"Voices Squeezing Through The Bars".
An exhibition with this title is being held at Summerhall in Edinburgh, Scotland. The organizers are the Belarusian People's Consulate in Scotland and the German-Swiss non-governmental organization Libereco, which focuses on human rights protection in Belarus and Ukraine.
.jpg)
Visitors to the exhibition can see drawings by former and current political prisoners.
.jpg)
"Collecting the works of political prisoners was a challenging and emotionally intense process," notes one of the exhibition organizers, representative of the Belarusian People's Consulate in Scotland, Irina McLean. "We contacted 'Free Postcards' and 'Viasna', gained access to their databases of political prisoners' drawings. With their support, we were able to select these works. We used quotes directly from the drawings."
.jpg)
During the exhibition, visitors can donate to "A Country to Live in" foundation. Irina McLean's daughter, Julia, actively participated in organizing the exhibition. Irina explains this by the girl's inner need:
.jpg)
"Julia is 16 years old. When 2020 happened, she was 12, and she immediately started helping. She wrote letters to Sasha Ivulin when he was in prison, played football, attended rallies in support of Ukraine, drew 'No War' posters, met with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and raised money at school. She tells her friends and our neighbors about what real Belarus is and why we are a European nation."
.jpg)
Belarusians in the UK also organized an installation at the Summerhall event with the names of political prisoners.
Summerhall it is a ruined castle that now serves as an exhibition complex. Summerhall is the only place in the UK where the white-red-white flag of Belarus has been officially raised. Director Robert McDowell is very proud of this fact and notes that he made this move as a sign of solidarity with Belarusians. He was inspired by our struggle for freedom and the personal stories of political prisoners and activists. McDowell always talks about supporting Belarusian political prisoners, calling it "a small contribution to a great cause."
.jpg)
And this is not the only step towards Belarusians. Libereco and the Belarusian People's Consulate in Scotland are holding their second exhibition within the walls of Summerhall. Also, in December 2022, a screening of the film "Kupala" was held here with the support of Robert McDowell.
"A Country to Live in" foundation strives to draw international attention to the issue of Belarusian political prisoners so that the voice of Belarus and Belarusians is heard around the world. An example is the Solidarity Relay "Voice Across Borders: Intercontinental Relay in Support of Belarus." This is the first international online community aimed at informing people worldwide about the political crisis and human rights violations in our country.
We are launching a solidarity relay that will pass through various countries and diasporas and end in November 2024. The relay will include exhibitions, concerts, discussions, and webinars that will tell about Belarus, our culture, and the challenges we face. We are also raising funds to help Belarusians who have suffered from the regime.
You can join the relay through the relay's social networks:
Facebook: Voices Across Borders
Instagram: voices_acrossborders
Support can be provided via the link.
We are grateful for your support and solidarity! We also believe that a Belarusian helps another Belarusian. Europeans and people worldwide must not associate Belarusians with the current regime in our country but see us as we truly are.
An exhibition with this title is being held at Summerhall in Edinburgh, Scotland. The organizers are the Belarusian People's Consulate in Scotland and the German-Swiss non-governmental organization Libereco, which focuses on human rights protection in Belarus and Ukraine.
Visitors to the exhibition can see drawings by former and current political prisoners.
"Collecting the works of political prisoners was a challenging and emotionally intense process," notes one of the exhibition organizers, representative of the Belarusian People's Consulate in Scotland, Irina McLean. "We contacted 'Free Postcards' and 'Viasna', gained access to their databases of political prisoners' drawings. With their support, we were able to select these works. We used quotes directly from the drawings."
During the exhibition, visitors can donate to "A Country to Live in" foundation. Irina McLean's daughter, Julia, actively participated in organizing the exhibition. Irina explains this by the girl's inner need:
"Julia is 16 years old. When 2020 happened, she was 12, and she immediately started helping. She wrote letters to Sasha Ivulin when he was in prison, played football, attended rallies in support of Ukraine, drew 'No War' posters, met with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and raised money at school. She tells her friends and our neighbors about what real Belarus is and why we are a European nation."
Belarusians in the UK also organized an installation at the Summerhall event with the names of political prisoners.
Summerhall it is a ruined castle that now serves as an exhibition complex. Summerhall is the only place in the UK where the white-red-white flag of Belarus has been officially raised. Director Robert McDowell is very proud of this fact and notes that he made this move as a sign of solidarity with Belarusians. He was inspired by our struggle for freedom and the personal stories of political prisoners and activists. McDowell always talks about supporting Belarusian political prisoners, calling it "a small contribution to a great cause."
And this is not the only step towards Belarusians. Libereco and the Belarusian People's Consulate in Scotland are holding their second exhibition within the walls of Summerhall. Also, in December 2022, a screening of the film "Kupala" was held here with the support of Robert McDowell.
"A Country to Live in" foundation strives to draw international attention to the issue of Belarusian political prisoners so that the voice of Belarus and Belarusians is heard around the world. An example is the Solidarity Relay "Voice Across Borders: Intercontinental Relay in Support of Belarus." This is the first international online community aimed at informing people worldwide about the political crisis and human rights violations in our country.
We are launching a solidarity relay that will pass through various countries and diasporas and end in November 2024. The relay will include exhibitions, concerts, discussions, and webinars that will tell about Belarus, our culture, and the challenges we face. We are also raising funds to help Belarusians who have suffered from the regime.
You can join the relay through the relay's social networks:
Facebook: Voices Across Borders
Instagram: voices_acrossborders
Support can be provided via the link.
We are grateful for your support and solidarity! We also believe that a Belarusian helps another Belarusian. Europeans and people worldwide must not associate Belarusians with the current regime in our country but see us as we truly are.
Continue
