EuroBelarus.info

News portal of the International Consortium «EuroBelarus»

Reference:

Consortium website EUROBELARUS.INFO providedwith information service can be referred to as one ofthe main information sources on the issues of civilsociety development and Belarusian-Europeanrelations.

eurobelarus.info

eurobelarus.info

What is that makes the difference?

What differs EuroBelarus from all the other news portalsis that it has ANALYSTS within the organization, which isgood when the fast reaction and comment upon someevent that has just happened in the civil society or in thepolitical life of the country is required.

It also differs from other on-line Belarus-focused infosources in quality and profoundness of the publishedmaterials, looking into the issue and supplying thereaders with an in-depth analysis of the latest news,both in Belarus and elsewhere in the world.

eurobelarus.info

What does the editorial office look like?

• There is a regular team of journalists working for thewebsite and several translators for the English version

• There is one editor for each of the language versions

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In which forms is the website available?

The website is available in two versions:• Russian/Belarusian • English

The English version combines the most importantmaterials translated from Russian with the overview ofthe news which can partially coincide with the newsstream of the Russian version.

eurobelarus.info

What are the challenges that the website faces?

• The website exists for one year only, and is still workingon drawing larger audience in

• The main challenge is the question of how to makepeople interested in the research papers it publishesand not to lower the quality;

• that is how to set in a new culture of politicalawareness, responsibility to Belarusians.

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How is the website organized?

• The structure of the website is the same for theRussian/Belarusian versions and the English version

• The news stream is updated daily, with 1-2 newsper hour for the Russian/Belarusian version and 3-4news per day for the English version.

• These includes both research materials written bythe analysts of the EuroBelarus Consortium andpress releases from the Media and EU bodies.

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What are the topics covered by the website?

EuroBelarus is mostly dealing with the civil society, politicsand economy of Belarus.

The website has 10 thematic blocks that reflect the mainspheres of life interesting to the person with an active socialstance, namely Advocacy, Regional development, Cooperationwith EU, Environment, Life of the country, Civic initiatives,Education, Culture, Social issues, Business.

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…and some more sections

The website also has a special section for those whowant to apply to the discussions and seminars usefulfor social activists, human right fighters and anyonewho attentive to their country.

For better understanding of the website’s conceptone should get to know the way “EuroBelarus”Consortium is organized, as the website is more orless a reflection of the Consortiums’ politics.

What does the Consortium look like?

International Consortium “EuroBelarus” is aspecific kind of task-force alliance unitingsignificant group of Belarusian and Europeanleaders, experts and civil society organizations onthe idea of restoration of role and place of Belarusin modern Europe. It is more correct to recognize“EuroBelarus” as community united by joint goals,values and means of activity.

eurobelarus.info

What is the structure of the Consortium?

International Consortium “EuroBelarus” incorporates

• International NGO “EuroBelarus” (registered inLithuania),

• Centre for European Transformation founded bythis NGO and

• twelve ORGANIZATIONS-PARTICIPANTS of theConsortium.

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When did it all get started?

The International Consortium “EuroBelarus” wasestablished in 2007 for stimulation and support ofpro-European development of Belarus as competentactor in European relations at all possible levels.

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What is the Consortium’s mission?

International Consortium “EuroBelarus” sees itsmission in stimulating, shaping and providing positionof civil society as equal, competent and representativeactor in both Belarusan society and Belarusan-European cooperation on the basis of the ideas andprinciples of the CULTURED POLITICS and theEUROPEAN CHARTER OF ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP.

eurobelarus.info

What are the objectives of the website?

The major objectives of the website coincide with those of “EuroBelarus” Consortium:

• Strengthening and development of public policy sphere in Belarusformed with participation of civil society on the principles ofcompetence, openness, transparency and public control.

• Improving quality of information and analytics provided for civilsociety representatives as well as for their local and internationalpartners.

• Organizational development of civil society organizations, theiractive and conscious participation in the processes of de-Sovietization, Belarusization and Europeanization.

• Development of communication arenas and other types ofplatforms aimed at discussing problems of Belarusan-Europeanrelations and active citizenship in Belarus and Europe.

eurobelarus.info

What is the focus of the Consortium?

Within the frames of its program activities“EuroBelarus” also actively develops PARTNERSHIPSwith a set of organizations both in Belarus andabroad. Being actively involved in the EasternPartnership initiative since 2009, “EuroBelarus” hasbeen and still is one of the main “engines” of theEastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and theNational Platform established on its basis.

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Plans for the future

• To make three fully independent language versionsof the website – in Belarusian, Russian and English

• To make translations of not only written materials,but of the video and audio podcasts as well

• To have specially written original materials inEnglish

• To increase the number of site attenders to aconsiderable degree

eurobelarus.info

The presentation was prepared by Aliaksandra Franskevich,

chief editor of EuroBelarus.info English version

eurobelarus.info