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Dubbed “the last dictatorship in Europe,” Belarus has made few steps toward democracy since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. In fact, Belarus has experienced economic and political stagnation under the rule of President Aleksander Lukashenka, whose regime has become progressively autocratic since he was first elected in 1994.
IRI has assisted Belarusians in their struggle for democratic change since 1997, working in several key areas: political party strengthening, women’s empowerment and youth leadership development. These programs are the foundation of IRI’s mission to support democratic organizations as they face increasing repression and help their leaders and activists prepare for a future democratic Belarus.
Political Party and Candidate Development
Belarus’ political parties are determined to build and improve their country and put it on a path towards freedom and democracy. Dissatisfaction with the regime is growing and citizens are looking for alternate policy ideas, giving the democratic opposition an opportunity to present themselves as credible alternatives to the regime. Over the past several years, IRI has worked with opposition political parties and movements to develop issue-based campaigns that speak to voters concerns. IRI also works with these parties to develop political analytical groups within their organizations to interpret data and build platforms on issues important to Belarusian citizens.
In advance of the presidential election in 2010 and parliamentary elections in 2012, IRI assisted pro-democratic forces in message development and dissemination and voter issue-identification. IRI also consulted and trained individual campaigns, political parties and civil society groups on campaign messaging, strategies and plans.
As the political opposition continues its work, IRI will stand with them offering them the support they need to continue their struggle for democratic change.
Youth Leadership Development
To prepare the future generation of Belarusians to participate in a democratic system, IRI offers young people workshops and cross-cultural exchanges where they can freely discuss challenging issues and devise strategies to tackle those issues while cultivating contacts and building networks with like-minded activists in neighboring countries. Included in these workshops are sessions on message development and using social networking websites as tools for campaigns.
Women’s Initiatives
Women’s participation is vital to the lasting success of any democracy. In Belarus, IRI works with political party leaders to encourage the inclusion of women candidates in all elections and in the development of party strategies which address those issues that particularly concern women voters. Through a series of roundtables and events for politically active women, IRI has brought activists together to discuss pertinent issues and strategize on how to encourage greater participation of women in Belarusian party structures.
