The "Happy Mother's Day, Belarus" campaign supports the fight for the freedom of the Belarusian people 15.10.2020
16.10.2020
Happy Mother's Day, Belarus — this is the slogan promoting the latest Belarusian House Foundation's initiative. In the coming weeks, its representatives will encourage the international community to send postcards to the world's largest media and organisations. The aim of the postcards will be to show what is currently happening in Belarus. The Foundation chose 14 October — the day on which Mother's Day is celebrated in Belarus — as a symbolic date for the beginning of the campaign. The initiative of the Belarusian House Foundation is supported by the Polish Government.
The revolution in Belarus has been going on for over two months now. Despite the repression, street protests organised almost all over the country continue. Every
single day, we hear from the news about the brutality of OMON (police special forces) officials towards the citizens. Last Sunday, the repressive measures against
peaceful demonstrators and independent journalists were stepped up. Members of the Bureau of the Belarusian Coordination Council — led by Swiatlana
Cichanouska — were detained or forced to travel abroad. Although few European countries recognise this appointment, Alyaksandr Lukashenka was secretly sworn in
as President of the country a fortnight ago.
— For two months now, our compatriots have been fighting bravely for freedom. They take to the streets every day, demonstrate our national commitment to freedom and courageously oppose a brutal regime. This revolution is led by women. Here in Poland, we feel a moral obligation to support them. That is why we are symbolically beginning our action on the very day when Mother's Day is celebrated in this country. We are doing this for all mothers of Belarus,' says Aleś Zarembiuk, president of the Belarusian House Foundation.
The campaign is about sending postcards showing the heroism and courage of Belarusian women fighting for freedom to the world's largest media and international organisations. It is possible to generate one of the postcards on a dedicated website — mothersdaybelarus.pl — developed thanks to the cooperation between the Belarusian House Foundation and the Polish Post Office, and send them to newspapers such as the New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde and Der Spiegel.
— I therefore ask you to publish this postcard on the front page of your newspaper and website, reminding the whole world that Belarus is fighting. For freedom, for
self-determination, for democracy. For a better life for all Belarusian mothers — this message will be printed on the back of the postcard. The front will feature graphic
artwork based on photographs by Belarusian photographer, Nadia Buzhan.
— Public interest in what is happening in our country is inevitably fading gradually. We want this spark to keep smouldering. The process of democratic change will be a
long and tedious one. Any symbolic action — such as that of the Belarusian House Foundation — can be of great importance in the long term. We want the world to see
that Belarus keeps fighting. The postcards we will send to the most influential media and international organisations will certainly contribute to this goal. — adds Volha
Kavalkov, a member of the Bureau of the Coordination Council of the Democratic Forces of Belarus, who supports the campaign.
According to Ales Zarembiuk, the community of Belarusian oppositionists found in Warsaw not only shelter from the regime, but also safe conditions to continue their
activities and initiatives of this kind. — If it were not for the openness of the Polish Government headed by Prime Minister Morawiecki, we could not have acted so
effectively. Poland is, and always will be, home to all Belarusians who long for freedom. We experience this every day in Warsaw, Wrocław, Białystok, and all other
Polish cities. — says Ales Zarembiuk.
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Contact for the media : Anastazja Kożapienka +48 533 250 306
Campaign website address: mothersdaybelarus.pl
Belarusian House Foundation — a long-time centre of Belarusian culture in Poland. The foundation's activities include support for civil society and independent
press in Belarus, research, education, and promotion of Belarusian culture.