Results of the Youth, Gender and Democracy for Belarus Forum
The Youth, Gender and Democracy for Belarus Forum was organized by the Belarusian National Youth Council “RADA”, the Representative Office for Social Policy of the United Transitional Cabinet, and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, with the participation of the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the support of SCEEUS — the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies.
Representatives of the Board and Secretariat of BNYC “RADA”: Dzmitry Radziyeuski, Aleksandra Doinich, Yuliya Halieuskaya, Yuliya Ralko, Zmicer Herylovich.
The forum brought together around 80 representatives of Belarusian youth organizations, Swedish civil society organizations, and European stakeholders.
The opening remarks were delivered by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian democratic forces, and Dag Hartelius, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Sweden.
Main topics of the forum
The forum programme focused on youth participation in political and civic processes, challenges facing gender and LGBTQ+ activism, the search for more effective approaches to communication with and support for audiences inside Belarus, as well as strengthening the organizational capacity of youth organizations.
When we were creating the forum programme, it was important for us to focus on the topics that have become even more urgent for Belarusian youth today. In the context of new restrictions, the criminalization of civic activism, and constant risks for people inside the country, these topics are not abstract. They are about safety, representation, organizational resilience, and the ability of young people to remain agents of change.
That is why it was important for us to bring together representatives of different youth organizations and jointly transform challenges into concrete ideas and recommendations for further work with partners.
Katerina Bunina, Secretary General of “RADA”
The first panel discussion was dedicated to youth participation in politics. Participants discussed the challenges and opportunities for young people in political and civic processes, as well as the role of young activists in shaping the democratic movement. Special attention was given to how to strengthen youth influence and make their participation more systematic.
The discussion was moderated by Margo Vorykhava, Advisor to the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Youth Policy and Students. The panel featured Maksim Boika, Chairperson of “Young Hramada”; Alina Kharysava, International Secretary of the Belarusian Students’ Association; Viktar Baranau, co-founder of the “Lichtar” initiative; and Sigge Eriksson, President of LSU — the National Council of Swedish Youth Organisations.
The second panel focused on gender and LGBTQ+ activism. During the discussion, participants addressed the current context, risks and restrictions, as well as support mechanisms for activists. The main focus was on identifying key needs, gaps in support, and opportunities for further advocacy and cooperation.
The panel was moderated by Julia Mickiewicz, Representative for Social Policy of the United Transitional Cabinet. The discussion featured Dzmitry Radziyeuski, member of the Board “RADA” , and Lena Aharelysheva, gender expert and researcher.
Research and analytics
During the forum, “RADA” presented to Swedish partners the findings of the research “Ha-ha, We Are Still Here”. The study analyzes the interests, challenges, and opportunities of young people inside Belarus, their level of awareness of civil society organizations, as well as migration attitudes.
The presentation was delivered by Zmicer Herylovich, Policy Secretary of “RADA”, and Yuliya Ralko, International Secretary of “RADA”. The findings help to better understand what young people in Belarus are living through today, what forms of participation remain possible for them, and what kind of support is needed to preserve and develop youth activism.
The programme also included analytics on Belarusian youth’s consumption of political content on social media.
A separate discussion was dedicated to communication and engagement with audiences inside Belarus. Participants discussed how to work with audiences inside the country under conditions of repression, communication restrictions, and constant risks for people and initiatives.
The panel was moderated by Zmicer Herylovich, Policy Secretary of “RADA”. The discussion featured Aleksandra Doinich, Chairperson of the “RADA” Council; Lena Shandrak, project manager and facilitator at OEEK; and Daria Urban, Head of the Research Team at the Center for New Ideas.
The discussion addressed new approaches to informing audiences, with particular attention given to safety, trust, access to information, and the choice of communication channels.
Group work and recommendations
During the group work, participants analyzed the main problems and prepared recommendations on the tools that could be used to address them. These outcomes will be used in further advocacy and communication with Swedish and European stakeholders.
Among the recommendations most frequently raised were:
- the need for financial support, including micro-grants for small initiatives;
- simplification of reporting and reduction of bureaucratic burdens;
- a focus on the safety of activists;
- support for grassroots initiatives;
- resources for working with the mental health of Belarusians as the future generation of leaders;
- meaningful inclusion of youth representatives in political and civic processes;
- recognition of young people as full-fledged partners in decision-making;
- expanded opportunities for obtaining visas and participating in mobility programmes, especially for people inside Belarus.
Next steps
The next stage will be to refine the key recommendations and share them with international partners, Swedish and European stakeholders, as well as representatives of the democratic forces.
The results of the forum will serve as a basis for further advocacy work aimed at ensuring that Belarusian youth are not only a target group for support, but also full-fledged actors in decision-making processes.
