Beyond Indifference: Stories Shaping Change

About the Program

Your story matters.
Your voice can change things.

Civil societies across Europe are under pressure from war, repression, and shrinking democratic space. Young Belarusians living abroad don't need an explanation. This program was built with you in mind.

"Beyond Indifference: Stories Shaping Change" is an international youth program bringing together 40 young people aged 16–20 from Germany, Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus in exile. Together with artists, eyewitnesses of protest movements and activists, participants will explore how art and storytelling become tools of resistance — and what they can actually change.

We are looking for participants from Poland and Lithuania — Belarusians who have moved to these countries but haven't stopped caring about what happens at home and across the region.

Supported by

The project is supported by the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ) and organized by the Kreisau-Initiative, with BIPART as the official partner for Belarusian youth outreach.

✓ Travel, accommodation, meals, and all program costs are fully covered.

What You Will Do

Six days in Krzyżowa, Poland

Workshops, conversations, late evenings, and something you'll actually take home.

The central event takes place October 4–10, 2026 at the International Youth Meeting Centre in Krzyżowa, Poland. It's a place with its own history — in 1989, German and Polish leaders gathered here to begin reconciliation after decades of conflict. That history doesn't stay in the background.

The program centers on four creative workshops, shaped by what participants say they actually want to do:

01 — Workshop

Podcast & Storytelling

Working with voice and narration — how to tell stories of resistance in ways that reach people and stick.

02 — Workshop

Media Literacy Lab

Reading and using images of protest. Photos, posters, symbols — how visual language shapes and is shaped by civic movements.

03 — Workshop

Sound of Resistance

Songs and sound as civic expression — from folk anthems to contemporary protest music across the region.

04 — Workshop

Art in Action

Visual arts, theatre & performance — making something that can be performed, shown, and felt in a public space.

Living Library

Eyewitness Encounters

One-to-one conversations with people who witnessed or took part in protest movements.

◈

Mini-Grant for Your Own Project

After the exchange, you can receive a small grant to run your own civic initiative — podcast, exhibition, debate, video. The idea is entirely yours.

Workshop titles are working titles and may evolve based on the group's interests and the facilitators' input.

Program Timeline

When It Happens

May 23, 2026

Open Call

Submit your application via the online form.

June 14, 2026
Application Deadline

July 5, 2026

Finalists Notified

Selected participants are contacted by email.

July – September 2026

Preparation Phase

October 4–10, 2026
International Youth Exchange — Krzyżowa, Poland
Arrival Sunday 4 October. Workshops, creative production, final exhibition in Wrocław, farewell on October 10. All costs fully covered.

October – November 2026

Youth-Led Micro-Projects

Implement your own local initiative with a mini-grant, supported by online coordination with the project team.

A sample day in Krzyżowa might look like: a morning podcast workshop on narrative and voice, a Living Library session with a witness of historic events in the region, an afternoon working on your group's media project, and an evening intercultural program with participants from all four countries.

Who Can Apply

This is for you if…

You are 16–20 years old
You are Belarusian and currently living in Poland or Lithuania
You are interested in democracy, civic participation, or human rights
You can communicate in English freely — the working language of the program
You are available for the full exchange period: October 4–10, 2026
You are willing to implement a small civic initiative in your community after the exchange

No prior experience in activism or media production is required — but it gives an advantage.