Day of Solidarity

We all act as hinges- fortuitous links between other people.
~Penelope Lively

For Art Thursday, decorative hinges in Belarus. Aren't they striking?

July 16, 2020, is a special day for women’s solidarity in Belarus. On this day, Maria Kalesnikava, Veronika Tsepkalo, and I made a decision in 15 minutes to join our forces and unite our presidential campaign headquarters.
~Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is the leader of Belarusian democratic forces who beat the autocratic president Aliaksandr Lukashenka in a presidential election on August 9th, 2020, according to independent observers. She stepped into the race after her husband was arrested for his presidential aspirations. Lukashenka publically dismissed her as a “housewife,” сlaiming that a woman can't become president. Tsikhanouskaya united Belarusian democratic forces together with two other leaders – Maria Kalesnikava and Veranika Tsapkala.

Ways Tsikhanouskaya suggests to commemorate the day:
* Write letters to political prisoners in Belarus.
* Write a tweet/social media post or take a video in support of Belarusian women with the hashtag #StandWithBelarus and/or tag Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (Twitter: @Tsihanouskaya).
* Support Belarusians by donating to funds helping political prisoners and their families, such as BySol, A Country to Live In, #BY_help.