On May 22, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the opening of the second day of the Stockholm Conference on Belarus:
«Thank you, Director Fredrik Löjdquist!
And good morning, dear Conference!
First of all, congratulations to the organizers and participants on the first day of the Conference. It was insightful and inspiring. I am thankful to all the ideas that you have shared. And it’s quite a long list! The only thing that was left – to turn these ideas into practical work.
Yesterday’s discussion on Belarusian identity and language was particularly important. I could not imagine such a discussion on such a high level a few years ago. It was never seen as a priority in policy towards Belarus. But I am glad to see that it has changed, and the international community understands the importance of supporting Belarusian national identity, culture, and language. It’s our strongest weapon against the Russian World (Русский мир).
Yesterday’s evening concert was very touching. We saw and we felt the essence of Belarusian modern literature. And we saw how Belarusian and Swedish cultures are intertwined. Nothing shows our Europeanness more than our culture.
I wish to thank each of you who joined the rally in support of political prisoners yesterday. You know how important it is for us.
Yesterday, more than 30 countries have joined the International Day of solidarity with political prisoners. We held rallies all over the world, many politicians issued statements. Unfortunately, the regime feels impunity and doesn’t show any eagerness to release innocent people from prisons, even those in dire condition.
Yesterday, fearless Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, who fully completed her 4-year illegal sentence, was not released as she should have been. In prison, she was tortured and illtreated. I call on the international community not to leave this unnoticed.
Each political prisoner is a symbol of hope and courage. I think every Belarusian participant in this room, has some friend or relative behind bars. And they must not feel abandoned. We must fight – every single day – for their release.
I am looking forward to the discussion today on political prisoners. We must support those who are behind bars, their families, and those, who served their terms already. Therefore, let me repeat my call to contribute to the International Humanitarian Fund for political prisoners, as Sweden and Norway have done already. At least 1600 people served their terms already, and need urgent help.
We must tell the truth about political prisoners and the situation inside Belarus. And this is possible only thanks to our brave journalists and bloggers. Our independent media not only fight the toxic propaganda but also ensure the connection between Belarusians in exile and those inside the country.
Despite censorship and terror, they managed to preserve the audiences inside the country. And they are very creative. They work on Tiktok and Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook. We must engage tech companies to provide tools and assistance to our journalists and support their work. Because the regime is also using social media. To spread lies and fear.
We already work with Google and YouTube. They are blocking the propaganda content on their platforms, as well as KGB-recorded so-called “confessional” videos. Also, Signal this week has released the Belarusian language version of its messenger. And added some safety features for users inside the country. But much more can be done.
This fall, we plan to hold the conference “Tech For Democratic Belarus”, where we want to gather activists, journalists and representatives of major platforms to discuss best practices and cooperation.
And the final discussion of today will be about young people. And I am grateful to Christina Johannesson for adding this element to the program. We tend to forget, that it’s young people who drive change. It’s young people who were on the streets in 2020. It’s young people who will decide on the future of Belarus.
Yesterday, we spoke with representatives of Swedish political parties and their youth branches to launch the cooperation with Belarusian youth organizations.
My advisor Marharyta Vorykhava is working hard on engaging Belarusian youth initiatives into the work of the international organizations. And recently she was elected the co-president of the Council of Europe’s Advisory Council on Youth.
We have to invest in young people in Belarus. And I want to ask all countries to provide them with scholarships, fellowships, internships, and visas. Engage them in your events and programs. We must keep them exposed to Europe and European values. Otherwise, Russia will engage them. And if we will lose young people, we will lose the future.
Dear friends,
I think this conference in Stockholm is a big milestone for all of us. I have heard, that this is just the beginning. But for me, this conference is a logical continuation of the strengthening relationship between Belarus and Sweden, but also between Belarus and the Free World.
As I said yesterday, Belarus is not only the problem. It is an opportunity. And I am sure – it will become a success story.
Thank you!
Жыве Беларусь!»
