Belarusian Solidarity Union Association

About the association

Who we are:

We are a registered organization that represents the interests of Belarusians in Wrocław. Mutual assistance, integration and adaptation of Belarusians, preservation of national culture, informing the public about events in Belarus – this is just a small list of what we do on a daily basis.

Our mission:

We are creating an open, strong and influential diaspora of Belarusians from Wrocław and Lower Silesia.

What we do:

  1. We inspire and support the Belarusians of Lower Silesia in their efforts to develop contacts and strengthen cooperation with the local Belarusian and Polish communities, as well as to integrate into Polish society.
  2. We preserve and spread folk traditions, contribute to the formation and development of the national consciousness of Belarusians.
  3. We inform the Polish and European society about the problems related to the violation of the rights and freedoms of Belarusians, as well as about the situation in Belarus.

Our values:

Belarusianness – we are deeply aware of the great value of culture, language, history and traditions for the formation and liberation of our Belarusian people. Therefore, we strive to support and strengthen the Belarusian identity, expand knowledge about history and cultural heritage, promote and use the Belarusian language.

Solidarity is about unity and supporting each other. We all mutually strive to help in difficult life situations, to support those who need help.

Democracy – for us, every person has the right to participate in the life of the organization and decision-making, as well as to express their views and criticism. Decisions are never made alone, on the contrary, we try to involve as wide a circle as possible in this process.

Human rights means that unity and universality of rights for every person is essential for us, regardless of any criteria. The rights of each of us, such as freedom, security, non-discrimination, justice, etc. must be preserved, always and under all circumstances.

Volunteering is about the voluntary desire to share one’s time, energy, skills for the benefit of the organization without necessarily receiving financial compensation. We value and recognize the role that volunteers play in supporting our initiatives and the development of the organization as a whole.

History (not the whole):

  • March 23, 2021 – We have been officially registered by the Polish District Court as Stowarzyszenie Białoruski Związek Solidarności.
  • June 4, 2021 – the first official visit of Svetlana Tsikhanowska to Wrocław, as well as the awarding of the Jan Novak-Jezoranski Prize to her, Maria Kolesnikova and Olga Kovalkova.
  • June 5, 2021 – Joint opening with the city authorities of the Belarusian mural along the street. Legnicka 64, dedicated to the struggle of Belarusians for freedom and independence.
  • June 13, 2021 – Holding of the first General Meeting of Community members.
  • June 18-20, 2021 – Festival of Independent Belorussian Culture
  • September 25, 2021 – participation of Community representatives in the Conference of Belarusians of the World.
  • November 12, 2022 – The community held a vote and nominated its representative to the Coordination Council of the second convocation from the Belarusian diaspora of Lower Silesia

Statute:

In our organization, the Charter is the main document that prescribes the goals, methods, rules, and principles of the organization’s functioning. This is a special constitution that outlines the most important aspects of our activities.

Read our Statute to learn more about the goals and principles of activity, rights and obligations of members, organizational structure and authorities, regulation of financial issues, in short, about everything most essential for the existence and functioning of the Community.

Statute in Polish
Statute in Russian

Friendship

It is the friends of our organization who create its foundation. It is you who, by filling out the declaration and paying the membership fee, officially joined the Community to be able to support it, to be elected to leadership positions, to receive help in the first place and much more.

General Assembly

The General Meeting of Friends is the highest authority and the most important governing body, which performs a key function in our organization. The General Meeting is an event at which all official members of the Community gather to jointly make important decisions, as well as discuss current issues and strategic directions of our activities.

So, for example, the AC approves reports on past activities, elects management for the coming year, can change the Statute or make a decision on key issues. Read more about the General Assembly in the Statute.

Rada

Between the General Meetings, the executive body of the Community is the Council. It is an organ elected by the General Meeting, consisting of 3 to 6 people, among whom there is a Chairman of the Council and a Deputy Chairman. These people are responsible for managing the Community, implementing the decisions of the General Assembly, accepting and excluding new members and much more.

You can read more about the powers and duties of the Council in the Statute.

Audit Commission

The implementation of the Charter, financial control, activities of the Council, and the legitimacy of decisions are monitored by a body called the Audit Commission, or simply the RK. There, at the General Assembly, 2 to 3 people are elected, who later choose the Head of the RK and the Deputy among themselves. This is a classic analogue of the judicial system.

You can read more about the tasks and duties of members of the RK in the Regulations of the RK, as well as in the Statute.

What we do right now:

  • We help political prisoners and their families.
  • We support Belarusian initiatives.
  • We educate children and youth.
  • We are meeting with Polish local authorities.
  • We initiate cultural events.
  • We are developing our own information space.
  • We organize solidarity actions.
  • We hold meetings and appointments.
  • We develop the competencies of our friends and volunteers.
  • We are part of the democratic movement.

Links

Statute in Polish
Statute in Russian
Facebook Community https://www.facebook.com/bzswroclaw/
Instagram of the Community of Belarus Wroclaw⚪️🔴⚪️ (@supolka_bel_wro)
Email: supolka@supolka.pl or BZSWroclaw@gmail.com
Telegram channel https://t.me/belarusy_wroclawa