The Few, The Timid, The Youth Groups

C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 001106

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/15
TAGS: PREL PINR BO CH
SUBJECT: The Few, The Timid, The Youth Groups


Classified by Ambassador George Krol for Reasons 1.4 (B,D)

Ref: Minsk 884


1. (SBU) Summary: Poloff met with a series of non-partisan
youth NGOs to determine young peoples' attitudes to the
present and future of Belarus. All of the youth
organization leaders criticized GOB policies regarding
youth and democracy. They also painted a dismal picture of
the situation for NGOs in Belarus today. Leaders expressed
fear for the present, but hope for the distant future. End
Summary.

The Youth Groups
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2. (SBU) On July 27, Svetlana Koroliova described Rada, the
Belarusian Union of Youth and Children's Public
Associations, to Poloff. Rada is a registered umbrella
organization trying to create an alternative to the
government's youth policy and to unite youth groups
nationwide to develop a youth program similar to those
throughout Europe. Rada encourages young people to develop
their own definitions of leadership, democracy and
patriotism. Their goal is to provide a new youth policy
when the regime changes; they are not focused on changing
the current administration. Regardless, local authorities
recently froze Rada's bank accounts after a tax inspection
because of funds received from UNICEF. There are currently
15 member organizations within the Rada network.


3. (U) On August 5, poloffs met with members of Voka, a
registered youth organization working to promote knowledge
of Belarusian history and culture and use of the Belarusian
language, particularly in education. Voka members are
quite active and passionate. They publish a newsletter,
which they distribute in schools and openly on the street.
The group organizes flashmobs and youth camps, and it
collects signatures for petitions to increase the use of
the Belarusian language by companies and GOB ministries
(fully aware that the GOB will not respond). They estimate
200 members, with 50 active in their projects.


4. (SBU) On August 15, Alena Talapila described the Union
of Belarusian Students (UBS),which was deregistered by the
GOB in 2001. Founded in 1990, the UBS is a nationwide
organization striving to unite Belarusian students from
universities, colleges and vocational schools, as well as
those studying abroad. The organization's main goals are
achieving educational reforms - Talapila acknowledges this
is impossible without political reform - and popularizing
the Belarusian language in education. UBS activities focus
on cultural events and the protection of students' rights.
The leadership of UBS teaches members how to deal with
possible encounters with the KGB, university security
forces and university administration. Talapila noted that
relations with authorities have been quiet recently, almost
too quiet. UBS members expect government pressure to
increase dramatically over the next few months, leading up
to the 2006 presidential elections. They estimate 1000
members, with 150 active.


5. (SBU) On August 29, poloffs met with Elena Kasko,
chairwoman of New Faces, a member organization of Rada.
Founded in 1996, New Faces successfully reregistered in
1999, but with a number of warnings. Due to the July 19
parliamentary law regulating NGO activities (reftel),Kasko
fears that the GOB will refuse to reregister New Faces
again, but she insists that they will continue activity
regardless. The organization's general goal is to support
the initiatives of young people and to provide them with an
environment in which they are free to think and express
themselves. New Faces cooperates with several NGOs abroad,
as well as with the Dutch and Swedish governments, to carry
out student exchanges, fundraising initiatives and joint
social projects. However, strict GOB regulations have
increasingly limited the organization's activities. Six
months ago, the GOB refused to register one of New Faces'
long-term projects that reached out to handicapped youth,
single mothers and other marginalized young people. New
Faces has approximately 200 members, with 85 active.

The Bigger Picture
--------------


6. (C) There is a high degree of cooperation among the
various non-partisan youth groups and even between some
non-partisan youth groups and politically active youth
groups. The UBS works on projects with Malady Front, as
well as with regional groups across Belarus. Although New
Faces does not work with political youth groups, the
members respect the work of the political groups and
provide them moral support. As Kasko put it, the
politically active youth groups are, "all working for the
same goal - democracy in Belarus".


7. (C) Kasko said she is optimistic about the future simply
because, "totalitarianism cannot last forever." However,
she thinks repression will get much worse before it gets
better. She believes that the majority of young people in
Belarus are too concerned about their personal futures to
become involved in any type of independent organization and
would prefer that others change the political landscape for
them. She said that those who participate in government
youth groups, particularly the Belarusian Republican Union
of Youth (BRYU),tend to do so because they are forced to
join or because joining is the easier option. The BRYU
offers members discounts at bars and gyms, accommodation at
universities and employment after graduation. Kasko
worries most that some youth actually believe the
government propaganda. She asserted that it is essential
to keep non-governmental youth organizations functioning,
even if they are repressed and prohibited from carrying out
big projects, because such organizations provide a vehicle
through which young people can think and express
themselves. Kasko maintains that this is the very reason
the GOB despises these organizations, despite their lack of
political affiliation.

Comment
--------------


8. (C) The GOB seems to apply repressive measures to these
groups somewhat haphazardly. Repression is milder for them
than for political youth NGOs and mostly takes the form of
warnings, rather than outright persecution. When the GOB
does take serious measures, such as deregistering the UBS
or freezing Rada's bank accounts, it appears to be
arbitrary. That is, there is no discernible pattern. For
instance, Voka quite vocally opposes GOB policies, but has
had only two or three very minor run-ins with authorities.
However, as Kasko pointed out, the GOB has already prepared
the "legal framework" for the possible liquidation of all
non-governmental youth groups.


9. (C) Whereas there are relatively small numbers of young
people who join non-governmental youth groups and even
fewer who participate in the activities, those who
participate do so actively and are determined to develop
structures and policies that will support civil society
when the political situation changes. They accept the
possibility of encounters with the authorities, though they
try to avoid them, but say they will continue fighting for
their futures and the future of Belarus as long as they
can. Unfortunately, these youth represent a small minority
of the youth of Belarus. Most youth seem to fall into the
category of being too scared to join independent youth
organizations or too attracted to the incentives that are
associated with membership in state-sponsored youth groups.

KROL