One thing that hasn’t been referred to directly, but has always been in the background, is respect for humanity: an understanding that the energy and activity of individual people is Belarus’s most valuable asset. If the rights of Belarusians to grow and use their talents are not upheld, and if they are not safe from arbitrary abuses of power, Belarusians will never be able to build the country they want.

The spirit of independence and the possibility of solving problems are the main catalysts of transformation. The future of Belarus will be built by enterprising people who aren’t afraid to shoulder responsibility.

Meanwhile, the government’s task should be to ensure that such people have confidence in their own ability to drive change, which the state can achieve by respecting human rights, guaranteeing safety, and giving people room to live up to their potential. This, in turn, will give rise to a more enlightened patriotism.

Democratization, as Belarusians understand it, encompasses more than just freedom. Democratization is also a necessary starting point for dialogue—which is the first step to solving any problem. Without it, there cannot be honest discussion about the state of the healthcare system or the quality of education. The problem is, contemporary Belarusians have pretty much never lived in a democracy, which means that we will have to spend a lot of time learning how to hold open discussions.

Belarusians have become disillusioned with today’s economic model, which cannot guarantee the quality of life that Belarusians need. Therefore, the Belarus of the future must move towards a market economy system, foster entrepreneurship, stimulate innovation, and invest in human capital. Companies like BelAZ, for example, don’t necessarily need to be shuttered, but they do need better management and a more competent owner than the government.

Sometimes, it’s tempting to think emotionally that Belarus needs radical (quick, large-scale) economic reforms, but what the Belarusian economy really needs first and foremost is fair rules.

Despite their tendency towards liberalism, Belarusians also value equality among people, equality before the law, and equal opportunities for people from different regions. Belarusians find it important to bridge any large gaps between the poor and the rich or between the quality of medical and educational services that different people receive. Maybe the country’s Soviet legacy has affected Belarusians’ understanding of social justice, but the Belarusian government does not actually want to live in a world of equal opportunities.

We’ve alluded to technology several times in these texts: not just in our pieces about digitalization and economics, but also in those that address medicine and education. The world will keep moving forward, and Belarus needs to avoid becoming a backwater. Luckily, innovation permits us to do more than catch up with the global economy: it also gives us the chance to overtake it in places—and take pride in ourselves for doing so.