Vážené kolegyne, vážení kolegovia,

dávame Vám do pozornosti list od našej bieloruskej kolegyne, ktorá hľadá podporu medzinárodnej akademickej komunity. Jednou z foriem podpory je podpísanie otvoreného listu vyjadrujúceho solidaritu so študentskou a vedeckou komunitou, ktorá sa nachádza pod tlakom pre svoj občiansky postoj.

https://www.change.org/p/the-government-of-belarus-letter-of-solidarity-to-belarusian-students?fbclid=IwAR2bHseTNegGnN-02eEePZ32IfpShXmh5UY4II0T4q_owUX75kH5RSX8Rgg
alebo  https://forms.gle/VHw7X4sgn7fLxtqq9

 

Vyjadrujeme nesúhlas s perzekvovaním bieloruskej študentskej i akademickej komunity a podporujeme naše kolegyne a kolegov v snahe iniciovať zmeny vedúce k demokratizácii spoločnosti.

Vedenie FF UMB   

 

„Dear colleagues!

We are writing to you on behalf of the Belarusian academic community.

Right now there are massive protests taking place in Belarus against the anti-democratic illegitimate government, which a lot of Belarusian students, university staff and researchers are involved in.

The uprising resulted from falsified presidential elections in August and a violent police crackdown on peaceful protests that followed shortly afterwards, as well as a lack of academic freedom, ideological dogmatism and oppression at universities that is a very old problem in Belarus. Students and staff are forming strike committees at universities, but unfortunately, many of them are facing heavy repressions both from the state and the university administration. Special police forces are detaining and beating students, arresting lecturers and blocking universities all over Minsk. For example, on 31 August Sviatlana Volchak, a Belarusian State University (BSU) lecturer who took part in creating the university strike committee was sentenced to 15 days of administrative detention for "taking part in an unauthorized mass event"; her husband Mikhail was sentenced to the same term. Sviatlana and Mikhail are also both active members of the Wikipedia community in Belarus.

Therefore, we are seeking support from the international academic community and would like to ask universities abroad to express solidarity with Belarusian protesters.

Here are some ideas how you could help:
1. Write (open) letters of support;
2. Sign open letters of solidarity with Belarusian students and scientists who are now under administrative pressure for their civil stance:
https://www.change.org/p/the-government-of-belarus-letter-of-solidarity-to-belarusian-students?fbclid=IwAR2bHseTNegGnN-02eEePZ32IfpShXmh5UY4II0T4q_owUX75kH5RSX8Rgg
or
https://forms.gle/VHw7X4sgn7fLxtqq9
3. If your university has contacts or partnerships with education officials at Belarusian universities, please use them to express solidarity with protesters and concerns with lawless repressions;
4. Spread the word about the situation in Belarus/ Belarusian academia with the help of local or international media, social networks, student organizations, public events at your university.

We would be really grateful for your help and hope for further cooperation with you in the future!

To follow updates on the situation in Belarus:

https://www.voiceofbelarus.com/?fbclid=IwAR2l-959QC5mcg84J74LoOi52QpI88XYDIByj2-dYib7twg-FK3j6RT3-Jo
To donate money to Belarus Solidarity Foundation: https://www.facebook.com/donate/759400044849707/1523380014538448/

Thank you very much for your support!

Sincerely,
Olga Shparaga, Ph.D.
Director of the concentration “Modern Society, Ethics, and Politics”
European College of Liberal Arts (ECLAB, http://eclab.by)“