Ecological Forum awards its own “Oscars”

General Committee of the Forum of Environmental Organizations

The highlight of the second day at the Forum of Environmental Organizations, which started on October 18 in Minsk, was the report on the possibilities for consolidation among Belarusan green movement.

The Environmental Forum has prepared its own “Oscar” – awards and anti-awards in the sphere of environmental protection, announced Jaraslau Bekish, the member of the Forum Organization Committee and the coordinator of the ecological association “Green network”, at the opening of the Forum.

The Forum of Environmental Organizations takes place once in two years. Three issues were on the agenda at the first day, on October 18: review of the events over the last two years, public environmental control and the debate on the future of the green movement.

As Jaraslau Bekish noted, the organizers of the Forum have prepared awards and anti-awards. In such a way Belarusan ecologists have reacted to the significant events in the sphere of environmental protection.

Ulad Vialichka, the member of the Coordination Committee of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, emphasized that “ecological sector has a leading role within the civil society”. Ecological problems continuously involve new citizens of Belarus in the debate with the state and business.

“I am happy that the Forum takes place this year despite all the difficulties we faced half a year ago. I was doubtful whether the event would be capable to be organized on time. I would consider Forum to be an effort that struggles to spread the discussion of topical problems at the broader spectrum of public organizations”, - Ulad Vialichka added.

As EuroBelarus Information Service has earlier reported, the Forum should have been organized as far back as June, but it had to be postponed due to a supposedly sewage breach in one of the Polatsk accommodation facilities. However, the problems had nothing to do with the sewer system, but rather were connected with fears, the organizers of the Forum think.

Evgenij Lobanov, an associate director of Center of Ecological Ideas, recalled the participants of the Forum about the events which have happened in the ecological sector over the last two years.

One of the main trends is the deteriorating conflict between the nature and the economic development, if we talk about the China-Belarus Industrial Park, Astravets Nuclear Power plant, etc.

Urbanization problems have been aggravated, too. The examples include the building of “Beijing” Hotel at the place of the Park of the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution. According to Evgenij Lobanov’s forecast, the number of urbanization conflicts will be growing.  

The highlight of the second day at the Forum was the report on the possibilities for consolidation among Belarusan green movement introduced by Andrei Yahorau, the head of the Centre for European Transformation. The report is based on the results of the survey “On potential of cooperation between ecological organizations in solving common problems” implemented by the Centre for European Transformation.

The presentation of the report evoked hot debate. During the discussion it was noted that close cooperation between the structures of the civil society is possible in our country, and Consortium “EuroBelarus” is a living example. A number of leaders of ecological organizations supported the need for common actions and common projects. Jaraslau Bekish stated about the necessity to form an open inner financial source, saying that “we need to bare our teeth in order to be effective”.