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| 2006-07 Annual Report of The Belarusan Youth Movement of America |
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| Monday, 26 March 2007 | |
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On March 25, 2006, prospective members of the BYMA - Belarusan Youth Movement of America - independently organized their first protest. The rally took place across the street from the United Nations Headquarters in New York City and was organized in support of individuals and organizations which fight for freedom in Belarus. Anton Shukeloc, the head and the founder of the Belarusian-American Association, joined the demonstration to express his solidarity. Young Belarusan community in the USA have always played a crucial role in revitalization of the Belarusian culture. Inspired by the self-sacrifice of tent camp protesters on Kalinousky Square in Minsk, the young people created a youth movement with the goal to provide assistance to the youth in Belarus, to unite Belarusans living abroad, and to extend the renaissance of the Belarusan language and culture. On June 10, 2006, BYMA launched its official web-site, www.belmov.org, which provides its visitors with information about the organization’s public events and activities. On June 18, 2006, a group of BYMA members completed design of an official web-site of Belarusan Autocephalous Orthodox Church (BAOC), www.belaoc.org. In summer 2006, two protests were organized in front of the Embassy of Russia in New York City. The first protest on April, 9 gathered Belarusians appalled by the forged elections and inauguration of A. Lukashenka and by the Russian support of the last dictatorial regime of Europe. The second protest on July 9 denounced the aggressive anti-Belarusan policies exercised by the Kremlin toward Belarus; protesters requested to raise the Belarusian question at the following G7 meeting. In 2006, Belarusan national flags were purchased and posters for protests and rallies were made. In July 2006, BYMA pioneered a campaign to reinforce Belarusian presence in Internet. Designed to assist non-profit organizations, movements and individuals in development of Internet websites, web pages and portals, it has become a key agent in the representation of the Belarusian culture on-line and the development of Belarusan language web. As of the day of this report, more than 40 Belarusian public organizations, political parties, politicians, national tourist sites, and other initiatives are represented in Internet through the assistance of BYMA. On September 2, members of the Belarusan Youth Movement in America participated in 27th Convention of Belarusians of North America, which was held in New Brunswick, NJ. With the support of the BYMA, some of the most outstanding Belarusan artists Ales Shaternik, Ales Marachkin, Genadz Drazdou, Rygor Batalenka, and Uladzimir Sulkouski had an opportunity to exhibit their artworks at BYMA-organized Belarusan Art Exhibition. A sculpture artwork dedicated to the world-famous Belarusan writer Vasil Bykau (author: outstanding sculptor and artist Ales Shaternik) was presented to the public at the Convention. BYMA’s supporters and the Belarusan diaspora in the USA organized exceptional fund-raising to sponsor delievery of the art piece to the New York Public Library, where it will be exhibited in the nearest future. While currently under negotiations, the exhibition is the first step to pay respect to the memory of Vasil Uladzimiravich Bykau - the great Belarusan writer. On September 10-24, Museum of Contemporary Russian Art in Jersey City, NY had a showcase of Belarusan painting. At the exhibition made possible by BYMA, New Yorkers expressed unfeigned interest in paintings of renouned Belarusan artists Ales Marachkin, Anatol Baranouski, Uladzimir Sulkouski, Rygor Batalenka, Ales Shaternik and his daughter Julia, Genadz Drazdou and others. 2007 On January 20, 2007, BYMA held a peaceful protest against anti-Belarusan policies of the Russian government. The protest was a joint action of the Belarusan Youth Movement of America and Young Front of Belarus and aimed to support development of democracy in Belarus. It was organized in support of the discriminatorily imprisoned leader of Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich. 20 BYMA members from states New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachussetts voiced their disapproval of the current policies in front of the Embassy of Russian Federation in New York City at the event organized by the Belarusan Youth Movement in America. Simultaneously, a number of othe protests were held in Belarusan towns of Salihorsk, Slutsak, Luban, Starobin and Staryia Darohi. On January 27, 2007 the Belarusan Youth Movement in America donated a 45” Mitsubishi TV set to the St. Cyril of Turau Cathedral, Brooklyn. On February 18, 2007 the premiere of "Ploscha" ("Square") - movie created by the well-recognized Belarusan director Yury Khaschavatski - was held in St. Cyril of Turau Cathedral, Brooklyn, NY. As an introduction to the film, a letter from Zmiter Marchuk, a participant of spring 2006 election protests in Kalinovski Square, Minsk was read to the public. Following the film discussion addressed crucial subject matter; free “Ploshcha” DVDs were distributed at the event, which would have been impossible without BYMA’s support. On March 25 the Belarusan Youth Movement in America held a demonstration to observe the 89th anniversary of declaration of Independence of Belarusan Democratic Republic (BNR). After the demonstration in front of the UN Headquarters in New York, members of the Belarusan Movement in America joined the festive concert and banquet, organized in the Assembly Hall of St.Cyril of Turau Cathedral in Brooklyn on the occasion of the 89th anniversary of declaration of Independence of Belarusan Democratic Republic. Notably, the self-sacrificing contribution of the devoted BYMA members to repairing of St. Cyril of Turau Cathedral, Brooklyn, NY and organizing art exhibitions in the Assembly Hall of the Cathedral deserves our deepest respect and highest praise. As well as the technical support provided to the Belarusan NGOs during the year. Belmov.org |
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