November 23 2009, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m
Event Summary
In Belarus, where censorship is pervasive and President Lukashenko presides over an autocratic regime, humor and satire are key ways for citizens to express dissent and discontent with the government. In a 23 November 2009 lecture at the Kennan Institute, Pavel Marozau, Chair, Congress of the New Belarusian Diaspora of Europe and the United States, discussed his own activities as the Founder of The Third Way Expatriates’ Network and the power of satire and new technology to challenge the established order.
The internet is a unique place for expression and free discussion in Belarus, since most other forms of media are tightly controlled by the government, explained Marozau. Three million people are currently connected to the web, and thirty percent of the population is in their youth or middle-age – a demographic more comfortable with the social networking capabilities of the internet.
Founded in 2004, the goal of the Third Way Expatriates’ Network was to create short satirical cartoons as a means of speaking out against Lukashenko. Marozau drew several parallels between his work and samizdat in the Soviet era:
• the same KGB methods were used to intimidate and scare activists;
• the majority of society did not accept democracy or freedom of speech as reasonably expected rights;
• the power of the government was strong and oppressed alternative opinions; and
• the risks of being imprisoned or physically harassed were high.
However, Marozau stressed that one major advantage in today’s world is the utility of new technology, allowing his organization to present its satires on multiple platforms — not just textual but audiovisual — and to show them to a greater number of people located anywhere in the world. The Third Way also makes use of off-line distribution methods such as putting out DVDs and CDs which are passed among friends and family.
"Cartoons are good for mobilization of youth," said Marozau, who described how young people have contributed their efforts, doing everything from creating the cartoons to distributing the finished content. The movement is only growing, Marozau concluded, as new volunteers from Ukraine, Russia, and several EU countries join the Third Way Expatriates’ Network.
By Larissa Eltsefon
Blair Ruble, Director, Kennan Institute
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