Strengthening the role of youth activism in democratizing European societies

On May 15-20, Belarusian alter globalist groups, together with EYFA, organized the Belarusian Social Forum, an autonomous space in Minsk where Belarusian and foreign activists and grassroots initiatives met face to face to discuss local Belarusian as well as global themes. The overall theme of the meeting was 'strengthening the role of youth activism in democratizing European societies'.

The meeting led to a better understanding of the social and political reality in Belarus for Belarusian as well as international activists, and stimulated the level of national and transnational cooperation among them, breaking through the isolation that most Belarusian activists are working in. For activists from isolated Belarusian regions especially, this meeting provided an alternative to dictatorship style society building and the opportunity to develop political, social and cultural activities in opposition to authoritarianism and neo-liberalism.