Коллаж: Алиса Гончар / Collage by Alisa Hanchar
Less than 1523 civil society organizations (CSOs) are currently undergoing forced liquidation or have declared self-dissolution. Repressive measures have targeted human rights, educational, environmental, gender, charitable, cultural, and other initiatives. In the special project «Liquidation«, Reform.news recounted the story of the «cleansing» of the Belarusian third sector.
Nevertheless, Belarusian civil society continues to evolve. New initiatives are emerging beyond the country’s borders aimed at supporting Belarusians. Many third-sector organizations have managed to survive and adapt to the changed conditions, demonstrating unprecedented flexibility and resilience.
The special project «Survivors«, about the adaptation of CSOs to the new reality, initiated by Reform.news, begins with a conversation with Lena Zhivoglod, the leader of «Honest People,» to find out how the organization has changed since 2020.
«*Honest People» emerged as an independent organization for election monitoring, lacking a clear structure or leaders. It was a group of concerned Belarusians advocating for transparent elections and supporting those who suffered for their beliefs. Before the 2020 presidential elections, the «Honest People» community organized various activities: training independent observers, and encouraging Belarusians to participate in precinct election commissions. The group’s efforts, including the emergence of the phenomenon of white bracelets, became a symbol of a massive movement for change. Joining forces with the «Voice» and «Zubr» platforms, «*Honest People» exposed multiple violations and falsifications during the presidential elections.
The first campaign of «*Honest People» started in June 2020. Activists explained to citizens in simple terms how the electoral code works and what rights they have. They explained why turnout is necessary. More than ten thousand people registered as observers across the country.
– Usually there is an initiative, an organization, and then there is the potential to become a social movement. With «*Honest People», it was the opposite. It was a movement of thousands, says Lena Zhivoglod.
At the same time, people began to participate massively in the flash mob with white ribbons – wearing them on their arms and clothes and giving them to their loved ones. #HonestRibbon – a symbol of purity and hope. It is also an important tool in the fight against election fraud. Therefore, it is extremely important to spread this symbol among all Belarusians», – in this way, «*Honest People» called on everyone to express their position to show how many citizens actually supported the idea of fair elections.
– Activists joined us, distributing white ribbons at their own expense. The idea was on the surface. Everything coincided here – a low entry threshold and understandable mechanics. It was a fixation of values. At some point, there was a shortage of white ribbons in Minsk! I am proud of the team and the idea, although it is the merit not only of «*Honest People». Belarusians believed in independent candidates: Tikhanovsky, Babariko, Tsepkalo. The effect felt like a combination of factors.
Lena is even more proud of the resilience of her team — since 2020, they have managed to retain more than 80% of their staff. Currently, there are 15-20 people on staff who work full-time. The core team, like Lena herself, comes from marketing and communications, while some come from video production.
– We expanded but didn’t lose ourselves. That’s the key to our success. It happened because we gathered people who had worked together before. We knew each other. This creates additional trust and cohesion. The core team left Belarus on August 4th. We flew to Kyiv because arrests of organization members and independent observers had already begun. We understood that we wouldn’t be allowed to work peacefully if we published real information. We left for two weeks, with backpacks, a couple of socks, a sweater, and a sundress. There was a plan: either we win and can return, or we don’t win and can return.
– For three days, there was no internet in Belarus. Violence erupted on the streets. Everyone was in a state of adrenaline and shock. It was August in Kyiv, a couple of weeks after the elections. After reporting on the falsifications, there was a turning point because we didn’t have a plan for what to do next. We decided that we would register the organization and continue working. By the end of August, we had defined our long-term goals: developing civil society through educational campaigns and encouraging the study of one’s rights. We set ourselves a broader task than just observing elections. In fact, we are working on the politicization of citizens and the formation of critical thinking.
According to Lena, being in the country is the right and necessary thing to do – it is more effective than interacting with the community from the outside. The turning point in the history of «*Honest People» came earlier than for other initiatives. By the end of 2020, the organization was registered in Vilnius. Therefore, the «purge» of CSOs, which unfolded massively in 2021 and heavily impacted Belarusian society within the country, did not directly affect the «*Honest People» team.
– I’ll say something that may not be popular, and forgive me, my colleagues. I was surprised when in 2021 the liquidation caught CSOs off guard. After August 2020, it became obvious that repression was growing, and they would ‘cleanse’ everyone. It seemed to me that we should be prepared for this. We needed to move, register organizations. It was terrible and abnormal, but it was predictable. «*Honest People» underwent restructuring earlier and in a tighter timeframe. For us, the turning point was rather August-September 2020 when we were expelled from the country.
Writing grant proposals and seeking funding became a new experience for the organization, which took some time to absorb. But by 2021, Lena finally breathed a sigh of relief, realizing what to expect and what not.
– *Honest People» is a team that from the very beginning put a lot of effort into creating a people-oriented system. In 2020, many operated on adrenaline, but then started to burn out and leave. The resilience of our organization is based on our team. How to ensure that people don’t burn out, follow their values and personal mission, finding opportunities to implement them within the organization? It is necessary to pay attention to what unites us, and then build processes. It is important for each team member to understand clearly and transparently how we function.
So, it’s a combination of ideas, values, processes, and people. We’ve learned to organize processes so that they are comfortable and interesting. So don’t hesitate to spend time interacting with people. As long as they are interested, the team maintains its strength.
This approach allows the team to simultaneously develop no less than six projects. The key areas of work for «*Honest People» are focused on combating disinformation and anti-propaganda, interacting with students, and collaborating with government officials.
In the «Dialogue with the People» project, work is carried out with civil servants who disagree with the regime – both those who are still in the system and those who have already left. For them, the team created a secure chatbot where they can freely communicate with each other, share their stories of repression, and unite for joint actions. Since August 2020, more than three thousand officials have reached out to it.
Many of them have been offered various training and professional development programs. Additionally, «*Honest People» explain to citizens the current problems in public administration, delve into who government officials are and who they are accountable to. For example, the website minister.agency with dossiers on Belarusian ministers shows who manages Belarus.
In the «Chamber No. 666» section, «*Honest People» analyze the most important innovations in Belarusian legislation and explain how Belarus became a country with non-functioning law in general.
«The Ministry of Truth» is a YouTube show where Belarusian comedians debunk the myths of state propaganda. In the «Antipropaganda» project, they explain how and why propaganda works. The regular segment «YouTube vs. Television» consists of educational and civic campaigns that allow communication with Belarusians within the country.
In addition to educational communication, «*Honest People» support civic activism where it is still possible:
– It is clear that the space for action is becoming more limited. We emphasize that Belarusians can effectively collaborate with their acquaintances and loved ones because personal relationships foster greater understanding and trust. Where we have the opportunity for active participation, we offer it.
Training and development of activists occur within the community and the virtual «Peramen Hub«, where one can receive consultation from experts for their project, find a team, or join an existing one.
The profile of «*Honest People» consists of so-called «electoral campaigns», during which the team conducts their own campaigns – educational and activist. According to Lena Zhivoglod, Lukashenko’s elections are «non-elections», imitation, and deception. She notes that there is consensus on this issue among democratic forces, and «*Honest People» adhere to a unified strategy, conducting a campaign for active boycott.
– In short, it’s about fighting for the minds and hearts of Belarusians. If we delve into the details, it’s about the opportunity to use a single voting day to expand the circle of supporters of democratic change.
While Lukashenko’s goal is to depoliticize Belarusians because «politics is complicated, you don’t need to get involved in it, and the father will solve everything», we provoke people to think and draw their own conclusions, to gain their own experience of political participation.
– An active approach involves working with our surroundings. Today, we can understand that instead of elections, we have a fake, and we will be given appointees. At the same time, there are people for whom this is not so obvious. We have young people, more than 200 thousand of them, who have not yet been to polling stations. We have those who believe in state propaganda. People who skipped the agenda in 2020, who have lost interest and motivation. We urge interaction with our surroundings and using the single voting day as an opportunity to communicate with loved ones. To discuss what exactly is wrong with these elections. Why it’s not elections, but rather imitation. To study the appointed deputies and discuss the overall situation in the country. Thus, we aim to politicize and engage Belarusians.
Today, coming to the polling station and voting «against all» is the only safe way to demonstrate our disagreement with what is happening. It’s not a street protest, but if we disagree with what’s happening, then the question arises «what to do?». We can simply ignore it, and that plays into the hands of the regime: the «wrong» ones will stay at home, and the «right» ones will come to the polling stations, simulating elections. That’s why it’s better to come to the polling stations and see women with bouffant hair yourself. To see what kind of candidates they appoint for us. This will be an active boycott.
Since March 2023, Lena Zhivoglod has been combining leadership of «*Honest People» with a position as vice-speaker of the Coordination Council. Inside this structure, as in democratic forces in general, heated debates are raging about how best to react to the upcoming presidential elections and what can be done. In her opinion, it would be a wrong step to ignore the current situation and simply assert that «everyone already knows, everyone understands».
– Even while in exile, we continue to strive to provide Belarusians with accurate information, engage them in independent media, so they can draw their own conclusions and resist the regime. If boycott or ignoring leads to apathy, it is not a strategically sound decision for democratic forces and, in particular, for the organization «*Honest People». When it comes to how to respond to presidential elections, our answer is through active actions.
Regarding the prospects of Belarusians in Belarus in 2025, Lena admits that «*Honest People» face uncertainty, as Lukashenko continues to tighten control, depriving activists of the opportunity to call for actions that could lead to arrests: the repressive regime is working at full capacity, and over the past four years, the forces of suppression have only strengthened.
The strategy of «*Honest People» for Belarusians is not to ignore what is happening, to understand the tactics of Lukashenko’s regime, and not to lose activity. To push Belarusians to make their own decisions, rather than blindly follow political slogans, whether they are from democratic leaders or Lukashenko.
– Unfortunately, I’m not firmly convinced that by 2025 all of us will return to Belarus. It would be wonderful if it happens. The external context and the internal political situation may align, leading to a transitional period. But are there any grounds today to claim that 2025 will be a turning point? It doesn’t seem so. Therefore, we need to be prepared for the possibility that this may be just one of the campaigns, not the final point, not the decisive moment.
Lena admits that she is pleased with the realization among Belarusians: simple formulas with three elements, where you have to do «this» and «that,» and we will win, do not work.
– In 2020, millions took to the streets believing that with such massiveness, Lukashenko could not remain in power. In 2024, we realized that our civic activism does not directly influence the regime, but we are responsible for our actions.
Even a pseudo-electoral campaign represents a period of turbulence that the regime is preparing for. They make changes to the electoral code, remove the lower threshold of voter turnout because they fear protest voting, and conduct «cleansings» of society. The transitional period will begin; Lukashenko is not immortal. We are preparing quickly, efficiently, and positively. It only depends on us whether 2025 will become an additional opportunity for civil society.
Text: Herman Zabaronak. Photo: Alisa Hanchar
The special project «Survivors» documents the state of Belarusian civil society organizations (CSOs) in the year 2024.