Ales Belyatsky: We Need To Prepare For Change
- 27.08.2026, 14:38
A Nobel Prize laureate spoke at Campus Polska Przyszłości.
Belarusian society is under intense pressure, but that does not mean people have resigned themselves to the regime. This was stated by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Beliatski during a meeting with participants of Campus Polska Przyszłości in the Polish city of Olsztyn.
This was the first panel session to kick off the Campus event. More than a thousand youth activists from all over Poland were in attendance. There were also Belarusian students currently studying in Poland, according to “Viasna”.
The event took place on August 26 at Campus Arena, and the discussion with the Belarusian human rights activist was moderated by MEP Michał Szczerba. The organizers introduced Ales Bialiatski as one of the symbols of the Belarusian democratic movement, the founder of the “Viasna” Human Rights Center, and the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
He devoted a significant portion of the conversation to what is happening in Belarusian society following years of repression, noting that people in Belarus are under enormous pressure, but this does not mean that society has resigned itself to the existing system.
“People are afraid, but they’re angry at this regime,” Ales Bialiatski emphasized.
The human rights activist also reported that a new criminal case had been opened against him in Belarus following his release. And there are many such cases of persecution.
The Nobel laureate placed special emphasis on the younger generation. In his view, Belarusian youth have already proven that they want to live in a free and democratic society. He noted that this is particularly important to him, since, despite the repression, some Belarusians continue to work for the sake of the country’s future.
“Young people have proven that they are just like any other young people in Europe who want to live in a normal country,” said Ales Beliatski, emphasizing that the work toward a free Belarus has not been in vain.
The chairman of the “Viasna” Human Rights Center spoke about his release in December 2025. After more than four years in the Belarusian prison system, he was released and immediately taken to Lithuania. Once free, he observed that there were significantly more initiatives by Belarusian youth in Lithuania, Poland, and other European countries than the human rights activist could have imagined while in prison.
He urged young Belarusians not to waste time and to take advantage of opportunities for education, civic engagement, and preparing for the future:
“We need to study and prepare for change.”
According to Ales Beliatski, even under the harsh restrictions within Belarus, civic activism has not disappeared. He compared it to a river flowing underground: it is not visible on the surface, but it continues to exist and may resurface when the political situation changes. After all, over the years of his work, the human rights activist has been in contact with hundreds of Belarusians and has seen how much of society wants nothing to do with the dictatorship; people are biding their time, and in the meantime must study, work, remain active, and preserve their ability to act.
The Nobel laureate also spoke specifically about political prisoners, emphasizing the importance of their resilience:
“I am proud of my people, of my youth, because thousands of people are in prison as political prisoners. And these people have decided that they will not give up.”
The very structure of the Campus turned Ales Beliatski’s speech into a direct conversation not only about Belarusian politics but also about how young people can shape the future of society. The official program emphasized that he had come to Olsztyn specifically to meet with the event’s participants. The organizers described this conversation as an opportunity to meet in person with a man who had spent more than four and a half years in prison for his human rights activism.
During the conversation, the Nobel laureate also called on Polish youth to support human rights organizations and pay attention to the situation of Belarusians who have found themselves in Poland. In particular, one of the participants told him about a Belarusian student who was unable to obtain the necessary documents to continue his studies in Poland. Ales Beliatski replied that such people must be supported, although, in his estimation, such cases remain isolated for now.
Thus, the speech by the founder of the “Viasna” Human Rights Center on campus centered on three main themes: the state of Belarusian society amid repression, the preservation of democratic sentiments among young people, and the need to prepare for future changes. Open activism in Belarus is significantly restricted today, but civic engagement continues, and a portion of Belarusians remains ready for democratic change.
On the first day of the Campus, alongside Ales Beliatski, the following spoke at the official opening: the mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski, Minister of Education Barbara Nowacka, Minister Sławomir Nitras, the Marshal of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship Martin Kuchczynski, the mayor of Olsztyn Robert Szewczyk, and Polish parliamentarians, with whom the human rights activist also had time to speak.