Ulad Vialicka has presented in Brussels a new strategy of civil society development in Belarus

On March, 1 2011 Eastern Partnership Day took place in Brussels, the main topic of the meeting was the question “How the European Union can assist civil society in the frameworks of the Eastern Partnership program?” At the meeting, Belarus was represented by the chairperson of the International consortium “EuroBelarus”, co-chairman of the Steering Committee of the Civil Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership program, national coordinator on Belarus Ulad Vialicka.

The list of speakers of the meeting included representatives of civil society organisations of the Eastern Partnership countries, including Poland, which is to become the presiding country of EU in the second half of the year.

In Brussels, at the Eastern Partnership Days, Ulad Vialicka delivered a report “Which measures will promote support of the civil society in Belarus”. In the framework of the speech, there was presented “2012 Strategy: from a dialogue within democratic forces to a dialogue with the regime”, which was created by Tatiana Vadalazhskaya and Andrei Yahorau (Centre for European Transformation, International consortium “EuroBelarus”).

According to Ulad Vialicka, previous methods and forms of support of the civil society in Belarus do not function any more:

“Right now, before 2012 parliamentary elections in our country, it’s the appropriate time for international institutions (and firstly, EU in the framework of the Eastern Partnership program) to change their approach to deal with programme tasks in our country.

The main feature in the new approach for European actors is alteration of the principles of the support  which will be based on consulting with a wide range of civil society actors. It means that the process should involve all three parties: authorities, opposition, and representatives of the civil society. The most vivid example of such cooperation is a really functioning parliament. It is the parliament, where, ideally, the representatives of both opposition and civil society of Belarus should express their positions and opinions.”

Press office of the International consortium “EuroBelarus”