Civil society

							Development Trends in Belarus`
        Civil Society
   Developing sectoral expertise to fit
    the country development needs
               About ODB

• Belarusian organization directly implementing
  EU programs in Belarus
• Mission changed over the years: from
  informing international community to
  promoting European values and standards
  inside Belarus
• Tribute to Vitali Silitski: developing pro-
  European strategy together
                Belarus in
   2010 NGO Sustainability Index by USAID
• BY lowest level of sustainability among
  countries of Eurasian region
• In 2010 some promising trends in advocacy
  and coalition building
• No significant developments in capacity
  building
• Local fundraising not developed
• Still in need of Intermediary Support
  Organisations (ISO)
        Belarusians Want Reform
• As of March 2012, majority of people in Belarus are for
  reforms and change (BISS polling) – there are weak
  domestic forces to push this through
• 3-track EU policy: restrictive measures due to political
  prisoners, support to civil society, dialogue for
  modernization - at the same time support by Belarusians to
  the EU decreased
• While political contacts frozen, EU increased support to
  CSOs over past years
• US long time support to build capacity of CSOs and media –
  but let the EU take the lead on policy.
• Disconnection between EU-linked processes (EaP and ED)
  and capacity: no sectoral knowledge
    BY CSOs in Eastern Partnership
• Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF)
• National Platform: from being first to least
  organised
• National Platform prospects: strategic choice
  and ability to compromise, capacity to
  participate
European Dialogue for Modernization
               (ED)
• Very new – “multi-stakeholder exchange of views and ideas
  between the EU and representatives of the Belarusian civil
  society and political opposition on necessary reforms for
  the modernisation of Belarus”
• a) political dialogue and reform;
• b) justice and home affairs, including mobility; people-to-
  people contacts;
• c) economic, social reform and sector policy issues,
  including privatisation;
• d) trade, market and regulatory reforms
• Lack of sectoral knowledge recognized by all participants:
  government, civic actors and EU
                   What Next?
• Strong rent seeking environment toward external
  actors - government aided by RU, opposition by the
  West
• But independence has become the major shared value
  across various groups – already achievement in a
  divided society
• Long-term investment into society and people at home
  to aid domestic forces of change: projects that will help
  to keep people in the country and encourage them
  work on changing their own place, make them feel
  responsible for its future.