Why Is MediaBarCamp Being Held In Lithuania?
Logical question about MediaBarCamp’s location is being asked for two years repeatedly. Indeed, why Lithuania? Is it possible to hold a BarCamp in Belarus? Choosing the location, organizers were guided by several considerations.
Visas + registration. To enter Belarus, foreigner needs a visa, a medical insurance document and sometimes registration, which may be carried out in assigned places only with obligatory staying there. We would rather avoid unnecessary procedures, paper work and problems. Organizers have the opportunity of Lithuanian visa support.
Wi-Fi. It sounds funny nowadays (Belarusians are having this kind of fun for several years, though), but Wi-Fi in Belarus is the monopolist provider’s ‘image project’. Wireless internet connection for a non-conference free spot is supernaturally problematic to get.
Location. Having organized something in Belarus, you should have found that legally taken premises may ‘suddenly’ and ‘unexpectedly’ close for maintenance; light may switch off, a phone terrorist call may also occur. There are dozens of dirty tricks to ruin any non-governmental event.
We are not trying to organize the BarCamp for Belarusians only. On the contrary, it is an attempt to attract those who are interested in New Media development problems and media activism in the region.
