Are there prospects for civil society in Belarus and how to help companies in exile? These issues became central at the 20th “Minsk Forum”, organized by the German-Belarusian Society (DBG) since 1997 and which annually brings together politicians, experts and representatives of civil society from Belarus, Germany and other countries.

Like last year, this forum was not truly “Minsk” – due to the repression and political crisis in Belarus, the conference is being held abroad. Furthermore, for the second year in a row, Belarusian authorities did not participate in the discussions, although previously the forum was a very successful platform for dialogue between Belarusian society, the authorities and the West.

This time, the conferences will be held successively in Vilnius, Warsaw, Brussels and Berlin. DW – with the main theses announced on July 22, on the first day of the Minsk Forum.

Civil society in Belarus has gone underground

Speaking with a welcoming speech, Hanna Stähle, Chairman of the Board of the German-Belarus Society, noted that we now live in a time of crisis, war and uncertainty. “But today I invite you to look at Belarus’ civil society and business not through the prism of crisis, but through the prism of unrealized potential. Today we can imagine what the future of Belarus will be, although we are stuck in such a difficult situation” , she said.

The discussion on the prospects of civil society began with the refutation of the popular thesis that civil society in Belarus has been destroyed. “Yes, organizations can only be created outside, but a community is inside the country, and it can only be built on trusted people. Now civil society is turning into a clandestine movement, everything has gone underground – politics, education, culture. It is difficult to cover any civil activity in the country”, hence the effect of inaction. But those who left can speak more boldly and be the voice of those who stayed inside,” said Elena Zhivoglod, leader of the Honest People.

There are more and more initiatives in civil society structures

According to Free Belarus Center coordinator Polina Brodik, in 2020 many new faces appeared in civil society organizations: “Professional organizations can effectively use the potential of neophytes and include them in their circle. representatives of not high-profile, but important initiatives were also felt.

In turn, the manager of the “Belarusian Moladzeva Center” (Warsaw) Aleksey Lukashevich observed the growth of civic initiatives and the number of people who want to participate in them. He also spoke about the impact of civil society in exile on Belarusians within the country. “Now there is a lot of talk about where to support Belarusians – inside or outside the country. But we must understand that by helping Belarusians in exile, we help Belarusians in the countryside. For example, we record all our events, publish online and watch that more than half of content consumers are within Belarus,” says Lukashevich.

Society must unite around ideas and values

An important part of the discussion on the perspectives of civil society was also the discussion of the debate on the crisis of political leadership that has been taking place among the Belarusian democratic forces lately. Andrey Strizhak, head of the BYSOL aid fund, called the conflicts within the opposition “political cannibalism”. “In 2020, we unite against, but contra never works for long. Contra works for the moment. When you put out a fire, you’re together until the last ember goes out,” said Strizhak.

According to him, such division of the field leads to the fact that some of the people who support the democratic forces move away, because “no one wants to participate in constant fights and quarrels”. “Belarusians lack interaction. We need to talk more about the meanings and values ​​that unite us than about the personalities that represent us”, guarantees Strizhak.

Business in exile: issues and support measures

At the “Minsk Forum” in Vilnius, participants also spent a lot of time discussing the problems and challenges for Belarusian business in exile. According to the founder of the Imaguru business space, Tatiana Marinich, which was forced to close last year in Minsk and relaunched in Vilnius, the business has gone through several waves of relocation over the past two years.

The main problems that companies face are legalization and the search for financing. “For example, startups are developing through venture financing, but now a US and EU investor will not deal with a Belarusian company. Cooperation with the European Development Bank and European investment funds can help to resolve this problem, but it requires political will,” says Marynich, who asked the EU to abolish visas for Belarusian business people.

And Valery Tsepkalo, former head of High-Tech Park, talks about image and reputation issues: “Many customers of Belarusian IT companies require that not only the front office, but also the development team is abroad. This is necessary in order not to expose them to the danger of detention, and to the business itself – the risk of losing projects.”

Discussing how to help Belarusian companies in exile, Pavel Daneyko, managing director of BEROC, outlined several measures. “There is an adaptation problem and different NGOs can solve it by providing consultancy services and organizing training programs. It is important to create business associations in each country, as well as joining national associations. And third, it is necessary to create communities so that the related business representatives come together in discussions and task discussions,” says Daneyko.

How can Belarusian businesses in exile remain Belarusian?

In general, participants in the discussion positively assess the prospects for Belarusian business in exile. “An entrepreneur has a special mindset – in any situation, he thinks about opportunities and the future. This is especially true for Belarusian entrepreneurs,” says Marynich.

Valery Tsepkalo believes that everything will go well for business abroad as soon as companies and entrepreneurs can legalize: “IT companies were in this market before. They changed their location, but they didn’t change their intellectual environment”.

Responding to a question from a DW correspondent on how Belarusian companies in exile can remain Belarusian, Pavel Daneyko noted: “Companies will remain Belarusian if they establish communication with other Belarusians. We see how Belarusian companies, which have been abroad for a long time, awakened with a new wave of relocation and previously concealed their Belarusian origin. Self-identification will be preserved if a Belarusian helps a Belarusian.”