The Second Congress of the New Belarusian Diaspora of Europe and the USA took place in Strasbourg, France on April 24-28, 2009. The New Belarusian Leaders Forum: Renaissance Generation addressed the matters of cooperation between the EU and Belarus united the representatives of the younger cohort of Belarusian emigres in the EU and the USA.

Thirty five leaders of the new generation from fourteen European countries and the USA and prominent representatives of the Belarusian civil society and Belarusian experts in political affairs, mass media, and civil society attended the Congress. Special attendees included: Leader of democratic movement “For Freedom” Alexander Milinkevich, Deputy Director of Rada BNR Sergey Naumchik, political analysts Petr Martsev and Yuri Drakohrust, and human rights defenders Inna Kuley and Andrey Kim.

The attendees addressed the problems of current political, social, and economic environment in Belarus, the country’s dialogue with the European entities, participated in plenary sessions on the matters of European integration and major unifying and disintegrating factors affecting the Belarusian civil society, assessed the results of the previous year’s Congress, and developed a wide range of new projects and initiatives.

In closing, the Congress passed the Declaration with recommendations to the European and Belarusian authorities and organizations for most optimal development of the mutual cooperation, and issued two statements addressing (1) politically charged criminal persecution of Mikalai Autuchovitch and his colleagues; (2) disregard of the public opinion in the matter of nuclear power plant construction in Belarus. The English texts of the Congress’ statements were sent to the European entities, representatives of Belarus to the Council of Europe, and mass media.

The participants of the Congress also met with the representatives of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organizations of the Council of Europe, PACE, and human rights experts. Andrey Kim and Ivan Shyla were awarded Freedom Medal as the most energetic political activists of 2008 at the official ceremony attended on April, 26 by MP Christos Pourgourides, Special Reporter of the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights.

Arts exhibitions of young Belarusian artists were organized in the context of the Congress: photoexposition "Young Media" and exhibition of paintings by Valeriya Krasovskaya.

The Congress was organized by the international community Third Way with the support of the Belarusan Ruch International, Conference of International Non-Governmental Organizations of the Council of Europe, and German Marshall Fund, and The Rada of Belarusan Democratic Republic (BNR).

3dway.org

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