German Marshall Fund: Belarusian Exhibition “Art Against Dictatorship”
The Third Way of Belarus, the Belarusian Museum in New York and other organizations with the generous support of the German Marshall Fund of the United States are presenting "Art Against Dictatorship". This traveling exhibition addresses the integral part that the alternative arts scene plays in preserving and enhancing Belarusian culture, particularly in the face of political pressure, that marginalize their mainstream presence.
The Exhibition, presents paintings and sculpture, of the most prominent Belarusian artists and dissidents Ales Shaternik, Ales Marachkin, Mikoia Kupava, Henadz Drazdou, Ryhor Batalyonak, Yury Platonau, Julia Shaternik and Yanka Romanovitch. This diverse exhibition will provide unique insights into contemporary Belarusian art. The reception will be held on Thursday, February 12, from 5:00 – 6:30 pm at 1700 18th Street NW, Washington DC. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Carolyn Colome by email (wklereuropeintern2@gmfus.org) or phone (202 683-2655) by Tuesday, February 10th. Download the exhibition flyer.
Belarus moves up in Doing Business Report – 2009
WASHINGTON – Belarus moved up from the 115th to the 85th place in Doing Business report annually released by the World Bank. Economies are ranked annually on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 181, with first place being the best. In the report released earlier this month Belarus is considered to be a top reformer in Eastern Europe & Asia along with Azerbaijan, Albania, the Kyrgyzstan.
The Doing Business report praised the country as the world top reformer in registering property. The report illustrates how the local entrepreneurs in Minsk benefited from the reforms:
Comparing the registry a few years back and today is like night and day. From waiting in long lines taking up to a few months, we went to a modern, efficient one-stop shop. They even have a webcam in the one-stop shop to check the waiting line," says Alexander, a seasoned entrepreneur in Minsk.
However, Belarus still has the most complicated and business-unfriendly tax system in the world. The country keeps the very last place in this ranking. Worldbank.org posted the full text of the report as well as the updated ranking.
