The Freedom of Speech in Belarus and Lithuania
 

The Eastern Europe Studies Centre has prepared a comparative study “Over the Hedge” on freedom of speech in Belarus and Lithuania. The main objective of the publication is to create an overview of the freedom of speech in the two countries and to outline the differences concerning the freedom of speech and mass media in the two neighboring countries. This analysis entails comparison of the legal frameworks, statistical data, the regulations on the internet and the mass media: newspapers, radio and TV stations. The authors seek to highlight the importance of independent media when forming a civil society. Download the publication in English or Russian.

Over the Hedge: Doing Business in Belarus and Poland
 

EESC presents the latest “Over the Hedge” booklet, which analyses the peculiarities of business environment in Belarus and Poland and provides an insightful review giving all the information on the needs and constraints of doing business in the neighboring countries. This issue of “Over the Hedge” analyses a list of universal commandments for a successful start-up of a private business. However, a comparison between Belarus and Poland provided below reveals that the universal business practices are in fact not necessarily universally applicable. Download the publication in English or Russian.

Over the Hedge: Myths about the European Union in Belarus
 

The Eastern Europe Studies Centre (EESC) is proud to present yet another booklet of its well-known series Over the Hedge. The authors of the booklet apply analytical research methods, study statistical data and other empiric facts in order to depict and deconstruct 9 the most prevailing myths about the European Union that are circulating in the Belarusian society. Our readers will find analyses of such myths as “No one waits for Belarus in Europe”, “Belarusian goods will fail to compete on the European market”, “Closer ties with the EU will lead to a rift with Russia”, as well as other widespread myths. Download the booklet in English or Russian.

Over the Hedge: Attitudes on Civil Society in Belarus and Lithuania
 
EESC has prepared a comparative study on civil society in Belarus and Lithuania "Over the Hedge: Attitudes on Civil Society in Belarus and Lithuania".  The main objective of the publication was to provide a brief evaluation of the real effects of political regime and external political conditions on the scope and types of civic activism in the neighbouring countries.  

This publication provides a playful insight on the following questions: Have Lithuania and Belarus moved away from the soviet passive civic tradition? Are we really as different as we think we are? Is there anything Lithuanians and Belarusians could learn from each other in terms of SCO participation?

The study was published in the following languages: English and Russian. Download this publication in: English or Russian.

The Collection of Articles "The Other Sky"

Eastern Europe Studies Centre together with  Human Rights Alliance  published  the collection of articles "The other sky"  written by Belarusian oppositional journalists. The publication presents an alternative view of current social and economic situation in Belarus which is not covered by the official media in Belarus. The questions of historical and cultural  identity of Belarus as well as strategy of future development are also raised in the book. These topics are almost absent in the public discourse in Belarus.

The authors of the articles are well known for the readers of Belarusian independent press and internet sites. They constitute the so called underground of Belarus social and political life, but at the same they are the inner cosmos and the other sky in Belarus.

Belarus Yearbook 2006

EESC in cooperation with belarussian internet portal "Nashe Mnenia" (Our Opinion) and belarussian public opinion survey company "Novak", has published the 5th Belarus Yearbook. The publication reviews social, economical and political developments in the coutry during the 2006. Belarus foreign policy is analysed in the regional perspective.

Due to the tense relations between Belarus, Latvia and Poland in the 2006, the authors of this book decided to invite collegues from Riga and Warsaw to share their opinions about the topic in the chapter "regional context". Wereas the other chapters analyze the tendencies between belarussian government and society. In the last part of the yearbook there are the sociological survey results of the Belarussian people before and after presidential elections.

Are Frozen Conflicts warming?

EESC has worked up an analytical study about two frozen conflicts in the post-soviet space - Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The study is exclusive because it was written by international group of experts representing opposite points of view about the different historical reasons of the conflict, also about the development of current situation and possible scenarios in the future.

The Lithuanian experts have written an introduction to the topic and the sum-up whereas the Georgian and Russian experts have polemically discussed the frozen conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

In the South Ossetian case, Russian opinion was set by Alexander Karavayev - an expert from the Center for the Studies of the Post-Soviet Space Countries (Moscow), whereas the Georgian point of view was introduced by Giorgi Kandelaki - Senior Adviser at the Administration of the President of Georgia (Tbilisi) and Levan Tarkhnishvili - Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences at the Chavchavadze State University (Tbilisi).

In the Abkhazian case, Russian opinion was set by Sergey Markedonov - Deputy head of the Department of Inter-National Relations of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis, candidate of historical sciences (Moscow) and the Georgian point of view was introduced David Aprasidze - Associate Professor, Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences at the  Ilia Chavvhavadze State University (Tbilisi) and Irakli Matkava - Senior Lecturer at the American University for Humanities (Tbilisi).

The book was prepared in English Russian and Lithuanian.

Over the Hedge: Comparing Life in Belarus and Lithuania

EESC has prepared a comparative socioeconomical study about Life in Lithuania and Belarus. The main objective of the research was to show the pros and cons of living in Lithuania (an EU and NATO member) and in Belarus (CIS member).

The EESC experts gathered information about prices of wide variety of goods and services in both countries and compared them in the context of local earnings. The caricatures and visual representation of the statistical data makes this analytical study highly attractive. The study was pulished in three languages: Lithuanian, English and Russian.

Download this publication in: Lithuanian, English or Russian.

Perspectives of Belarus Development after 2006

The first EESC analitical study "Perspectives of Belarus Development after 2006" scrutinizes the 2006 presidential elections and the Belarussian society's reaction to it. It also looks at the socio-economic alterations in the country and the prospects for possible democratic transformation.

The study was written by Drs. Algimantas Jankauskas, Algirdas Gricius and Lauras Bielinis. It was published in both English and Russian.