Who are they, Belarusian "greens"?
Alexander Ulitenok, "Belarusian Radio Liberty Life", December 03, 2004
The world faces the true ecological boom now. Belarus also has a reason for this phenomenon. According to the scientists, unsatisfactory ecological situation caused the dramatic decreasing the average life duration of the people by 30 - 40 percents. The topic of the next broadcast of the series "Political geography" is about how "greens" react challenges of the present time.
There are many great pages in a history of the "green" movement in Belarus. The struggle against the large-scale drainage program of the Polesie area and the Chernobyl resistance, protests against the atomic power station construction in the Vitebsk region and desolation of "non perspective" villages can be recollected... It was a true school for tens, hundred thousands of citizens to fight for the clean and healthy environment. However, does always the "school" knowledge contribute to grow-up? What results did the "lessons" on nature defense bring?
(Mr Shirokov:) "In general, if to compare with the early 1990s, it is not right to say about the peak of the preset-day ecological movement. The impact is not very strong as it would be desirable, but it is available... "
This is the opinion expressed by the head of the Belarusian branch of the International Ecological Academy Eugenie Shirokov. One of the achievements is creation of the Council for sustainable "green" development in 2000. They together are engaged in the actual problem of reduction of the foam rubber polysterol's use. The project on ecological houses implemented in the Gomel region was granted a very rare international premium awards recently. The law on biosafety was rejected and returned to be improved due to the educational work targeted the parliamentarians.
Mr Shirokov said that nearly thirty nongovernmental organizations are more or less actively working in the country.
(Mr Shirokov:) "The number of organizations changes: someone has been opening, someone has been closing... But the problems of registration have been appeared: the registration period lasted one or one and half month earlier, whereas half a year or year is time for waiting now... "
Who are they, Belarusian "greens"? The classical example is the Mogilyov nongovernmental organization with the Russian abbreviation ENDO, that is deciphered "Ecology is the science for society". The teachers, students and people studying local lore, history and economy, all who connected to natural sciences, united within this NGO. Its leader Andrei Parhomenko defines the task of ENDO as the following:
(Mr Parhomenko:) "Basically, the most important task is to provide informational and ecological education. It is important to form such a life's style as the priority. Unfortunately, the people do not still share this approach".
ENDO is engaged in small-scale, few-appreciable by the people projects. Mr Parhomenko and his friends started their activity from planting chestnuts. Then the enthusiasts utilized west car accumulators and told about the lead harm for the people's health. Then they cleared a spring in the city. Now they try to establish close contacts with the state nature protection bodies to save young spruce trees in woods felled for Christmas. Vitaliy Dominikov says:
(Mr Dominikov:) "There are many "enthusiasts" for this period to cut down young trees used for New Year's celebration. This brings large harm for nature. We provide the watching in some areas and will catch "malefactors".
This kind of the public support is not out of place for the state inspections on nature protection. The institution's name is sounded but what is behind of these signboards? Only three employees for the whole area: a head, expert and bookkeeper... Whose support can they count upon?
(Mr Shevchuk:) "Schools and public inspectors are basically our activists. They inform us about infringements. They are authorized to draw up a report".
The mutual comprehension between and public organizations is often present at the basic level of ecological cooperation. However, this comprehension shows the reduction if to deal with "high" official bodies. That is because of big distance between interests of authorities and "greens": the specking at this level is not about ten illegally cut spruce trees but about the whole oak woods... For example, the initiative of the enthusiasts from Nesvizh who wanted to contribute the preservation of a local landscape park was just actually rejected. The second example of troubles for "greens" is the Belovezhskaya Pushcha with its numerous problems. One of the leaders Valery Dranchuk says about the "Belarusian ecological impasse".
(Mr Dranchuk:) "Belarusian "greens" are not willingly involving although "greens" are the initiators of such business all over the world. I mean either criminal or administrative actions! But our "greens" don't participate anywhere and don't do anything... "
(Correspondent:) "Such actions, it seems to me, were only in Chernobyl's times... "
(Mr Dranchuk:) "Even the Chernobyl is completely forgotten... Where is that public organization which provides the monitoring on radio-active contamination? I mean there isn't the publicity within the "green movement".
(Correspondent:) "Does the green movement exist as the general?"
(Mr Dranchuk:) "It's the weak but available".
The mentioned by Valery Dranchuk theme on Chernobyl accident's consequences is still actual. Literally in the day of our conversation the Belarusian scientists have made the economic substantiation of the possible construction of an atomic power station in the Mogilyov area. We talk this topic with the Belarusian politician and ecologist Gennady Grushevoi:
(Mr Grushevoi:) "It is an abstract idea impossible for implementation in Belarus as the principle. It can be a political decision but it does not bring the result, except for explosion".
(Correspondent:) "Maybe is the "mighty Chernobyl ecological resistance" the abstract idea too? Who will explain to the local people: look we are still under the former accident's consequences while new experiment is offered? Who?"
(Mr Grushevoi:) "Firstly, these are those public Chernobyl ecological organizations which were and are very active in this region for the last 15 years. The fact must be accounted that two in three children were involved in our program already. There are close communications between families, for example from Germany and Krasnopolsk district where this construction is attended".
In contradistinction to Valery Dranchuk and Gennady Grushevoi, the estimations of the leader of the Ecological Academy Eugenie Shirokov are more restrained although he also does not hide a certain concern regarding the relations to authorities. He draws a parallel between Belarus and Russia:
(Mr Shirokov:) "As to Russia, the organizations which prevented from barbarous destruction of woods were simply forced out. An ecological office of public prosecutor has been created in Belarus but it is nothing hearing of it lately. It is the same situation like in Russia. I do not know about pressure, I think it is most likely another matter here: our situation is we do not know how to survive. No one is bursting to be sponsor of the ecological movement while possibilities for western grants' reception are very strongly limited".
By the way, the financing became the extra "sharp" problem for "greens". On the one hand, it is no possible to solve something serious without money. On the other hand, the long attack of official propagation to the western donors generated the negative reaction of the big part of society towards all organizations which survive and work thanks this kind of support. As a result, the ecologists were included in the "black list" together with the Belarusian People's Front... Although, if to be honest, they virtually see few of these finances, Valery Dranchuk considers.
(Correspondent:) "Many people say that a danger of "game with ecology" is present today because the western sponsors contribute the ecology... "
(Mr Dranchuk:) "Sure. I remember the earlier 1990s when the Belovezhskaya Pushcha newspaper's issue started. Sponsors really financed this issue. But today this problem is not very critical as these sponsors are absent since they have no interest in Belarus. The project and sponsor activities are not coordinated within our country... "
(Correspondent:) "But there is the International Ecological Academy..."
(Mr Dranchuk:) "I am afraid this is more the half-formal organization like, regrettably, all the others. I worry about threats, alarms and dangers which these organizations should sound. Where are their press conferences and project presentations? "
These words express the serious problem of coordination of the "green" movement activity and its treatment and designation in Belarus as a general.
(Mr Nesterov:) "The ecologist is a very interesting concept. I heard a joke: the ecologists do not know whom they protect - hares from spruces or spruces from hares".
If Valery Dranchuk and his supporters, fighting for Belovezhskaya Pushcha, connect the fundamental ecological projects with the public protest aimed the protection of environment from the authorized by the state arbitrariness first of all, many others follow the tactic of small steps on ecological education. Igor Malahov from Mogilyov region says:
(Mr Malahov:) "The concept of ecological culture is absent and, accordingly, I would not say that they do not like us - they just ignore us".
In such conditions, the local activists are inclined to consider the "green" everyone, including children, who treat towards nature by "You". The ecologist Valentina Latushko from Cherven who lead the school study group "Edelweiss" discusses the topic:
(Mrs Latushko:) "This is because we see the situation around and the treatment of the people towards nature. Even children say that all must be saved. They count all life should be protected".
Why are the local people afraid to say about organization of the public resistance for the sake of the high purpose to rescue the nature? This is because the conflicts with authorities stand behind of it usually. The authorities often reproach of the neglect of ecological norms and identify the dissatisfied as the politically non-loyal. As a result, the people consider the best is to focus their activity to the neutral things and to avoid anger. For example, the medical assistant Eugenia Tsuranova from the village of Luban of the Veleika district cares about a local pond for many years.
(Mrs Tsuranova:) "Our pond which replaced a bog is the man-made. All sluices met collapse after thirty years of their exploitation and a pond began again to become shallow and to turn into a swamp. Tall weeds and willows started around. We, pensioners, cut and taken out all the fallen and dead willow trees. I picked all glasses and wire. Then we themselves bought a fish to restore the fish population. After this the pond is fine-looking and swans visit it".
Mrs Tsuranova and the local enthusiasts like she do not identify themselves as the ecological activists. They just make business according to their soul requirement. However, they became the example for other people to change philosophy. The true ecological enthusiasm of Mrs Tsuranova and her friends is shared by others to fight for nature. Valery Dranchuk says:
(Mr Dranchuk:) "I do appreciate those people and enthusiasts who locally do something. Any care about the life, environment, bogs, wood etc deserves the highest appreciation from the society and, undoubtedly, from the state. Unfortunately, I did not meet such the treatment till now".
I ask, what can break such the approach of authorities towards the ecologists? Are "greens" able essentially to influence the state ecological policy? Where are the prospects? And I hear the answer: (Mr Dranchuk:) "We have not a "green" party which is probably the most important force for uniting. It is absent... It has broken up while this vacuum is lasted for three - fife years already...".