This discussion addresses the learning process of Belarusian civil society in the course of ‘Belarusian Awakening’ starting from spring 2020, considering how civic mobilization has launched multiple forms of self-organization and civic initiatives, both in Minsk and beyond. In particular, the speaker traces the most innovative civic initiatives found in the Belarusian context, to explore instruments protesters used to organize collective actions and help the protest participants. These developments are discussed in the contexts of the societal trends in 2010s Belarus, and in the context of the longer national history of social movements. The special focus is on the long-term impact of digitalization on the current political disposition in Belarus.
The invited speaker, Dr. Vasil Navumau (PhD in Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences), specializes in comparative analysis of contemporary protest trends in the Eastern European countries, under the influence of globalization and ICTs. He implemented research projects in Uppsala University (IRES) in Sweden, Bremen University (FSO) in Germany, Warsaw University (“Artes Liberales” Faculty) in Poland, and Tartu University (Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies) in Estonia, focusing on the transformation of activism in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine with the advent of the Internet. Building upon the findings of the dissertation “Social Activism in Contemporary Belarus. New Social Movement Approach to the Tent Camp Protest Action in Minsk, 2006”, he published the book “Belarusian Maidan” (Navumau, 2016).
Moderator – Dr. Siarhei Liubimau (EHU Department of Social Sciences and Laboratory of Critical Urbanism).
NB! The event will be held online via Zoom on May 24 at 1:30 PM (Lithuanian time). To participate, please register via the link.