Kosciuszko Forum
The Kosciuszko Forum, held on 3-4 February at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, was an important event dedicated to human rights and civic freedom in Belarus.
The meeting brought together diplomats, experts and representatives of NGOs, and its importance was underlined by the fact that it was part of the activities of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Diplomats and experts on the future of Belarus
The forum was attended by leading diplomats from Poland, Sweden, Lithuania and Ukraine, as well as representatives of NGOs and experts on Eastern issues. A special guest at the event was Svetlana Tikhanouska, leader of the Belarusian democratic forces, who stressed the need to continue supporting the Belarusian opposition and civil society in their struggle for a democratic future for the country.
The forum addressed key issues related to the political situation in the region, mechanisms of support for independent initiatives in Belarus and the role of European countries in building a strategy for the country's future. Historical issues and their impact on contemporary Polish-Belarusian relations were also discussed.
Debate on memory and the future of Polish-Belarusian relations
The event included a debate entitled. ‘Challenges and Opportunities of History, Historical Dialogue and the Politics of Memory in the Context of Polish-Belarusian Relations’, in which Maciej Wyrwa, Head of Research and Scholarship Programmes at the Mieroszewski Centre, was one of the speakers. In his speech, he emphasised the importance of cooperation with independent Belarusian researchers and joint efforts to nurture historical memory.
The Kosciuszko Forum has become an important venue for the exchange of ideas and experiences in the context of the future of Belarus and the strengthening of dialogue between European partners. The event demonstrated that the topic of Belarusian democracy and human rights remains one of the priorities of the region's international policy.
Support of the Mieroszewski Centre
The Mieroszewski Centre has supported independent Belarusian civil society for many years, organising a variety of events on Belarus, including debates, conferences and theatre performances.
In recent years, the Mieroszewski Centre has organised a number of key events on Polish-Belarusian relations. Among them were:
- the presentation of the #Mieroszewski Report ‘Poles about Belarus and Belarusians’, accompanied by a panel discussion with, among others, Ernest Wyciszkiewicz, director of the Mieroszewski Centre, and Belarusian political scientist Pavel Usau.
- the debate ‘In Poland, but next to the Poles?’, devoted to the experience of Belarusian emigration, with the participation of Pavel Barkouski and experts from the University of Wrocław and the Centre for Eastern European Studies, among others.
- a screening of the performance ‘August’ by the independent Belarusian BY theatre, which, using the example of an ordinary Belarusian family, referred to the protests in Belarus in 2020, exploring collective trauma and the quest for change.
The Centre's activities also include support for research and publishing activities. One example is the research project ‘Last Citizens of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania’, conducted by a Belarusian researcher and dealing with historical memory and national identity in Belarus.
The Centre also supports independent Belarusian authors through publishing activities. Published books include 'Liberated' and Enslaved and 'For the First Soviets. Polish-Belarusian relations under Soviet occupation'.
Through these initiatives, the Mieroszewski Centre actively participates in building bridges between Poles and Belarusian civil society by supporting independent researchers, artists and activists.
