Self # governing

The year 2011 was a significant year for democracy movements around the world.In Belarus, the movement started to become active right after the faked elections in December, 2010. Because of the brutal reactions to the opposi-tion, it has become especially dan-gerous to work towards a free Belarus. But people have been democratized; now all they need is the power to elect an adequate government. Democracy and human rights can be secured permanently wherever people live in modest wealth, but the prevai-ling model of ‘predatory capitalism’ de-stroys this foundation. It is time to re-consider. ‘Occupy’ is one beginning in the western democracies; a corrupt administration in Russia is also coming under pres-sure, but new forms of economy have to be found and tested everywhere. It’s the beginning of a new time all over the world, and soon in Belarus.

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1

O n M a y 1 5 , 2 0 1 1

p r o t e s t s s t a r t e d i n

S p a i n .

A l m o s t 8 m i l l i o n

S p a n i a r d s

p a r t i c i p a t e !

Thousands

protestеd in

Belarus in front of

the main govern -

ment building in

the capital

Minsk.

G e n e r a l s t r i k e s t a k e p l a c e a c r o s s G r e e c e !

O c c u p y W a l l S t r e e t b e g a n o n S e p t e m b e r 1 7 , 2 0 1 1 i n Z u c c o t t i P a r k !

On December 6, 2011 in Minsk, Tatsiana Hatsura, accompanied by her sons, protested against the death penalty: “Mister Presi-dent , I have four child-ren. Who will guaran-tee them a right to live ?”

S t r e e t

d e m o n s t r a t i o n s

i n T u n i s i a , E g y p t

a n d L i b y a !

On December

10, 2011 dozens of

Russian cit ies

witnessed protests

against the results of

national elections to

the Duma.

A social economy and politics are possible! We can reform and actively build our future!

Self # governing 2

Since the prices rise, I come home from the supermarket

with half-empty bags.

It’s not possible to survive on my scholarship. I spend a third of it just to cover my utility costs.

My income is almost a million rubles [€100] per

month. To buy the things my two kids need for school is going to take me several months, without

eating and drinking.

I can’t buy as much food as before.

I have to choose — food or pills.

The main government building in Minsk

Self # governing�

w w w . b e l a r u s - t o d a y. n e tAccORDInG TO ARTIcLE 3 Of THE cOnSTITuTIOn THE OnLy SOuRcE Of GOvERnMEnTAL POWER In THE REPuBLIc Of BELARuS IS THE PEOPLE.

No RAPID

PRIvATIzATIoN

of fAcToRIeS

AND PlANTS

no ban on the activity ofnon-registered organizations!

fRee INTeRNeT AcceSS foR eveRyboDy!

Affordable education!

RIghTS foR lgbT!

Belarus without visas!

foR PolITIcS IN AcTIoN!

belARuS wIThouTDIScRIMINATIoN!

your actions inspire others!

I SAy whAT I wANNA SAy!

woMeN IN PoweR!

Get paid for your work!

WE

DECIDE!

wAKe uP!

D e m o c r a c y i s u s !

B E L A R u S S I A n S !W H AT A R E W E W A I T I n G f O R ?

a b o l i s h t h e d e a t h

p e n a l t y

Self # governing �

A family discussion at the kitchen table

TODAy THEy MAKE THE DEcISIOnS fOR uSWe got used to the idea that politics means the power of politicians and the interests of the political par-ties, and that the economy is a governmental monopoly, with huge fortunes in the hands of just a few oligarchs or transnational corporations.

The west should take a lesson in democracy from belarus. There is no opposition

in Belarus. Crisis? We don‘t have a crisis. There has been

panic runs and shortages. There is enough to eat. Stop running,

and live more calmly.

belarus is a dictatorship in the center of europe! An economic crisis, cultural genocide,

human-rights violations! For free elections! for elections without lukashenko! for a

european belarus!

Russia and belarus could become one unit, as it was in the times of the

Soviet Union. This is possi-ble and highly welcome.

The belarussian regime of Lukashenko — the last

dictator in Europe — is ex-cluding itself from the world

community.

Buy made-in-Belarus!Governmental capitalism.

Big business under the control of the president.

free market, international funds, transnational corporations. compe-tition and profit — the major motor

of the economy and social life. The ‘free-market’-state economy belongs to just a few oligarchs.

40% of population:have work/career,

have income/consume/have fun

40% unemployed excluded from the public

community, with alcohol and Tvas alternatives 20–30% of the

employable population leave Belarus

we are working and feeding our families not with help from the state, but in spite of it.

Do we have a future? I don’t just

want to survive. I want to live!

Our citizens complain to each other in kitchens or online. That’s where our public sphere is …

Self # governing�

TOMORROW WE MAKE THE DEcISIOnS OuRSELvES A social economy and politics are not impossible! We have to take responsibility for our future without waiting for somebody else to do it for us. What can we change ourselves? What might a new society look like?

Artels, mutual savings and loan co-operatives, run as non-profit, with

no-interest loans. Development

of renewable energy, building wind turbines and solar collectors

on the territory of Belarus.

Avoid privatization of enterprises by transna-

tional corporations. Unite employees in order to pro-

mote local management and manufacturing

growth.

Creation of a net of ‘independent univer-sities’ based on local

initiatives, with lectures and events developed

for specific groups, non- compulsory attendance and examinations, and

no age limit.

Set up housing and construction artels. Construction at low interest rates, pre-venting speculative

price increases.

Free Internet access across the country. Inde-

pendent regional TV chan-nels. Free use of the ‘open

channel.’

Solidarity agriculture provides the community with

food. The community guarantees purchase and preliminary finan-cing of the harvest. Support of

regional agriculture, nutrition, pro-tection from the price dictates of

the globalized market.

The museum building becomes a meeting place for citizens to discuss the issues of the day. Artists will help visua-

lize and display propositions in the exhibition space.

The museum should be decentralized in different cities of Belarus

and become a permanent platform for citizens’ initiatives.

Self # governing �

THIS MODEL Of EcOnOMy IS fAILInGForeign companies rule over important parts of the economy. Profits are transferred to other countries. The Belarussian people pay for these profits and sink into poverty. This circle has to be broken. The next step is to introduce concepts which empower the people to shape their economy autonomously and help keep profits in the country, which will lead to better salaries and a generally higher level of wealth through reinvestment.

Is an interest-free bank

loan possible?

our own apartment?

can we afford a loan?

High-interest bank loan

Bank earns high profits

Profits go to the head office in Austria

bANK AuSTRIA

belARuS bRANch ofbANK AuSTRIA

We sell potatoes with a harvesting

plan and prices fixed by the govern-

ment. The result: low salaries and an economy surviving

on government subsidies.

The average wage in farming is the lowest of

all sectors.

Export: sales to a major corporation at

low price set on the world market

The corporation purchases potatoes

from farms, exports them, packs them,

imports them back into the country and

sells them at beneficial prices.

INTeRNATIoNAl coRPoRATIoN

Export to Russia. unreliable income depending on the

harvest in Russia: bad harvest in Russia →

good profits; good harvest in Russia → no outlet or low pri-ces, sales at a loss.

Loan pay-ments, high-

interest payoff

Does a plant need to grow?

Do we need a per-manent increase in

production?

BuT HOW TO cHAnGE THIS...?A change can be made through a transparent economic cycle and fair trade. The rule of individual companies over the economy will be re-placed by the artel, an association which distributes products and pro-fits to members.

Self # governing�

nO TRAnSPAREncyToday’s capitalist system works under a rule of total non-transparency. Everyone thinks that the less infor-mation they provide, the better for them and their company’s strategy. But in truth, they do harm to the en-tire national economy because this kind of thinking leads to constant price fluctuation and overproduction.

Overproduction

Plant begins production, demand rises, the plant produces more and more ...

Due to overproduction prices fall. Plant goes bust.

councilExchange of experience between all groups on production volumes and needs.

TOTAL TRAnSPAREncyHow can transparency be organized?

Members of the value-creation chain can meet and exchange regularly in small groups. This works, for example, with agricultural products, where farmers can speak to brokers and con-sumers. If this system is to work as the ba-sis for a national economy, then councils from every region and every sector of production must be elected. They will meet regularly to exchange information and bring it back to the producers.

Dealers can tell the pro-ducers more precisely how much of their prod-ucts can be sold at what price. This way, produc-tion covers only actual needs. Expensive over-production can be avo-ided; prices remain sta-ble because an economy of scarcity does not lead to scarcity prices. If consumers become part of the process, they can communicate which goods they prefer and what price they are wil-ling to pay for them.

Why does transparency lead to higher profits?

Producer of fridges

Dealer

Shop

consumer

Self # governing �

HOW TO fOunD An ARTEL?

1. found a committee for the organization.

2. Develop a plan for the activity of the artel, develop an organizational chart, discuss the entry fee.

3. Prepare and hold an orga-nizational meeting. Elect the artel’s governing body.

4. Register the artel. Open the settlement account.

An ARTEL IS A nOn-cOMMERcIAL ORGAnIZATIOn, unITInG THE cITIZEnS’ LABOR WITH THE AIM Of SATISfyInG THEIR nEEDS AnD WAnTSThe system of non-commercial artels could become a progressive model in Belarus, one that will help set up fairer working conditions, preserve and create jobs, support smaller initiatives, strengthen farming, imple-ment mutual interest-free lending and housing construction, and prevent speculative price increases in goods and services.

In the Russian Federation there are 800 credit societies: citizens’ credit consumer

cooperatives, agricultural consumer cooperatives, organizations supporting

credit cooperative movement, and others.

?

If commercial banks aim at maximum profit, co-

operatives unite the funds for the necessary resources and services in the interest of the

people.

WHy fOunD An ARTEL?

1. An artel does not aim at making a profit.

2. An artel is set up as a membership organization

3. Decisions are made accor-

ding to the principle ‘one person — one vote’ independent of the

number of contributions

4. All services are supplied to artel members only.

Artel means equal rights and equal responsibili-

ties for all its shareholders. This is how we discover democracy

in practice.

The aim of this publication is to inform the public about the current situation in Belarus. It aims to address the question of the future of Belarus. What is possible? How do we find a structure to discuss a future at all? This raises the questi-on of the function and dysfunction of democratic processes around the world. It also means preparing possible social and economic alternatives for a Belarus at a time of crisis, when the neo-liberal system is also being called into question locally and globally.

The Law of the Republic of Belarus dated February 25, 2002 No. 93-3 “Concerning consumer cooperative societies in the Republic of Belarus” (quoting the law) defines the consu-mer cooperative society as a volun-tary association of either citizens or citizens and legal entities based on membership in order to satisfy the material needs of the members by uniting proprietary mutual contri-butions.

Published by Marina Naprushkina and the Office for Anti-Propaganda. Translations by Isabel Bredenbröker, Anna Fertich and Olesya Kazakova. Special thanks to Zdravka Bajović, Anna Baranovskaya, Marta Gornicka, Warren Niesłuchowski, Irina Solomatina, Renate Wagner, Tobias

Weihmann and Tina Wessel. Production by Union Druckerei Berlin GmbH. Produced with the support of the 7th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art (April 27 to July 1, 2012). The Berlin Biennale is organized by the

KW Institute for Contemporary Art and funded by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation).With support of the Kalmar konstmuseum.

© 2012, Office for Anti-Propaganda. All rights reserved.