We were told about existence of gipsy communities of Gomel region by the pastor of one of Gomel churches Dmitry Podlobko. After taking part in our seminars and knew our conception of work with local communities he told us of service of his church among gypsies. We coordinated an expedition and a visit to two settlements – Probor and Bolshevik. In the 10th of December in the morning we came to Gomel. At first we came to the family of Nikolai and Olga Anufriev. They are parishioners of church of Dmitry Podlobki and work with gypsies. (more…)

In the process of preparation to the Workshop (Organizational Activities Game, Activities 1.2. and 4.1.) on the issue of analysis of real Belarusian situation in 2007 we specified and clarified actual contexts and tasks of this event within the project implementation. We have defined the situation in the system of civic education as unidentified and unclear in conceptual and strategic terms. “Today it is necessary to shift from small and middle-size projects and one-time actions to strategic, conceptual and program activities. For that we need not the short qualification courses but long-term educational program, not trainings and seminars but Schools and Popular Universities, i.e. such structures and institutions that are able to create programs of education. Thus Organizational Activities Game (OAG) should become the method of organization and launch mechanism for system element design for the civic education in Belarus” [Report for results of game techniques preparation, January-February 2007]. (more…)

S.A. Matskevich
The latest period of the history of civic education in Belarus is already over 10 years old. In fact, 2006 was a year for reviewing and assessing the results of the activity conducted by our educators and all those involved in the process, as the results of civic education become clear in a real, active situation, when citizens can be expected to show their civic qualities. Also being assessed are the results of the reflection and thinking of those formulating and implementing the aims of civic enlightenment. These reflecting subjects might be politicians, political analysts, leaders of governmental and non-governmental organisations, as well as the teachers and educators themselves. Thinking cannot permit any self-deception and lies. Reflection and thinking based on objectives and assumptions that derive from unreliable values and logic will produce false conclusions, and therefore errors in implementation. Erroneous reflection conducted in the past paves the way for mistakes to be repeated in the future, means the aims of civic education are unachievable, and results in them being ousted by slogans, ideologems or myths. (more…)

These days, the peaceful co-existence of diverse elements in Belarus has become practically impossible. An OMON officer uses a club to clear the square of young people because they subscribe to different political viewpoints; drunken hooligans beat up citizens on the underground simply because they are from a different area of town; Christians are forbidden to pray in their own church because they hold divergent beliefs… One group of people is always different in some way from the next, and all you need to do is to guess which of these will sooner or later, try to ‘wipe you out’… Or will you perhaps try to wipe them out first? (more…)

A fast and a hunger-strike are very different things. Entirely different. They have so little in common that we now seem to be in two separate worlds.

The hunger-strike is a form of protest used by people when they want to show by their actions that they would rather die than live with the injustice (misfortune or problem) against which they are protesting. That is to say, these people would prefer to live, but only to live a life that satisfies their requirements of it.

By going on a hunger-strike, people are demanding something of others. Their demands may be very great, but broadly fall into three categories:

- The hunger strikers insist that their demands are satisfied;
- They demand attention;
- They demand sympathy, understanding and compassion. (more…)

“Then I asked Julian Castle what “zah-mah-ki-bo” meant.
- Do you want a simple answer or a whole answer?
- Let’s start a simple one.
- Fate - inevitable destiny.”

(Kurt Vonnegut “Cat’s Cradle”)

What is appalling is that everyone understands how things are. Belarus is a country of absolute understanding. In spite of the incredibly diluted intellect of the masses and the totality of our self-deception, it does seem to be possible to achieve understanding. Yet the paradox lies not in this, but in our complete inability to take any action in keeping with this understanding. Without exception, the people of Belarus are infected with abulia, or impaired willpower. This, apparently, is our cruel fate… (more…)

The day before yesterday. Those of us still at the camp have more than a day to go before it is broken up. Next to me stands a veteran of the opposition, who has been at every meeting since 1988. God, how well preserved he is! I wish I was as quick-witted as he is! There are about a thousand people at the square and he thinks this is a victory, though I can’t see anything victorious about it. But as soon as I try to communicate my doubts to him, he interrupts me, not wanting to hear a word of it, and saying: “So you think we should do nothing!!!” This wasn’t a question, it was a categorical statement. But I certainly wasn’t saying that there was nothing to be done. I only wanted to say that perhaps we weren’t doing this quite right. Even that we ought not to be doing this. (more…)

Three hundred Spartans, surrounded by thousands of the enemy, died for the freedom of their country. And three hundred young people freeze beneath the unfurling white and red flags in the centre of their country’s capital, surrounded by the indifferent, daydreaming residents and guests of the city. Maybe it’s not five hundred, not three. But does that make any difference? (more…)

The events of March 19 were no great surprise. Nor was the entire run-up to the elections. The result was exactly as predicted. And this result means defeat. Our defeat. My own personal defeat, in that I failed to disseminate the Movement’s ideas widely enough – ideas, which, if realised could have produced a very different outcome.

In a way, March 19 2006 was the dying day of an epoch whose beginning had been marked by the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the velvet revolutions of 1989. The 17 years that saw the triumphant spread of democracy across Eastern Europe, originating in the capitals of the Vyshegrad Group, should have reached their conclusion in the capitals of the Transcaucasus. Minsk should have emerged successfully through the revolution of 1996. But instead of impeachments and the establishment of democracy in Belarus, there was a coup d’etat. At the time, many regarded this as no more than a disappointing historical misunderstanding, which would soon put itself right. (more…)

Yesterday, the line-up of the players for the Game was finally determined. It was determined in the sense that, at the last moment, three more men declined to take part. By then it was too late to find substitutes and none of three was replaceable anyway. The fact is that, although in matters of work, no-one is irreplaceable, it’s quite the opposite with thinking, where everyone is irreplaceable. And some are more irreplaceable than others. (more…)

We, representatives of the nongovernmental sector of Belarus, realizing our responsibility for the destiny of the society and state, apply to the participants of the Congress of Democratic Forces (CDF) and representatives of the civil society of Belarus and declare our refusal to participate in the CDF and support its organizers.

At the moment, our support of the CDF is impossible for following reasons:

1. The idea of CDF itself and the process of its organization are appropriated by a number of political parties’ leaders, who have performed several gross political blunders that discredit them as politicians and people devoted to the democratic values. (more…)

The Moscow District Court of the City of Minsk has fined the administrator of New Life church Vasily Yurevich for $ 2000. He was declared guilty in repeated breaking of the order of conducting of religious service. Which, according to the ruling of the judge Natalya Kuznetsova, had been expressed in his presence during that service which was conducted without the authorities’ permission.

(more…)

The goal – destruction of authoritarian regime in Belarus in 2006.

The crucial point of the Strategy-2006 is that we must win in 2006, when presidential elections are to be held. The choice of time is not occasional. Firstly, during the elections authoritarian regimes try to pretend being democratic. That’s why regime is most vulnerable during elections, because at that time they create the image of legitimistic governing, both for internal usage and for worldwide community. Secondly, after another “elegant victory” the situation in Belarus will change drastically and another chance might appear not so soon.

(more…)

September 10, 2005

The Minsk Executive Committee has deprived New Life Church of its land and the accompanying building according to the Resolution dated August 17, 2005. As it said in the Minsk Executive Committee.s decision, the Resolution was made due to the usage of the building not for it directed purpose. This became known August 29, 2005. The next step of the authorities will be purchasing the cow shed. The administrator of New Life Church, Vasiliy Yurevich commented that .The church considers this decision to be illegal and will take this matter to court in the near future. We are going to fight for the land that God gave us..

(more…)

On Saturday, September 10, 2005 at New Life church a conference of churches of Full Gospel Christians was held.

The bishop of the Union Alexander Sakovich opened the conference. In his speech he said. We were not the ones who started this war. The present authorities make us to fight this battle. They do not know the outcome of this fight but we know. God made His church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. We are united today because we are the body of Christ.

The participants of the conference were showed a film .The truth about New Life church. which briefly outlined the history of the church.

The sermon of New Life church pastor Vyacheslav Goncharenko was about the mission of church on this earth: in spite of all the circumstances church should continue doing the good works and spread the Gospel to this world.
In the end of the first part of the conference the Bishop of the Union A. Sakovich read an open appeal which was passed by the representatives of all Full Gospel churches.

Round table on the results of the organized activity game “Elaboration of the victorious political strategy for Belarus 2006: scenarios, projection and programming”, 27 June 2005.

Some things should be explained: those who have been given the program with invitation saw here the surnames of Bogdanovich and Leonov. We had no time to change them though on the Saturday’s morning it was known that none of them would participate. The reason was in the co-ordinate participation refusal of “five+” or “ten” and politicians who were invited on the meeting and namely the discussion with whom on this round table was planned to organize and for what the strategy is elaborating in such public variant. Moreover, the decision was probably made on Friday as in the Friday afternoon it was acknowledged that we are going to gather on Varvasheni Street, 8 but not here and there was not participation refusals.

But without paying attention on the things which happen when we begin to do something I would like to represent for the discussion the strategy of the victory

(more…)

An elaboration of the victorious political strategy for Belarus 2006: scenarios, projection and programming
(March 27 – April 3 2005, Kiev))

Contents:

1. Before the game. From the idea to its implementation
2. The game
   1. Thinking development
   2. Communicational process
   3. Actions
3. After the game.
   1. Representation in mass-media.
   2. Reactions in the society.
   3. Participants’ actions.
4. A strategy
5. Authors’ materials
   1. Matskevich V.
   2. Karpuk A.

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