U. Matskevich, T. Vadalazhskaya, A. Yahorau

In the modern scientific and pseudoscientific humanities concerning Belarus, the topic of national and civil relations, the national and civil identity, perhaps heads the list. Almost all authors have touched this theme. Such close attention can be explained by the fact that the key to the Belarusan nation’s mystery can reveal the ways
to understand and overcome the national history’s dramas and tragedies, and to explain today’s events and contradictions. Even though it may look like significant exaggeration, nevertheless it is close to the root of the matter. Of course, it is not the only form in which Belarus can and must be perceived, but without the understanding of the national and civil construction processes’ history and modernity, it is very difficult to comprehend the country’s current situation.

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T. Vadalazhskaya, U.Matskevich  

In this work, we consider the lifeway sphere to be changing – from generation to generation, or even during a period comparable with human life. Moreover, we believe that in the lifeway sphere it is possible and even necessary to have changes or reforms with apt concepts, notions, programmes and political will in order to implement them.
In the first part of this book, we describe how the tenor and way of life changed in Belarus during the second half of the 20  century when the USSR existed. In the same part, we characterize the latest decades’ policy and state programmes. We proceed from the assumption that the Belarusan authorities’ actions were based on the concepts, notions and categories suggested by public and human sciences. The Belarusan regime has been carrying out purposefully and consistently the programme built on the basis of the Soviet ideology and social science.
In order to develop new programmes and to start launching reforms corresponding to modern global tendencies, thus including Belarus in the fullfledged allEuropean process, it is necessary to change the conceptual bases of humanitarian and social approaches, concepts and categories. Therefore, in the second part, we review possibilities and ways of constructing such concepts and categories which would make it possible to implement reforms in the lifeway sphere.

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T. Vadalazhskaya, U.Matskevich   

The present brochure contains concise analysis of what hampers the emergence and development of communities in Belarus and presents the principles and foundation of our own activity. It only claims to provide arguments for right and more accurate planning of time, resources, and human effort while working on community development in Belarus.

Authors draw extra arguments and certainty from the fact that in addition to judging about the development of communities as experts we ourselves, as representatives of a dynamically developing community, have our own experience of life and activity in a society, an experience of surviving under Belarusian conditions.

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