Trees for freedom in Belarus

 
Although Belarus is officially independent, there still is a lot of work to do before this countries’ inhabitants are really ‘free’. In Eindhoven, Holland, on September 16th, 2008, four trees were planted to commemorate four disappeared people from Belarus. One year before, the leader of the opposition, Viktor Gonchar, and businessman Anatoly Karovsky, disappeared in Minsk. Since 1999, Yury Zakharenko, member of the opposition and cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky (2000) are missing. Together with the family of the missing people, Eindhoven planted trees to remember them.
 
This poem was written regarding this day:
 
4 trees for Belarus
 
4 men

 
who stood up against the one
that took the people’s freedom
and disappeared
 
4 trees

 
planted here as living signs

so that we won’t forget a single day

to mourn for
 
4 men


who stood up against the one

that took the people’s freedom

and disappeared
 
 
 Leo Mesman