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Leader of the Belarusian Uniates dies at 51
Dean of the Greek-Catholic (Uniate) Church, Yan Matusevich,
51, died on September 2 and was buried at the Kalvariyskoe cemetery in
Minsk. The Rev. Yan (Ivan Matusevich) was born in the village of Kamentsy,
Minsk region. In 1972, upon graduation from the Stage Directors Department
of the Belarusian Drama Institute, he was ordained as an Orthodox priest.
Having graduated from an Orthodox seminary in Smolensk, Russia, and a Catholic
theological academy in Poland, the Rev. Yan became the first Greek-Catholic
priest in Belarus, thus initiating the rebirth of the Uniate Church with
which most Belarusians formerly affiliated themselves. An advocate of the
national rebirth, the Rev. Yan was the first in the country to resume Christian
service in the Belarusian language.
Minimum monthly wage to be raised
The Belarusian Council of Ministers has announced that it
will raise the minimum monthly wage from 250,000 rubles to 350,000 rubles
and the first-class worker's wage from 500,000 rubles to 700,000 rubles
on October 1. Pensions, student grants and other allowances are to be recalculated
in proportion to the new minimum monthly wage. The Belarusian Federation
of Labor Unions, which has long insisted on a wage increase, believes that
the forthcoming wage rise will have little effect because of high inflation.
Charter-97 attends human rights forum in Geneva
A plan of action in defending human rights was adopted at
a forum of human rights organizations held in Geneva from August 28 to
30. The plan outlines the functions of human rights watchdogs and their
rights. According to the press office of Charter-97 human rights group,
their coordinator for international relations, Andrei Sannikov, who attended
the forum, met with Ruth Dreifuss, vice president of the Swiss Confederation.
During the meeting, Dreifuss pointed out that Switzerland will not change
its position toward Belarus until the country improves its human rights
record. The forum was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. About 200 human rights activists from all
over the world took part in the forum, including the UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights Marry Robinson.
"Children of Chernobyl" suspends its activities
Following the cabinet's September 1 directive introducing
the licensing of humanitarian and charitable activities, the "Children
of Chernobyl" charitable foundation has decided to suspend its activities,
said the foundation's director Gennady Grushevoi. "Commerce in the field
of charity is yet another know-how which has emerged in Belarus," Grushevoi
said. In his opinion, the directive runs counter to the Belarusian constitution
and international human rights standards. It is deplorable that many humanitarian
foundations have consented to buying licenses, he noted. "Children
of Chernobyl" refuses to take part in this business. This is a refusal
to trade in conscience and kindness, a refusal to integrate into the governmental
agencies which destroy everything based on spirituality and ethics." Grushevoi
said that the foundation will not be closed down, but it will change its
profile, carrying out social programs which require no licensing. |
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Harsh winter on the horizon
Another
search for energy resources ends in failure
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