Initiative for Free Belarus

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Initiative for Free Belarus Events supporting
democratic opposition in Belarus
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What was done before theMarch 2006 elections

• International Day of Solidarity with Belarusian
  Nation (Demonstrations on 16th of every month)
• Photo exhibition (Palace of Culture and Science
  in Warsaw)
• Seminar Elections in Democratic System
• Established www.forbelarus.eu,
  www.wolnabialorus.pl
• Financial Fund for the support of democratic
  opposition
• Concert Solidarity with Belarus
• Poster campaign (CTL BB)
• Promotional materials

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International Day of Solidaritywith Belarusian
Nation.(16th manifestations)

• From January 2006 through Election day, on 16th
  every month, we organized a demonstration as a
  show of support. We coordinated our actions
  across many Polish cities. Every demonstration
  ended with lighting candles at 7pm (at the same
  moment when Belorussians were putting candles in
  their windows).

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January 2006
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Chain of Solidarity with Belarusian Nation
March 2006
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Balloons of freedom
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Candles at 7 p.m.
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Tent in front of Belarusian embassy
(for 40 days).
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Photo Exhibition in Palace of Culture -Warsaw.

• On the Palace of Culture and Science we hung a
  huge banner challenging the validity of the
  elections in Belarus
• Photo exhibition in the Palace hall showing
  opposition politics, journalist, oppositionist
  who were killed and situation in Belarus in
  general.
• Exposition was open from 1st to 20th of March
  2006.
• Photographer was Piotr Tychlinski

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Big plans .
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Project
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Realization
Realization
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Project
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Photo exhibition in the Palace of Culture and
Sience
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Seminar Elections in Democratic System

• From the 10th to 12th of March, we organized a
  seminar about the meaning of the elections in a
  democratic system for a group of students from
  the underground school, Kolas, in Minsk.
• The focus of the seminar was
• Elections in a Democratic System
• Experience of Poland during the its period of
  transition to democracy

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www.forbelarus.eu www.wolnabialorus.pl
Two kinds of information

• Knowledge compendium about Belarus

• Hot news
• Reports of current political repression of
  opposition
• Reports of activities, actions and events
  supporting Belarus
• Summary of media exposure about Belarus

• History
• Geography
• Politics
• Arts
• Economics
• Sociology
• Tourist guide

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Support Fundfor Democratic Opposition

• The Fund, which is registered with MSWiA,
  collects and distributes money to oppositionists
  and their families who are in need.
• Organized with Zagranica Group, East European
  Democratic Center,
• Polish Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and
  with many others polish NGOs.
• BRE Bank S.A. o. Regionalny w Warszawie,
• Acount nr 85 1140 1010 0000 5805 8100 1013

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Solidarity with Belarus Concert

• On 12th March 2006, we organized a concert for
  the support of Belarus, on New Town Market in
  Warsaw .
• Polish and Belarusian groups sang both Polish and
  Belarusian songs from 70s and 80s, along with
  original works.
• 5000 people were in the square and 1,5 million
  watched by TV.
• Concert was transmitted live by TVP1 and TV
  Polonia.

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Outdoor Campaign (CTL BB)

• Billboards Do you really know ? in
  Belarusian. 40 points along 2 main roads from
  Poland to Belarus. On display 1st 20th March.
• Citylight 300 in Warsaw and Bialystok.
  Information about concert, opposition support
  fund and website. 1st 15th March.

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Are you certain that you really know all
candidates for president of your country
? Elections, Belarus 2006
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Truly free source of information is a basic right
of every Belarusian. Elections, Belarus 2006
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Promotion materials.

• - Stickers Wolna Bialorus with our website
  address - www.wolnabialorus.pl. 10/6 cm.
• - Bangle bracelets White / Red / White bangle.
  All profits go to the Support Fund for Belorusian
  Democratic Opposition.
• - Ribbons White / Red / White, 2 cm wide
  ribbon. Short fragments of the ribbon were
  distributed as a sign of solidarity.

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Grzegorz Markowski
Kasia Nosowska
Lawon Wolski
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Muniek
Agata Buzek
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Sticker
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Ribbon. . 100 km
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Recent Projects October 2006 to January 2007

• Weekend in Poland
• pressBy.pl
• Polish - German - Belorusian Cooperative
  Project
• pressBy.eu
• Our websites www.wolnabialorus.pl,
  www.forbelarus.eu

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Weekend in Poland

• Eleven weekend events which were attended by 250
  young Belarusians. During the Friday, Saturday
  and Sunday workshops, the attendees could choose
  from one of the following subjects
• Journalism the current role of the media in
  world
• The Citizen in the Democratic Country
  Non-governmental organizations and local
  administration
• History of Polish Transition and the Belarusian
  reality
• Formation of Leaders
• Program was a big success and we are seeing that
  these kinds of short weekend workshops are
  greatly needed.

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PressBy.pl
One week training for young Belarusian
journalists
Very intensive one week training for young
journalists. Recently many Belarusian newspapers
have been closed by Lukashenko and so many young
people have lost their jobs. We are helping them
to utilize this period of time to increase their
experience and knowledge in the media industry.
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Polish German Belarusian Cooperative
Project ? 5 seminars in Belarus
March April 2007 Seminar about culture as a
binder of todays Europe. Belarus, Poland and
Germany whats different and whats similar.
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PressBy.eu
Project
Website with hot news and analysis prepared by
Belorusian students from Konstanty Kalinowski
scholarship . Platform of comunication mostly for
Belorusians, from all over the world. Website in
Belorusian, Russian and Polish. Website will be
hosted on a Polish server making it more
accessible and more difficult to restrict access
by the current regime.
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Websites www.wolnabialorus.pl and
www.forbelarus.eu Ongoing Expansion
Our website has expanded outside of Poland with
the introduction of www.forBelarus.eu. Our
website now is in Polish, Belorusian and English.
A French version is under construction.
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www.wolnabialorus.pl www.forbelarus.eu