarusian initiatives and communities from different continents gathered in Vilnius for the Diaspora Conference. The Conference aimed to discuss making the work of the diaspora more effective and matching the needs of Belarusians within Belarus, and improving cooperation between activists and politicians.
- Participants of the Conference agreed to:
1) Make May 21 International Day of Political Prisoners to share the stories of those behind bars, discuss ways to release them, and help their families.
2) Promote European values and ideas, so that Belarusians choose them instead of the “Russian world.”
3) Promote Belarusian identity, so that Belarusians abroad do not lose contact with each other and those in the country.
4) Work in cooperation with local politicians to keep Belarus on the agenda in different countries.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Chief Advisor Franak Viacorka spoke about the conference in the video (available in Belarusian).
