NGOs Face Drastic Rise in Rents
A new admistrative decree for non-government institutions and organizations in Belarus’ has been signed by the head of state Aliaksandr Lukashenka on April 24th, 2008
Belarusian Review has asked the chairman of the Belarusian Language Society, Dr. Aleh Trusau, former deputy of the Belarusian Parliament, to comment on the situation his public organization faces after the new decree on NGOs came into force. The Belarusian Language Society, is of crucial importance for the Belarusian society, defending its cultural heritage and national identity.
BR: What consequences are you facing after the new administrative decree on NGOs was signed by A. Lukashenka and came into force in Belarus’?
Trusau: Rental rates for the office of the Belarusian Language Society will increase at least ten times since April 24th, 2008 according to the new decree. As a result we are supposed to abandon our office in Salihorsk and to collect donations to save our headquarters in Minsk.
BR: What steps will be undertaken to persuade government officials to preserve previous existence conditions for the Belarusian Language Society?
Trusau: We have addressed requests to the Presidential Administration and are now collecting signatures of Belarusian citizens demanding the preservation of today’s r ental rates. A mbassadors of many countries were also informed about this situation and we are conducting an effective media campaign.
BR: What are the aims of co-sponsors of the new legislation “On the regulation of Belarusian orthography and punctuation” proposed by committees on education, culture, science, science and technology progress in the Parliament?
Trusau: They are designed to impede wider use of the Belarusian language in our society, particularly amongst young people.
BR : How will the Belarusian Language Society react in the near future to defend the present status of Belarusian language and to widen its use in the spheres of education and public life in the country?
Trusau: We will act in accordance with the Strategy of Belarusian Language Development (see http://tbm.org.by/tbm_old/bel/strategy.html). We will create new instruments to promote Belarusian in today’s Belarus’ and abroad. For example, the world’s first satellite TV channel BELSAT in Belarusian came into being due to the initiative of the Belarusian Language Society. Recently our organization organized and held (on initiative of the Society’s member U. Padhol) a nation-wide dictation dedicated to the 90th Anniversary of proclamation of the Belarusian Democratic Republic.
The interview was conducted by the correspondent of Belarusian Review, Raman Kavalchuk
This article appeared in
Belarusian Review, Vol. 20, No. 4
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