Re-envisioning civil society in the Republic of Belarus

Yanich, DaniloThe concept of civil society emerged hundreds of years ago. However, even today there exists no unanimously accepted definition of civil society. At the same time, civil society is considered to be the essential feature characterizing democratic states. It is regarded especially important for the states currently in the process of transition from authoritarian regimes. This paper seeks to study the role of civil society in the Republic of Belarus - one of the former republics of the Soviet Union. The analysis is based on the data from the national public opinion poll conducted in Belarus in September 2014 by the Independent Institute of Sociological, Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS). The survey data are considered against three main constructs, namely the language problem, two realities and the resource state. The analysis shows that few Belarusians are involved in public activity; they mostly trust public organizations supported by the state, and in general believe that civil society is controlled by the former. The findings may imply that Belarusian citizens do not see civil society as an intermediary between them and the state, and thus their will and interests might be manifested by other means. Consequently, if in today's world the presence of a well-established and successfully functioning civil society is considered to be a must for a country's democratic development, then Belarus is in urgent need for one. If Belarusian citizens do not recognize the necessity of changes, the ramifications might be catastrophic and lead to a situation similar to the one currently observed in Russia and Ukraine.University of Delaware, School of Public Policy and AdministrationM.A