Past Event! Note: this event has already taken place.
EVENT: A conversation with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, National Leader of Belarus
November 21, 2022 at 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Join us for a conversation with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, National Leader of Belarus and the Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus. This event is organized by the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies at Carleton University. It will take place on Monday November 21st from 3:00PM-4:30PM.
Due to a high volume of registrations, we have reached the room’s capacity limit. The entire event will be streamed live on Zoom, so you may still participate virtually. Please register for the event to receive the Zoom link.
About the Event:
Mrs. Tsikhanouskaya will discuss the democratic situation in Belarus following the 2020 presidential election, widely denounced as illegitimate by international election observers, and the significance of the Lukashenko regime’s support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well her unique insights into the role of women at the highest-level of international politics.
About Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya:
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is the leader of the Belarusian democratic forces who independent observers agree won the presidential election on August 9, 2020, against the autocratic President Aliaksandr Lukashenka. She stepped into the race after her husband was arrested for his presidential aspirations. Lukashenka publicly dismissed her as a “housewife,” claiming that a woman can’t become president. Tsikhanouskaya united Belarusian democratic forces together with two other leaders – Maria Kalesnikava and Veranika Tsapkala.
After her forced exile to Lithuania, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya inspired unprecedented peaceful protests around Belarus, some of which numbered hundreds of thousands of people. She visited more than 20 countries gathering support for free Belarus. She advocates for the release of 500+ political prisoners and peaceful changes through a free and fair election. In meetings with Chancellor Merkel, President Macron, President von der Leyen, President Charles Michel, and other world leaders, she emphasized the need for a braver response to the actions of the Belarusian dictatorship.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya became a symbol of peaceful struggle for democracy and female leadership. Among dozens of other distinctions, she is a recipient of the Sakharov Prize awarded by the European Parliament, 2022 International Four Freedoms Award, and Charlemagne Prize. In 2020, Lithuanian President Nauseda and Norwegian MPs nominated her for the Nobel Peace Prize. She is included in Bloomberg’s TOP-50 Most Influential People, Financial Times’ Top 12 Most Influential Women, and POLITICO’s Top 28 Most Influential Europeans.