Dear Friends,
The International Educational NGO "ACT" wishes you the most happy New Year holidays!
Every year  the life is changing with increasing speed, new challenges are followed by new opportunities. We strongly believe that in 2012 the civil society will be abundant with crazy ideas, bold experiments and fruitful changes!
Sincerely yours, NGO ACT

Non-governmental organizations in Belarus are rare species, the existence of which is associated with myths, mysteries and questions. The research on these species has been performed regularly and for a long time through the NGO Sustainability Index[1].

The research results witness that with every passing year Belarus, judging by the level of the development of non-governmental organizations, takes the last or the last but one place among 30 countries of the Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia.

The analysis of the issue of infrastructure of the third sector is based on the materials and structure offered by the NGO Sustainability Indeх for Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia [1], as well as on the examination of the intermediary support organizations and NGO resource centers, including local grant making organizations, the system of training within the NGO sector, coalitions and networks.

Financial viability is one of the factors of an organization’s effectiveness. Unfortunately, this component has always been and still remains on a low level in Belarusian NGOs, which is proved by the results of the annual NGO Sustainability Index[1] (see Table 1).

The leader of an organization is normally concerned about its prosperity and development. The leader makes sure that the mission of the organization is formulated and shared by all the stakeholders, the organizational culture is well built, development programs are worked out, personnel is trained, etc. Will all these efforts be successful, though, if the organization stays in unfavorable legal environment? What should one do if the legal norms of the state conflict with the practices of NGOs?

Nations in Transit 2010 is the 14th edition of Freedom House’s comprehensive, comparative study of democratic development in 29 countries from Central Europe to Eurasia. The overarching conclusion is that 2009 was a year of broad, cross-regional pressures on democratic developments: scores declined for 14 of the 29 countries.

The full country reports from the 2010 edition of Nations in Transit are now available on Freedom House. To download the report in PDF format about Belarus (by Vitali Silitski) please continue here.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently released the13th edition of the NGO Sustainability Index, a key analytical tool that measures the progress of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia region.

USAID tracks the progress of the NGO sector in 29 countries (including Belarus) in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Contained in the 13-year collection is a historical record that provides a wealth of data on each country.  

Civil society organizations (CSOs) and other interested external stakeholders have until 19 May to send in their suggestions with regard to the priorities of the EU’s cooperation with Belarus, according to a Commission press release.

Беларусь – лістапад 2009 – Фонд Развіцця Супольнасцяў і СМІ (CMDF) пачаў працу па падтрымцы мясцовых грамадскіх арганізацый, ініцыятыўных груп і СМІ ў Беларусі.

Выступ філёзафа Алеся Анціпенкі на “круглым стале” “Разьвіцьцё ўнутрыпалітычнай сытуацыі ў Беларусі”, які адбыўся 29 кастрычніка 2009 г.

Калі мы гаворым пра тэндэнцыі разьвіцьця грамадзтва, то, насамрэч, звычайна маюцца на ўвазе а) зьмены ў сацыяльнай, палітычнай, эканамічнай ды іншых сфэрах, б) кірункі, у якіх гэтыя зьмены адбываюцца, і в) тыя, хто гэтыя зьмены ажыцьцяўляе, то бок актары, як сёньня модна казаць.