The purpose of this thesis is to examine the process of nation-building in the Republic of Belarus from 1991 till the present time. The focus is made on two main projects of nation-building presented by the official authorities and the political opposition. The main concern of this thesis is to make a comparative analysis of these two projects of Belarussian national identity. Also, the thesis examines the views of the official authorities and the political opposition on the history of Belarus, which is used as a tool of national identity construction in their projects of nation-building. Concepts of ethnic and civic nationalisms are discussed aiming at understanding the nature of nationalism in Belarus together with different theoretical approaches to ethnicity.

Darbe analizuojami ES-Baltarusijos ir ES-Kaliningrado santykiai, vadovaujantis Fabrizio Tassinari suformuluota „kintamųjų geometrijų“ koncepcija. „Kintamųjų geometrijų“ sąvoka, asocijuojama su ES vidaus politika, pritaikoma ES santykių su kaimyninėmis valstybėmis analizei. Naujas kontekstas bei dalinis teorinės koncepcijos modifikavimas leidžia tirti ES gravitacinės bei normatyvinės galios poveikį bei vertinti jos kaip užsienio politikos veikėjos sėkmes bei nesėkmes. Tyrimui pasirinkti du atvejai - Lietuvos kaimynystėje esančių Baltarusijos valstybės bei Rusijos Federacijos Kaliningrado srities santykiai su ES. Taikant teorinės analizės bei aprašomąjį metodą siekiama ne tik išnagrinėti ES-Baltarusijos ir ES-Kaliningrado santykius, bet ir įvertinti, kokia reikšmė jiems suteikiama platesniame Europos kontekste. „Kintamųjų geometrijų“ koncepcija skaldoma į tris sudedamąsias dalis – „idėjų“, „institucijų“ bei „ galios“ dimensijas. Ši segmentacija nulemia uždavinių formuluotę, darbo struktūrą bei esmines išvadas. „Idėjų“ matmuo skirtas ES, Baltarusijos ir Kaliningrado politinio ir geopolitinio identitetų bei jų sąveikos tyrimui, „institucijų“ dimensija pasitelkiama, kritiškai nagrinėjant skirtingus bendradarbiavimo formatus bei jų trūkumus. Pats svarbiausias - „galios“ matmuo leidžia nubrėžti teorinės koncepcijos praktinio taikymo ribas, analizuojant ES galios vaidmenį ir nurodant alternatyvius galios šaltinius. Tyrimo rezultatai leidžia nustatyti pasirinktos teorijos taikymo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The paper deals with the analysis of the EU-Belarus and the EU-Kaliningrad relations applying the concept of “variable geometries“ introduced by Fabrizio Tassinari. In the conventional interpretation this concept is associated with the domestic policy of the EU. This study places it in the field of the Union‘s relations with its neighbours. New context and partial modification of the theory make it possible to examine the impact of the EU gravitational and normative power and evaluate successes and failures of the Union‘s external policy. Two topical cases have been chosen for the investigation – Lithuania‘s neighbouring Belarus and the Russian Federation Kaliningrad region relations with the EU. Selected methodology – the combination of theoretical analysis and descriptive methods – gives the possiblity to simultaneously examine the EU-Belarus and the EU-Kaliningrad relations and evaluate their role in the wider European space. Three dimensions of „variable geometries“ are distinguished: „ideas“, „institutions“ and „power“. This segmentation determines the formulation of the study tasks, structure and the main conclusions. The dimension related to „ideas“ focuses on the EU, Belarus and Kaliningrad political and geopolitical identities and on the way in which the EU as a polity affects, and is affected by, deeper relations with its neighbors. The institutional dimension deals with different formats of cooperation and their shortcomings. The main dimension, related to “power”... [to full text]

In the dissertation “Factors of National Identity Formation in CIS Area: Belarus and Ukraine Case Study” the factors of identity formation are analyzed aiming to answer the question which of those factors are the most important in the CIS area. The overall goal of the work is to explain the differences of the formation of identity in the post soviet area, through the analysis of the material and non material as well as internal and external factors of the identity formation in Belarus and Ukraine. In the theoretical part the dissertation aims to answer the question why other theories and paradigms of international relations are not effective in explaining the process of the identity formation in the CIS area and what the possible factors of identity formation are in the region. In this part the grouping of those factors is presented, which is used as the model of analysis. In this dissertation it is considered that only the analysis of whole identity formation factors can help to point out the most important of them in Belarus and Ukraine. In the empirical part of the dissertation the analytical interpretation model is being used. The comparative analysis of two cases of Belarus and Ukraine is used in this part via analyzing public opinion polls and changes in public opinion through the time and in the periods of the sharp changes of the domestic or international situation. While analyzing internal aspects of identity formation the biggest attention is given to nonmaterial –... [to full text] / Disertacijoje „Nacionalinės tapatybės formavimosi veiksniai NVS erdvėje: Baltarusijos ir Ukrainos atvejų analizė“ nagrinėjami tapatybės formavimąsi lemiantys veiksniai ir siekiama atsakyti į klausimą, kurie iš jų yra svarbiausi NVS erdvėje. Darbo tikslas – paaiškinti nacionalinės tapatybės formavimosi skirtumus NVS valstybėse, analizuojant vidinius ir išorinius bei nematerialius ir materialius tapatybės formavimosi veiksnius Baltarusijoje ir Ukrainoje. Teorinėje darbo dalyje siekiama atsakyti į klausimą, kodėl kitos teorijos ir tarptautinių santykių paradigmos negali paaiškinti tapatybės formavimosi proceso NVS erdvėje, atskleidžiami, kokie tapatybės veiksniai egzistuoja, siūlomas jų grupavimo ir analizės modelis, ir daroma prielaida, kad tik išanalizavus visus tapatybės formavimosi veiksnius, galima spręsti, kurie iš jų yra svarbesni NVS erdvėje, remiantis konkrečiais Baltarusijos ir Ukrainos atvejais. Empirinėje darbo dalyje remiantis analitiniu interpretaciniu modeliu analizuojami tapatybės formavimosi veiksniai Baltarusijoje ir Ukrainoje. Dviejų atvejų lyginamoji analizė atliekama pasitelkus visuomenės nuomonės ir jos pokyčių laike bei esant staigiems situacijos pokyčiams analizę. Analizuojant vidinius tapatybės formavimosi veiksnius daugiausiai dėmesio skiriama nematerialiems kultūriniams ir materialiems bei nematerialiems politiniams veiksniams. Analizuojant išorinius veiksnius disertacijoje analizuojama Rusijos kaip veikėjo įtaka išorinių veiksnių atsiradimui ir jų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

In the dissertation “Factors of National Identity Formation in CIS Area: Belarus and Ukraine Case Study” the factors of identity formation are analyzed aiming to answer the question which of those factors are the most important in the CIS area. The overall goal of the work is to explain the differences of the formation of identity in the post soviet area, through the analysis of the material and non material as well as internal and external factors of the identity formation in Belarus and Ukraine. In the theoretical part the dissertation aims to answer the question why other theories and paradigms of international relations are not effective in explaining the process of the identity formation in the CIS area and what the possible factors of identity formation are in the region. In this part the grouping of those factors is presented, which is used as the model of analysis. In this dissertation it is considered that only the analysis of whole identity formation factors can help to point out the most important of them in Belarus and Ukraine. In the empirical part of the dissertation the analytical interpretation model is being used. The comparative analysis of two cases of Belarus and Ukraine is used in this part via analyzing public opinion polls and changes in public opinion through the time and in the periods of the sharp changes of the domestic or international situation. While analyzing internal aspects of identity formation the biggest attention is given to nonmaterial –... [to full text] / Disertacijoje „Nacionalinės tapatybės formavimosi veiksniai NVS erdvėje: Baltarusijos ir Ukrainos atvejų analizė“ nagrinėjami tapatybės formavimąsi lemiantys veiksniai ir siekiama atsakyti į klausimą, kurie iš jų yra svarbiausi NVS erdvėje. Darbo tikslas – paaiškinti nacionalinės tapatybės formavimosi skirtumus NVS valstybėse, analizuojant vidinius ir išorinius bei nematerialius ir materialius tapatybės formavimosi veiksnius Baltarusijoje ir Ukrainoje. Teorinėje darbo dalyje siekiama atsakyti į klausimą, kodėl kitos teorijos ir tarptautinių santykių paradigmos negali paaiškinti tapatybės formavimosi proceso NVS erdvėje, atskleidžiami, kokie tapatybės veiksniai egzistuoja, siūlomas jų grupavimo ir analizės modelis, ir daroma prielaida, kad tik išanalizavus visus tapatybės formavimosi veiksnius, galima spręsti, kurie iš jų yra svarbesni NVS erdvėje, remiantis konkrečiais Baltarusijos ir Ukrainos atvejais. Empirinėje darbo dalyje remiantis analitiniu interpretaciniu modeliu analizuojami tapatybės formavimosi veiksniai Baltarusijoje ir Ukrainoje. Dviejų atvejų lyginamoji analizė atliekama pasitelkus visuomenės nuomonės ir jos pokyčių laike bei esant staigiems situacijos pokyčiams analizę. Analizuojant vidinius tapatybės formavimosi veiksnius daugiausiai dėmesio skiriama nematerialiems kultūriniams ir materialiems bei nematerialiems politiniams veiksniams. Analizuojant išorinius veiksnius disertacijoje analizuojama Rusijos kaip veikėjo įtaka išorinių veiksnių atsiradimui ir jų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 134-158). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

During the last five years mediated activism dedicated to LGBT+ issues in Belarus has flourished despite restrictive context: several new online initiatives, including a media project, have been launched. The current study investigates how one of the most politically underprivileged and marginalized groups – LGBT+ activists – make use of online social media to advocate for positive social and political modification in the Belarusian society. By collecting interviews with activists as a primary source of lived experiences, applying thematical analysis on the data from 13 interviews, and then contributing with netnography-informed content analysis as an instrument to analyse 34 posts written in February of 2018 on the personal Facebook pages of the same activists, the current research examines patterns of experiences surrounding participation in mediated LGBT+ activism. The power dynamics and the influence of the repressive context on the practices of mediated activism are analysed through feminist critical discourse analysis with specific focus on heteronormativity as a key-concept of imposing power on marginalized identities. Four global themes emerged in the result of the analysis: 1) heteronormativity and state control; 2) identity as “doing”; 3) the “other” activism, and 4) social change as individual transformation. Topics of heteronormativity, homophobia, hate-crime and violence turned out to be most present in the posts produced by the activists. It was found that in the restrictive spaces mediated activism and social media, instead of serving as tools for mass outreach and mobilization, endanger activists engaged in LGBT+ issues. Burnout, risk of poverty, emotional and physical assaults, and exposure to social sanctions are happening to activists because of their presence online, and there are extremely limited tools to combat these consequences of publicity. In Belarusian context, the shrinking space for civil society and limited political opportunities outweigh the potential of online social media, lower their impact and determine prospects of social change in such a way, when viral organizing or structural transformations become extremely limited.

The thesis "External economic activity of the Republic of Belarus" is focused on the analysis of the most important areas for evaluation of external economic activity and the sustainability of economic equilibrium of Belarus. These areas are external trade policy of the state, its foreign trade, investments and balance of payments. Special attention was paid to studying the development of the international trade of the republic from the end of 80. years up to the present time. On the basis of the conducted research the external stability of the republic was considered.

The main aim of thesis is to display the current economic situation of the Republic of Belarus, to map out economic cooperation between the European Union and the Republic of Belarus and its mutual future development. This thesis is focused on the most fundamental questions of mutual cooperation in business, trade and investment.

In my thesis I define the main consequences that recent global financial crisis left on Belorussian banking system. In order to achieve my goal, as the first step I introduce the country's banking system, where I describe the main construction elements of Belorussian banking system, present its basic qualitative and quantitative characteristics. In the second chapter first I am going to present the basic information about financial crisis and its development from the international point of view. Then I focus on Belarus and its specifics. The third chapter is dedicated to the analysis of the specific impact of the crisis process and taken measures on Belorussian banks. Finally I evaluate found specifics of Belorussian approach to financial crisis as well as specific effects on Belorussian banks.

As the media followed the turn of events in Belarus, increasing arrests and the violence that followed brought tens of thousands of Belarusians into the streets to demand change, end police brutality, and display how far human rights abuses have come in Lukashenko's regime. This thesis argues that in the cases like this, foreign media comes forward to either further protester's voices or shut them down, which, drawing on the previous research, is considered dependent on the geopolitical relations of the countries involved. Departing from the normative knowledge that media, politics, and protests are interrelated, this thesis bridges theories of all three of the latter fields to craft an interdisciplinary theoretical framework for the research. Building on political and media opportunity structures and indexing theories, this thesis addresses questions of how independent from authorities is the media and how a geopolitical position might influence the coverage of the conflict. The framing analysis of LRT English, Deutsche Welle, RT, and Daily Sabah coverage during the 22 weeks is conducted to identify the coverage's patterns, developments, and changes in the coverage. The results have shown that the amount of coverage is related to the authorities position announcement. Democratic and protest supportive countries cover the protest extensively even before the authorities react; meanwhile, less democratic countries show that the coverage significantly increases as soon as the government reaction is publicised. Furthermore, the framing of the protesters differs as well. On the one hand, protesters and violence are depicted differently, on the other, frames employed in opposition supportive countries' media outlets are more diverse and explorative than in the media of Lukashenko's allies.