Some 30 NGOs to represent Belarus at forum in Berlin

The Conference of the Civil Society National Forum titled "Eastern Partnership Road Map for Belarus" took place on July 5-6 in Minsk. Vyachaslau Dziyanau, a representative of the Future's Movement civil group, was among almost 100 representatives of NGOs. He said: "We believe that participation of the youth in the programs of Eastern Partnership is important. Since Belarus signed relevenat documents, the youth should not lag behind. We want to show with our example how our youth can improve life and we want to penetrate all the spheres of social life".

Methodologist Uladzimir Matskevich, an ideologist of the Belarusian National Civil Society Forum, says that Belarusian NGOs used chances at 200-300 percent during the previous forum in Brussels. "If compared with the previous condition of civil society, we have made significant steps forward. Actually, only two countries -- Belarus and Armenia -- managed to hold something like national forums. This is a sign of development and responsibility of civil society".

But there are problems. Low professional level of Bealrusian analysts and experts is one of the main reason why civil society events are usually ignored by the Belarusian authorities, says Matskevich. "If we had experts supported by the civil society and who had a big influence, the administration of the president and the government had to take them into account.

Syarhei Matskevich who was elected the speaker of the first Civil Society Forum in Brussels, also regrets that pro-government NGOs did not attend the event. However, all the seats in the venue were occupied.

Syarhei Matskevich has a pessimistic forecast on some spheres of societal life ahead of elections. "As for the progress in democracy, good governance and human rights, my forecast is pessimistic. There will be no progress".

Another shortcoming is that the European bureaucracy is relative slow, notes Matskevich.

On July 6, the Organizing Committee of the Forum announced the list of 32 organizations proposed to participate in the forum in Berlin. It includes among others the Belarusian Association of Journalists, Belarusian School Society, Wider Europe think tank, Movement for Freedom and others. A total of over 80 Belarusian organizations sent their applications to the European Commission to take part in the forum in Berlin. The European Commission will take the final decision on the composition of the Belarusian delegation at the forum. 

It is likely the decision will be finalized by late July, but it can remain unknown through November, when the NGO Forum will take place in Berlin.