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Building a Network State in Exile: the “New Belarus”' E-Governance and Alternative Voting System

In cooperation with the Belarusian Institute of Public History, the Center for Belarus and Regional Studies at European Humanities University, Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe, and Universität Bremen, the Department of Public History at the FernUniversität in Hagen is organizing the Belarus Colloquium in the academic year 2024/2025. This Colloquium aims to create a platform for scholars focusing on Belarus to share and discuss their research.

This presentation explores the development and influence of Belarus's e-governance platform, “New Belarus,” established in 2022 to aid the country’s pro-democracy movement amidst political repression and forced migration. It evaluates the platform's role in promoting civic engagement, maintaining electoral integrity, and offering alternative identification, Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and blockchain-based voting. It specifically examines the platform's performance during its first significant test in the Coordination Council elections held in May 2024, identifying both achievements and obstacles. Through this case study, the presentation provides insights into the potential of e-governance for exilic communities and its broader implications for statehood in the digital era.

Short biography

Dr. Sasha Razor, received her PhD in Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies from UCLA. She is a lecturer in Germanic & Slavic Studies and Film & Media Studies at UC Santa Barbara.