Dmitry Mezentsev – to the youth of Belarus and Russia: don't be formalists, take action
Delegates to the meeting included representatives of the Russian Youth Union, BRSM, the Belarusian Committee of Youth Organizations, and the Youth Parliament under the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus. The discussion focused on issues of the Executive Committee's activities, the election of its members and co-chairmen, as well as niche areas in which the youth organization of the Union State will work in the near future.
-- We had a conversation with the guys about the Komsomol. Not by chance. It was not just a youth organization, but part of the state system. Young men and women from the school bench were involved in the affairs of their country, - noted Dmitry Mezentsev. - And in what can young people express themselves today, besides studies and work? They want to be bright, interesting, active. They want to show their strength and courage, to really influence the life of the country they live in. We witnessed how last summer Belarusian youth took to the streets of the capital and several regional centers. I talked to them, asked why. Many could not explain. The fact that they succumbed to negative influences suggests that they can find opportunities to express themselves, to declare their civic position. We need to work on this, including the Russian-Belarusian Youth Union.
The RBYS was established in May 2000 and operates in two fraternal countries. It is a union of the all-Russian public organization "Russian Union of Youth" and the public association "Belarusian Republican Youth Union". The activities of the RBYS are aimed at developing Russian-Belarusian youth cooperation. Under the patronage of the organization, projects such as the "Russian Winter" and "Youth for the Union State" festivals, the "Be-La-Rus" camp, the inter-university competition of grace and artistic skill "Queen Spring" (now "Queen of Student Life"), and many others have been implemented all these years.