Brussels Forum Session: Civil Society’s Role in Building Democratic Resilience: Lessons from Central and Eastern Europe
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is the president-elect of Belarus, according to independent observers of the August 9, 2020, election.
After the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022, Tsikhanouskaya restructured the democratic movement's leadership by creating and chairing the United Transition Cabinet as a decision-making center. Belarusian anti-war activists led by Tsikhanouskaya conducted underground resistance in Belarus by sabotaging the railway transportation of Russian troops as well as volunteering for Belarusian-staffed units fighting for Ukraine.
As the leader of the Belarusian democratic movement, Tsikhanouskaya has visited 28 countries, gathering support and advocating for the release of more than 1500 political prisoners and a peaceful transition of power. In meetings with foreign leaders, she has emphasized the need for a bolder response to the actions of the Belarusian dictatorship.
Tsikhanouskaya entered the presidential race after her husband, Siarhei Tsikhanousky, was arrested for voicing his presidential aspirations. She united and successfully led the democratic coalition. Following her forced exile, she inspired unprecedented peaceful protests in Belarus. When Russia’s full-scale invasion began, she initiated the movement to prevent the participation of Belarus in the war against Ukraine. Among dozens of distinctions, Tsikhanouskaya is a recipient of the Sakharov Prize, the 2022 International Four Freedoms Award, and the Charlemagne Prize. In 2021 and 2022, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She has been recognized in Bloomberg’s Top 50 Most Influential People, Financial Times’ Top 12 Most Influential Women, and Politico’s Top 28 Most Influential Europeans.
Brussels Forum Session: Tech Wars: Who Will Win the Innovation Race?
Frank H. McCourt, Jr., is a civic entrepreneur and the executive chairman of McCourt Global, a private family company with work across the real estate and infrastructure, sports, technology, and media industries. Frank is proud to extend his family’s 132-year legacy of merging community and social impact with financial results.
He is the founder of Project Liberty, a $500-million initiative building solutions to help people reclaim a voice, a choice, and a stake in a better internet. In 2024, Project Liberty announced The People’s Bid for TikTok, a grassroots effort to purchase and redesign the platform, giving individuals more control over their online experience, alongside notable partners such as Alexis Ohanian, Kevin O’Leary, Tim Berners-Lee, Jonathan Haidt, and countless supporters nationwide.
As an alumnus of Georgetown University, McCourt has served on the Board of Directors for many years and, in 2013, made a $100-million founding investment to create Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. He expanded on this in 2021 with a $100-million investment to catalyze an inclusive pipeline of public policy leaders and put the school on a path to becoming tuition-free.
Frank owns the French football club Olympique de Marseille and formerly owned the Los Angeles Dodgers. Frank has built upon the McCourt family’s construction background with initiatives from Boston’s Seaport to large, mixed-use projects in Dallas, London, Phoenix, New York City, and elsewhere.
Frank is also the author of “Our Biggest Fight”.