Belarusian students under threat receive support from The New Democracy Fund
European Humanities University Emergency Fund for persecuted Belarusian students is granted 300,000 DKK from the New Democracy Fund.
The New Democracy Fund was established in December 2020 – and the work has already begun. One of the first initiatives has been the management of the Rapid Response Funds, which are allocated for sudden needs and emerging opportunities in the Eastern Neighborhood countries.
One of the first grants are now awarded to Belarusian students under threat of expulsion, persecution, or arrest.
During their study years Belarusian students of Belarusian higher education institutions are facing significant restrictions of authoritarian administration limiting them in activities that is not in line with the priorities of the Lukashenko regime.
The crisis in the Belarusian education sector even deepened in 2020, both because of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as increased repressions of the regime after the Belarusian presidential election.
The 300,000 DKK given by the New Democracy Fund will be used to establish the EHU Emergency Fund, which will provide financial assistance and support for Belarusian students transferring to European Humanities University (EHU) in Lithuania from Belarusian universities, including students expelled or threatened with expulsion, persecution, or arrest.
About EHU
European Humanities University (EHU) was founded in Minsk in 1992 and designed after western-style universities with a focus on humanities and social sciences studies. The Belarusian authoritarian regime led EHU to exile and re-establishment in Lithuania in 2006. Nevertheless, EHU keeps introducing democratic ideas to the youth of Belarus through the research and study activities, which are focused on the development of civic education, broadening of human rights and potential through freedom of speech, thought, and research. Read more here
About the New Democracy Fund
The New Democracy Fund is part of the Danish Foreign Ministry’s Eastern Neighborhood Programme. After a call for proposals in the autumn of 2020, the Danish Foreign Ministry chose the consortium behind The New Democracy fund, which counts the following organisations: Danish Cultural Institute (DCI), the Danish Youth Council (DUF), International Media Support (IMS), 3F – United Federation of Workers in Denmark and the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI). With a budget of 50 mio. DKK for 2020-2022 the New Democracy Fund aims to strengthen new interregional co-operation and exchange of experience between civil society organisations and cultural, educational and knowledge institutions in Denmark and the Eastern Neighborhood countries Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Read more about the Rapid Response funds here