Belarusian community RAZAM

The Belarusian community RAZAM e.V. is a non-profit association of people from Belarus living in Germany. The association emerged as a result of the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests against the government of Alexander Lukashenko.[2]

Belarusian community RAZAM e.V.
Belarusische Gemeinschaft Razam e.V.
Founded9 August 2020 (2020-08-09)
Location
Membership (2022)
more than 220
Official language
German, Belarusian
Chair
Yuliya Salauyova (2023)[1]
Chair
Ina Rumiantseva (2023)[1]
Treasurer
Yauheni Fedarovich (2023)[1]
Websiterazam.de

Creation and goals

The Belarusian community RAZAM e.V. was officially founded on 9 August 2020, the day of the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, of which the results were considered to have been falsified according to Der Tagesspiegel.[3] As of May 2021, it is the biggest group representing the approximately 26,000 Belarusians living in Germany.[4]

The official goals stated by RAZAM e.V. include:[5]

  • representation of the interests of the Belarusian diaspora in Germany
  • promotion of the Belarusian language and culture
  • making Belarus visible to the German and European public
  • being a strong lobby for a democratic Belarus
  • providing assistance to victims of repression.

Funding

RAZAM receives funding via donations.[6]

Activities

RAZAM's activities include helping victims of police violence, refugees, and victims of political repression that occurs in Belarus.[7] Families of political prisoners in Belarus are helped by RAZAM with financial support for legal cases[6][7] and moral support such as sending presents to the prisoners' children.[8] Victims of police violence or torture are assisted by RAZAM in getting to Germany for medical treatment.[6]

Within Germany itself, RAZAM helps Belarusian refugees find legal assistance for asylum applications and with donations for families without work permits and ineligible for governmental financial support.[9] RAZAM has also helped Belarusian refugees in Ukraine, in cooperation with the NGO Free Belarus Center based there.[10] During the 2022 full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, RAZAM supported Belarusians fleeing Ukraine[11] including those in Poland.[12]

After the outbreak of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, RAZAM helped to collect relief supplies for Ukraine, opened a storage room in Berlin to provide refugees with clothing and hot meals, and supported mine-clearing teams in Ukraine.[13]

Information distribution and campaigning

RAZAM disseminates information and communicates with governments in the European Union.[6] In 2021, regional RAZAM groups organised rallies, concerts and art exhibitions in Germany against the Lukashenko government and publicised their view of the situation in Belarus.[14][9]

In August 2020, RAZAM was one of the co-founders of a Germany-based "Belarus Working Group" together with the German-Russian Exchange, the German think tank Zentrum Liberale Moderne, the association "Human Rights in Belarus," the European Exchange, and the German–Belarusian Society.[15]

References
  1. "Vorstand". Razam.de. 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-10-21. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  2. "Mehr als eine Solidaritätsgeste". die-kirche.de. 27 January 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  3. "Belarus-Aktivisten aus Berlin-Pankow: „Eine Stimmung wie zum Ende der DDR"". Der Tagesspiegel. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  4. "Exilanten-Sprecherin: "Für viele in Belarus gibt es kein Zurück mehr"". Der Standard. 31 May 2021. Archived from the original on 2023-01-07. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  5. "Was uns bewegt". Razam.de. 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  6. "Opposition in Belarus gets a hand from allies in Germany". Deutsche Welle. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  7. "Solidarity from Berlin to Minsk". Berliner Zeitung. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  8. "Aktion „Weihnachtswunder": Päckchen für Kinder in Belarus". Neue Rottweiler Zeitung. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  9. "One year on: Still fighting for Belarus". Exberliner. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  10. "Raus aus Belarus". Jungle World. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  11. ""Das sind auch Menschen aus Belarus, die jetzt zum zweiten Mal fliehen"". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  12. "Erstunterkünfte für belarusische Geflüchtete in Polen". Razam.de. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  13. "Minensuch- und Räumgeräte für die Ukraine". Razam.de. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  14. "Signale aus Deutschland gegen Lukaschenko". RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  15. "Belarus muss die Ukraine unterstützen". German-Belarusian Society. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
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