Civil society: between repression and collaboration with business

Civil society: between repression and collaboration with business

photo: http://ru.truth-seeker.info

In 2019, activities of non-liberal and populist organizations will be a big challenge for CSOs.

In 2018, Belarusian civil society organizations (CSO) achieved certain success: section 193.1 of the Criminal Code was abolished; CSOs’ cooperation with business and the government increased, and the #BNR100 campaign turned quite impressive. However, the authorities continued repressive policy, business tempted high-potential human resources away from the third sector, and non-liberal populist CSOs achieved the most noticeable successes in advocacy.

Trends

  • Pressure tools replaced repressions against civil society organizations; 
  • The rapprochement with business enabled to raise extra funds, but posed the threat of brain and skill drain from the third sector to the second; 
  • Certain successes in advancing the agenda of CSOs in society and progress in advocacy were achieved, but the greatest advocacy success was achieved by non-liberal, populist CSOs

Read the full text in "Belarusian Yearbook-2019"