In Viciebsk "European clubs' representatives of the Committee help the repressed" Solidarity "presented the results of their work in the framework of the campaign" Together against discrimination "and political analyst Ales Lahvinets talked about the project "Belarusians choose Europe".
The event took place on December 17. First Committee Chairman Inna Cooley talked about how the organization helps repressed. Citizens who have suffered because of their views and deprived of work, there is a material and moral support. Members of the organization to help individuals subjected to discrimination, back into society and find themselves in other areas so as not to depend on the state and have a job and a salary.
Communication with dropouts shows that the state is very inventive approach to the use of repression: there are political conscription, and expulsion of students for political reasons and the intention of sending in LTP... At the end of those who had been discriminated against, the film was made, in which laid-off citizens talk about the details of his dismissal and express their own judgments about the causes of repression against them by the management.
After watching the film represented by project participants commented.
Inna Kulej:
– We urge nothing to gloss over, to fix each case of discrimination, since, in the end, it can contribute to the achievement of changes in legislation.
In addition to the examples just seen you, you can remember the most blatant case of discrimination that occurred in the State University of Harodnia, where the Department of History was fired at least a dozen teachers and professors. And some of them are no political or social activity did not show, were pure scientists. They blame was put Harodnia history textbook, which ended in 1994. Textbook recognized seditious. Some teachers were fired, some had gone away in protest. All of them have received assistance. And two months ago at the University of Warsaw was created by the Belarusian center of historical research, and teachers have become university professors. They have gained legal possibility to carry out scientific research. Chairman of the center was Alexander Krautsevich.
Through the re-socialization program each fired for their civic or political activity can get both financial and psychological support. What makes someone begins to engage in the drilling of artesian wells, and some furniture manufacturer. If a person has a desire to become an entrepreneur, the issues relating to the registration, will allow the lawyer of "Solidarity".
A legal adviser of the Committee Tamara Sidorenko notes:
– Cases of discrimination are quite a few. It comes to the absurd: highly skilled workers of the Babrujsk Plant of Tractor Parts and Units expelled from the factory and at the same time asked to come to work tomorrow, because there is no one to work. Upon expiry of the contract the employer has the right to dismiss an employee without explanation. This right implies clearly immoral conflict. With this plant were laid off more than a dozen workers who were members of the Free Trade Union of Belarus. Obviously, these layoffs are a manifestation of discrimination on grounds of trade union. And this is not an isolated case. The same dismissal were on "Granit" in Mikaševičy, and in other places.
This is immoral, when layoffs occur on such grounds. Human rights organizations tend to focus public attention on the illegality of the contract of employment, which is used for discrimination. Committee "Solidarity" has monitored this issue and is preparing a letter to the Council of Ministers and other senior officials on the abolition of certain provisions of the contract.
Project leader Lyudmila Isakov adds:
– The main aim of the information campaign "Together against discrimination" – to give the floor to the victims of repression, announce layoffs specific stories of people caught in such unfavorable conditions as a result of violations of their rights. But we should not only fix and give them an opportunity to speak, we have to learn to protect the rights of these people. Although under our legislation, this matter – too complicated, but it is necessary to deal with them.
And in our next project, which will be called "Video consultations", we will solve two problems: to protect the rights of the individual and to turn out anti-discrimination standards. Also, a new project will be a continuation of our steps to collect information about the victims of discrimination, the creation of databases and provide them with voice. Anyone who considers himself a victim of discrimination can contact us directly and we will advise that in a particular case, a person to do.
In the second part of the meeting was shown ten videos, united by one theme: "Belarusians choose Europe", which were created in the framework of the joint project of the Belarusian House in Warsaw and the movement "For Freedom". Commercials showed that over the past twenty years have seen with our neighbors, which joined the European Union, and where we are now compared to them.
Says political analyst Ales Lahvinets says:
– These videos show what happened to our neighbors, with whom we were once a single point of reference, since our position at that time was almost the same as that of Estonians, Lithuanians and Poles. And now almost all indicators we are lagging behind. And the most important indicator – the gross domestic product per capita. We it is much less than in the countries of the European Union. And this despite the fact that twenty years Belarusians got more money from Russia than Lithuania or Estonia from the European Union.
This suggests that the money in full is not going to develop production, but remain in the pockets of those who control the cash flow. A striking confirmation of this conclusion are Taxed those who pay the state seized business leaders and government officials, and then instituting proceedings are closed, and the prisoners are released. That's the moral: while you can steal – steal, if you stole a lot – have a chance to pay off, and you will be forgiven.
The absence of democracy and European values and standards prevents the country to move forward. Today we have the smallest percentage among the employed in private enterprises. The public sector is very heavily reformed, as it exists for the control of the workers.
The European model – a protection of people through an independent judiciary, independent trade unions, which throat claw for its members. Guarantee social protection of employees and collective bargaining are among the state, employers and trade unions. For this reason, the government and do not want to let Belarusians to the European Union because our citizens will then be able to complain about the violation of their rights by the state.
European level of democracy allows society to control the State to control the distribution of financial occurring in Europe openly and transparently between all the players: firms, local authorities, non-governmental organizations ... We also only one person decides where funds will be distributed.
Power selects the Belarusians for dynamic European development. Our young people are leaving: about twenty thousand studying in Russia, 7-8 thousand – in the West. And this is the most active young people, most of whom will not return here.
That something began to change, you have to want to assert their rights, want to feel more worthy. And it depends on the person and not what is imposed on the authorities. The current paradox today is that despite twenty years of propaganda, twenty-five percent of the Belarusians have a positive attitude to the European Union. This is a huge positive. Begins to change is never too late, because the changes will create new opportunities for us.
S. Horki
