On the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed Belarusians with important reflections on war, peace, and our responsibility to history:
“World War II is a wound that never heals. It is a pain that must remind us: War should never be a way to solve problems. Our grandparents did not go to the front for medals – they did so to let us live our lives without fear. To stop bombings, hunger, or loss.
Today, I see how in Belarus this date is being turned into yet another show with loud slogans and military equipment. But peace is not born from parades. Peace lives in our memory, in compassion, in care for our loved ones and for each other.
It is especially painful to see how this day is now used to justify a new war – to justify manipulation and repression. The regime punishes the people who dare to say ‘No to war’. But it is by saying ‘No to war!’ that we try to prevent the mistakes of the past”.
