US embassy cable - 05MINSK1106

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 
---------------- 
 
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