Where Belarusian ‘greens’ hide

Living in not favourable 'environment'

A prominent environmentalist, the Head of the Environmental Union “ Chernobyl”, Vasily Yakovenko, reflects upon the issue of the ‘environmental silence’:

“I think civic ecologists may only work with the support and certain understanding from the public authorities. Recently a representation office of the Environmental Union “ Chernobyl’” in Lida was closed down. Its activists tried to reach an agreement with the authorities regarding its support for two years however have not succeeded. They reached the stage when they had no resources to pay the rent.

In other countries, in Europe and the USA, the NGOs receive financial support and there is even a special development tax used for the development of the non-governmental organizations. Public control is the most effective mean in the area of environment and it is absolutely essential.

In our country only those NGOs receive support, that do not criticize the authorities which is not possible in the area of environment. In the course of the past two years many environmental NGOs were closed.

In 1990 the situation was different. The Ministry of Environment worked with us and even provided funding for our newspaper “Nabat”, our branch offices were taking care of recuperation of children, had their own recuperation reserve and were receiving humanitarian aid. Today only one branch office is dealing with the recuperation and is facing lots of challenges. As if the issue of the consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe has been resolved…

Nowadays the civil society is under cover and the atmosphere there is not very favourable”.

“Do you hope for assistance from the European Community?”

“In our country the climate is rather specific and there are certain restrictions, all that makes you think well whether to accept the assistance. Once funds are allocated one has to go through so many barriers in order to register it that it leaves you not wanting anything. There are quite a few obstacles. How can anyone remain optimistic? I am looking at the situation knowing all threats, barriers and catches… and I don’t see the light in the end of the tunnel”.

When ‘greens’ can’t voice their opinion people start having phobias

Valer Dranchuk, publisher of the newspaper “Belavezhskaya Pushcha” (1995 – 2002), Head of the civil environmental initiative “Terra Convention”, agrees with our previous interviewer and adds:

“During the past ten years any initiative was suppressed. Today Belarusians do not feel responsible for what is happening in the country in general and in the area of environment in particular. All social and civil movements are perceived by the authorities as a threat. The ‘environmental’ movement was equated with ‘destructive’. Now there is a clause in the Criminal Code which allows to imprison people for instance for planting a tree in the place where it was cut down by the authorities. That is considered as an not sanctioned action.

Any civil initiative was carefully suppressed and the ‘greens’ do not have any opportunity to voice their opinion. In the meantime voices of the public which feels insecure may be heard. That is the voice of phobias and quite often there are grounds for it.

One shouldn’t go far to look for examples, it is enough to recall the situation in the settlement Druzhny, where a Russian company started construction of a pesticide production plant. The local inhabitants came out with a protest. The construction has been suspended so far. However there was no ecological expertise held prior to the beginning of the construction! The construction documents were elaborated in the course of two years but no one knew about it until the moment when construction excavators were placed in front of the people’s windows. Pickets there were not organized by the ‘greens’ as it should be in the civilized world. Environmentalists did not support people in that situation.

Now we should be concerned about the deterioration of the situation. It has already started. The fields are fertilized with pesticides and nitrates and it is unsafe to drink water from the village wells. However everyone is silent about it. People have no access to the official statistics, the ‘greens’ don’t have it either. In addition, the authorities started an attack on the green environment of the cities. It becomes more commercialized – every meter costs a lot of money. For instance, Sevastopolsky Park: there is a construction of a cathedral from one side and there are plans to build a parking and a café from the other side of the park.

The reaction of the public is episodic, the most frequently we hear voices of those who live near the area where an environmental offence is being committed. Phobias are growing. People protest. However ‘greens’ are silent regardless of the fact that it is their job to work with such issues. There are simply no ‘greens’ left. I can not name a single organization which would support the population”.

Environmentalists need a leader

“What would be the ideal situation for Belarus?”

“The green movement should have a structure: a central office in the capital and branch offices in the regions to be able to monitor the situation all over the republic. That would be a real ‘green’ movement. As long as such structure doesn’t exist it is impossible to rely on the improvement of the ecological situation. There should also be a leader who would be capable to organize such structure.

It would also require the financial support of the European Community. In order for ecologists to be able to work in the regions they need the most common things they have no money for: computers, Internet, photo cameras and other equipment of that kind… There is a need for environmental monitoring now, given that the issues that evolve today would have to be treated by our grandchildren…”

Natallia Sharai