BELARUS DIGEST

By lhar Lalkou

Belarusian society is deeply split. Less than a decade after the establishment of an independent Republic of Belarus, one part of society is so radically separated from the other that if a casual observer were to overhear conversations and read articles by the two groups, it could be concluded that they live in different worlds. Of the parameters that identify a nation, place of residence is the only thing these two groups have in common. They differ by language, their historical memory, identity (despite the fact that both call themselves Belarusians, the meaning is completely different), relations with other nations (dose and distant), their vision of the country ’s future development, etc.

It sometimes seems that these two groups would feel more comfortable in two different countries. The two Belaruses already have two totally separate sets of national symbols. One set comprises the knightly emblem Pahonya (a knight on horseback against a red shield) and the white, red and white flag. The other set comprises’ a traditional Soviet shieldless emblem look-alike framed by a garland and a red and green flag with an ornamental pattern. The Pahonya was inherited by Belarus from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL), a state in which the ancestors of most Belarusians dominated during the greater part of their history (in the 13″‘-18″ centuries).

Together with the white, red and white flag, the emblem was adopted as the national emblem of the Belarusian People’s Republic (BPR), the first state to appear on these lands after the break up of the Russian empire. These symbols are still used by the BPR government-in-exile that had to leave Belarus in 1920 under the blows of Soviet Russia’s Red Army. These symbols were also the first state symbols of the independent Republic of Belarus between 1991 and 1995.

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Members of the Belarusian-American Association responded to the new attack of the government of Belarus on the constitutional rights of their citizens by staging a protest in the very center of Washington, DC. The Russian service of the Voice of America covered the event supported by the Reporters Without Borders and WE REMEMBER Foundation.

Behind the extensive control over Internet access and online content that President Lukashenka has the obvious intention to reduce free expression in Belarus. Last year, the government claimed that China was a model in terns of Internet control. This year, President Lukashenka signed a decree subjecting online access in internet cafes to an identity check or to prior online authorization that depends on the applicant.

VB

Read more about this event and the problem in Russian at VOANEWS.com.

A new monograph, Writing in a Cold Climate: Belarusian Literature from the 1970s to the Present Day, by Prof Arnold McMillin, a distinguished researcher of Belarusian literature, has been published in the UK.

This is a pioneering work of such kind in English, up-to-date and reflecting on Belarusian literature through the eyes of the western scholarship. The book launch will take place in London on 25 February, 5.30 pm (Masaryk Room, floor 4, SSEES, 16 Taviton St, WC1H 0BW).

In the publisher’s words:

Belarusian literature, which survives and, indeed, flourishes in the face of unfavourable domestic political conditions, deserves to be far better known in the West. It continues to flourish as an important aspect of national consciousness in a semi-denationalized state, and at its best can compare with the literature of its Slav neighbours including Russia.

The present monograph, the first of its kind, attempts to describe and assess the work of nearly two hundred writers and literary groups, ranging over poetry, prose and drama. The coverage includes provincial as well as metropolitan literature and groupings, and pays particular attention to seven outstanding authors of the period, to historical writing which is particularly important in a country where history has been suppressed and denied, and to the youngest generation of talented poets and prose writers born in the early 1980s at the very end of the Soviet Union’s existence.

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6:30 p.m., November 23, Monday
Rayburn House Office Building, U.S. Congress
Independence Ave. and South Capitol Street, Washington, DC 20003

The Third Way Belarus and Belarusan Museum in New York in cooperation with the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) and the German Marshall Fund of the United States will hold an opening reception of Art Against Dictatorship Exhibition on Monday, November 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the foyer of Rayburn House Office Building.

Among the speakers at the event will be Pavel Marozau, Chair of the Congress of New Belarusian Diaspora in Europe and the United States and Belarusian dissident; Representative of U.S. Helsinki Commission; Representatives of the Belarusian Diaspora in US and Belarusan Museum in New York; Anastasios Sarikas, a well-known lawyer and supporter of Belarusian Art Movement; Belarusian artists Ales Shaternik, Yahor Batalyonak, Belarusian-American artists Yelena Tylkina and Yulia Shaternik. There will be photos and videos about the current situation in Belarus.

The dictatorship of President Lukashenka’s regime over the past 14 years has dramatically marginalized the diversity of Belarusian national culture and arts. Those artists who tried to express their freedom through the language of arts have been subjected to continuous marginalization and suppression.

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Tuesday, November 17th 2009, 2pm-5pm

Location: Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and the Mortara Center for International Studies (3601 N. St. NW)
Evgeny Morozov, Andrew Carvin, Arvind Ganesan, Shanthi Kalathil, and Marc Lynch will discuss the evolving nature of authoritarianism in the age of social media and digital communications. The speakers will assess the impact of new communication technology on regime stability, free expression and civic engagement, and discuss the changing political environments in Russia, China, and Iran.
Session I: 2:00 PM  3:00 PM
Evgeny Morozov
Yahoo! Fellow at Georgetown University
Session II: 3:30  5:00 PM
Andrew Carvin
Senior Strategist, Social Media Desk, National Public Radio
Arvind Ganesan
Director of Business and Human Rights, Human Rights Watch
Shanthi Kalathil
Co-author, Open Networks, Closed Regimes: The Impact of the Internet on Authoritarian Rule
Marc Lynch
Professor, The George Washington University
This program is sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and the Mortara Center for International Studies at Georgetown University, with the generous support of the Schott Foundation and Yahoo!
This event requires a ticket or RSVP

Радыё Свабода і Інстытут падтрымкі дэмакратыі ва Ўсходняй Эўропе правялі дыскусію “15 гадоў, адлік працягваецца: унутры Лукашэнкавай Беларусі”.
У дыскусіі, якая адбылася ў Вашынгтонскім офісе нашага радыё, удзельнічалі беларускія апазыцыйныя палітыкі Вінцук Вячорка і Лявон Баршчэўскі, празь відэасувязь у Празе – дырэктар Беларускай рэдакцыі РС Аляксандар Лукашук, вёў дыскусію былы амбасадар ЗША ў Беларусі Майкл Козак.
Паглядзець відэафрагмэнт дыскусіі, дзе ўдзельнікі адказалі на пытаньні па-беларуску
Паводле Радыё Свабода

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and the Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe invite you to a briefing with top Belarusian pro-democracy leaders

15 Years and Counting: Inside Lukashenka’s Belarus

November 12, 2009, 9:00AM-10:30AM

Panelists:

Vintsuk Viachorka
Co-Chair, United Democratic Forces of Belarus
former Chairman, Belarusian Popular Front

Lavon Barshcheuski
Author; former Chairman, Belarusian Popular Front

Alexander Lukashuk
Belarus Service Director, RFE/RL, Inc. (by videolink from Prague, Czech Republic)

moderated by
Amb. Michael Kozak, Senior Advisor, US Department of State

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Iryna Khalip of Belarus Wins Courage in Journalism Awards from the International Women`s Media Foundation.

2009 Courage in Journalism Award winners: Iryna Khalip of Belarus, reporter and editor in the Minsk bureau of Novaya Gazeta; Agnès Tailé of Cameroon, media consultant and former reporter for Canal 2 International, radio and television; and Jila Baniyaghoob* of Iran, freelance reporter and editor-in-chief of the Web site Kanoon Zanan Irani (Iranian Women`s Center). The 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award winner: Amira Hass, a reporter and columnist for Ha`aretz Daily, anewspaper based in Tel Aviv.

For more in-depth bios of Iryna Khalip please visit this link.

WHEN: Monday, October 26, 2009 @ 7:00 p.m.**
WHERE: The National Press Club, Washington D.C.

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On October 16, 2009, a screening of “The Soviet Story” followed by a reception was organized by members of the DC chapter of the Belarusian-American Association (BAZA) as part of the activities aimed to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with Belarus.

“Given the current repressive and dictatorial regime in Belarus, we thought it appropriate to commemorate the 16th with a screening of this film that documents past atrocities that Belarus has suffered under the Soviet regime,” said Alesia Kipel, co-chair of the DC chapter of Belarusan-American Association in her address to the audience.

“The Soviet Story” is a 2008 documentary film about Soviet Communism and Soviet-German collaboration before 1941, written and directed by Edvīns Šnore. The film argues that there were close philosophical, political and organizational connections between the Nazi and Soviet systems before and during the early stages of World War II. It highlights the Great Purge as well as the Great Famine, Katyn massacre, Gestapo-NKVD collaboration, Soviet mass deportations and medical experiments in the GULAG.

У 1949 годзе была заснавана найстарэйшая арганізацыя беларускай дыяспары ў ЗША – Беларуска-Амэрыканскае Задзіночаньне (БАЗА). З гэтай нагоды БАЗА сумесна з іншымі беларускімі арганізацыямі Нью-Ёрка ладзяць сьвяткаваньне 60-й гадавіны працы. Праграма ўключае дзённую частку, што будзе праходзіць у беларускай праваслаўнай царкве ў Брукліне, а таксама вячэрнюю забаўляльную частку, што пройдзе на арэндаваным прагулачным караблі.

ДЗЁННАЯ ПРАГРАМА (пачатак а 1:00 папаўдні)

Грамадзкая зала Сабору Сьв. Кірылы Тураўскага
401 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY

- Прывітаньні
- Рэферат пра гісторыю і сёньняшні дзень Беларуска-Амэрыканскага Задзіночаньня
- Кароткія моманты з жыцьця БАЗА за 60 год
- Выступы старшыняў аддзелаў і гурткоў БАЗА (Старшыня Галоўнай управы, старшыні аддзелаў Нью Ёрк, Нью Джэрзі, Кліўлянд; Старшыня ЗБМА; кіраўнікі гурткоў)
- Паказ кароткіх відэаматар’ялаў
- Выставы фотаздымкаў, прадметаў нацыянальнага мастацтва, кнігаў ды іншай друкаванай прадукцыі, марак, інш.

Рэкамендуемыя ахвяраванні на дзённую праграму – $30 з асобы.

ВЕЧАРОВАЯ ПРАГРАМА (7:00-11:00 вечара)

Тур на караблі вакол начнога Манхэттана – Sunset Cocktail Cruise.

Кошт квітка на тур – $39 з асобы.

Па дадатковую інфармацыю, калі ласка, зьвяртайцеся:
Вячка Станкевіч stankievichw@hotmail.com 732 222 1951
Віталь Зайка vital_zajka@hotmail.com 718 296 1458.

Yesterday was the seventieth anniversary of yet another alteration of the Belarusian borders. On September 17, 1939, Western Belarus was reunified with Eastern Belarus and the Red Army marched into Poland. The reunification was made possible by the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, concluded between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany a month earlier.

Eighteen years earlier, at the end of the Polish-Soviet War, Belarusian territories were divided between Poland and Soviet Russia under the terms of the Peace of Riga. Poland acquired Hrodna and Brest oblasts as well as the parts of today’s Minsk and Vitebsk oblasts.

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