Iryna Vidanava, Editor-in-Cief of CDMAG magazine in Belarus, gave a lecture on "The other Belarus" when visiting Copenhagen in June. Photo: Lotte Dahlmann/IMS

Interview with Editor-in-Chief of the youth magazine CDMAG, Iryna Vidanava from Belarus who urges all international reporters covering the election in Belarus this fall to look for stories about 'the other Belarus'

Business as usual. This is the expectation of most people inside as well as outside Belarus ahead of the upcoming elections due this fall. Most likely, President Lukashenka will win again, as he has won all election campaigns in Belarus for the past 14 years.

What is worse, though, would be if international media coverage also applied business as usual principles, thus mainly covering the usual angles such as the predictable outcome, political harassment and the question whether or not international election monitors will be allowed to visit polling stations on Election Day.

- These stories are of course important, but I wish the international media would also cover the other story about Belarus, says Iryna Vidanava.

30-years old, Iryna is already aspiring to becoming a “Grand Old Lady” of new media in Belarus. The editor-in-chief of "CDMAG", a youth magazine which is distributed in Belarus on CDs and soon to be online as well, she has for 10 years worked to nurture a new youth culture by finding ways to cover issues that concern and interest young people in Belarus.

- It is a wonderful story about young people who insist on having an opinion of their own. they may express themselves in more subtle ways compared to European standards, but it is there! She says.

Non-political youngsters

15-25 year old Belarusians have only known the era of President Lukashenka. All their lives, they have experienced nothing but Lukashenka’s way and been subjected to his regime’s eagerness to control every aspect of people’s lives. This includes standards for proper behaviour among young people, fashion trends as well as the music scene.

Even so, young people reject this attempt to micromanage their lives, and they respond by creating their own music scene, setting their own standards for trendy dress codes and so on, explains Iryna on a visit to Copenhagen in June.

Only a fraction of young people in Belarus is actively engaged in political parties or activities. According to Iryna, many young people regard the established political opposition as relics – or even failures as their way has so far not lead to substantial changes in Belarus. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly dangerous to publicly express dissent or political affiliation.

This was seen in the last election in 2006, when young people –named students uprising in the international media – took to the streets in peaceful rallies for change. The consequences were dire for many of the youngsters who were caught participating in the demonstrations; many young men were forced to join the army, and young men and women were expelled from their universities.

-Many have left for Poland to continue their studies there. It helps active students to finalise their studies and to overcome the fear of repression. But on the other hand, some regard it as an act of double punishment for their so-called crimes that they have been forced to leave their homes and families and having to cope in a foreign country facing language barriers and isolation, says Iryna.

Changing the mindset of a nation 

Dissent is however rising out of other, less formal structures these days and is expressed in more subtle ways. Graffiti and the spreading of stencils carrying catchy phrases, five minute sit-ins and other impulsive signs of civic disobedience are but a small fraction of all the creative schemes undertaken by Belarusian youth today to demonstrate their free will.

- Demonstrating publicly the ability to setting the mind free is more important for these young people than publicly yelling “democracy” or “freedom”. The aim is to change the mindset of a whole nation. It is a more cumbersome process and will take some time. But, once it is there, it will be very difficult to ignore, says Iryna.

CDMAG is a key partner for IMS in Belarus together with the Association of Belarusian journalists BAJ. In cooperation with IMS and “Kaospiloterne”, CDMAG is planning to gather interesting stories from Belarus – especially about young candidates who run in the election and to promote stories about ‘the other Belarus’ in order to be able to shed light on some of the many initiatives to national and international media covering the election.