During the Globalization each national idea even if its bearers are of different ethnic origin is based on one specific language, which is more convenient for expressing its appearance and for formulating the main aims. For example, the national American idea - the popular "American dream", which is based on English and each citizen of the USA must know English irrespective of his/her origin.
    The other very important component of the national idea is religion. But it doesn't always work as we can see from the American example.
    But on the European continent the language and religion have always marked the main strivings of the big and small nations, including our neighbors. The national ideas of the Poles and the Lithuanians are based on the Catholic Church, that of the Ukrainians is based on the United Church, that of the Russians is based on the Orthodox Church. The concept of the Lettish national idea is based on the moral and esthetic norms of Protestantism. It is not by chance that one of the components of the national idea is the national church, which speaks to the people on their native language.
    Unfortunately Orthodox and Catholic Churches couldn't fulfill that aim, even in spite of the attempts of Kijeu and Vil'nia to perform in XIV - XV c. the role of the centers of the eastslavonic Orthodoxy and to consider Kijeu Metropolitan the main eastslavonic church hierarch. At that time the language of the Orphodox Church was the Church slavonic language, which differed greatly from the Belarusian dialects and it was not understandable for common people.
    Catholicism, which after Kreusksja Union of 1385 was spread on the territory of western Belarus and till the end of the XVI - begining of the XVII cc. reached Smalensk region. But the language of the Catholic Church (Latin then Polish) also didn't reach common people and it led to the conversion of the Belarusian nobles and magnats to Polish believers.
    In the latter XVI ñ. some Belarusian magnates: among them Radzivily, Sapehi, Khadkevichy, Tyshkevichy, Hliabovichy etc. counted on Protestantism in order to preserve the political independence from Rech Paspalitaja and Moscow Principality. It is Protestants who the first applied with sermon to the Belarusians on their native language and then they included Belarusian into the school.
    The United Church was not able to become the national church and provoked the deeper break in the Belarusian society, preserving the Church Slavonic Language during services. But in the latter XVIII c. the majority of the rural and urban population became members of the United Church, the role of the Belarusian language was increasing at that time and it was spread among the united church clergymen. The violent abolishment of the United Church by Russian Tsarism stopped the tendency of Belarusization of the United Church and the Belarusians do not have their natioanl church up to now.
    In the mid of the Õ²Õ c. after the repression of the next rival for the independence the Belarusians found themselves on the edge of assimilation and disappearance from the map of Europe. As far as the Belarusians were concerned they were divided on the base of religion, their consolidation began round their native history and firstly from their ethnography and language. At the beginning of the ÕÕ ñ. when "Nasha Niva" was started in Vilnia and different Belarusian publishing houses appeared the language became the major uniting factor of the new-born nation. And all political powers, which were on the territory of Belarus at that time, had to take it into consideration.
    Hence for the first time in the ÕÕ ñ. the Belarusian language got the state status on the territory of western Belarus, when in 1915-1918 it was occupied by German troops. Books and newspapers were released and the first Belarusian school was opened and even the record keeping were made in Belarusian.
    In 1918 government of BPR declared Belarusian the state language and later it got the stable position in BSSR. Belarusian together with Russian, Jewish (Yiddish) and Polish languages was the state language in BSSR Constitution of 1927. And in the sphere of school education Belarusian prevailed for the first time and this tradition was kept till 1941, in spite of the repressions of the 1930s.
    During WW II another invaders had to revive Belarusian-language schools and specialized secondary education, had to let the Belarusian-language newspapers to be released and to let Belarusian theater and opera exist.
    The last attempt to use the policy of Belarusiazation for his political aims was undertaken by Laurentsij Beryja in the 1950s. But this action didn't have time for development and died together with Beryja.
    The most horrible years for us were 60s-80s, because Bolsheviks decided to experiment on the Belarusians and deprived us of our native language, culture and history as they tried to make from us the so-called "soviet People" without individuality. It is for this purpose Mikita Khrushchou came to Minsk and from the threshold of the Belarusian State University called the Belarusians to speak only Russian and be the first who would get straight to Communism.
    This destructive work was led by local soviet communist organs till the end of the 80s until the new wave of renaissance started, which led to the proclamation of independence of Belarus to the return of the historical memory and ancient national symbols, to proclamation Belarusian the only state language. In spite of the so-called referendum of 1995, the census of 1999 showed the positive results of this historical process, which is growing and widening now.
    The first redaction of the Act on Languages was adopted in 1990 and the Act was changed a lot in 1998, which emasculated it much. Still in the Act there are articles that can be used for defense of the Belarusian language. These articles are compulsory for carrying-out. Besides at the end of 1999 Article 172 was included into the Code of administrative violations of the republic of Belarus. It says: " Public insult of the state and other national languages, which are used by the population of Belarus, making obstacles and restrictions in their use are fined on 2 to 5 of minimum wage for citizens and on 5 to 10 of minimum wage for officials. Violation of Article 172 is investigated by management commission by city and regional executive committees."
    According to "Act on Principles of State Machinery Service" from 23.11.1993 the people can't take the post in the Sate Machinery if their professional training does not correspond with the qualifying requirements (Article 9 of the Act). According to Qualifying reference book of the state officials posts each state official must know state languages of the Republic of Belarus (paragraph 6.4.1. of the reference book).
    Article 14 of the Labor Code says that discrimination i.e. the limitation of labor rights or getting competitive edge on the basis of a language is prohibited.
    And let's investigate the articles of Language Act, which are compulsory for use.
    Article 3. The right of applying to state organs of local control, to enterprises, organizations and other establishments in Belarusian, Russian or other acceptable for both sides language is guaranteed.
    This means that we can apply to all establishments in Belarusian.
    Article 4. Managers and other workers of the state Machinery and organs of local control, enterprises, establishments, organizations and NGOs must master Belarusian and Russian to the level, necessary for carrying out their duties.
    According to this Article officials and state officials in the first place must answer in Belarusian to the citizens who apply to them in Belarusian.
    Article 5. state organs, organs of local control, enterprises, establishments, organizations and NGOs must admit the papers written in Belarusian or Russian that are given to them by citizens.
    This means that documents written in Belarusian must be accepted without any delay.
    Thanks to friends and followers of BLS a new redaction of the Education Act was adopted and from the 19th of March came into force, in which Articles 5 and 32 of the mentioned above Act can play a very important role in the perseverance and development of the Belarusian language. That is why we give their full versions here.
    Article 5. Languages of learning and upbringing .
    The major languages of learning and upbringing at the establishments of education are Belarusian and Russian. The state guarantees the right for the choice of a language for learning and upbringing and creates the favorable conditions for it.
    The teaching in Belarusian, publishing of the literature, manuals educational text-books in Belarusians are supported by the State.
    Learning of Belarusian, Russian and one of the foreign languages at schools of general education is compulsory, with exception of persons with particular psychophysical development.
    According to statements of the official representatives of the children and according to the decisions of the local executive and administrative organs groups at infant schools and classes at schools of general education can be created, in which the process of learning and upbringing goes fully or partly in the language of the national community or the language of a national community is studied. On the decisions of local executive and administrative organs, coordinated with Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus children infant institutions and schools of general education can de created, in which the process of learning and upbringing goes in the language of the national community.
    Article 32. Aims and Structure of the Higher Education.
    Higher education aims at providing full value development of the capabilities and intellectual and creative potential of a person, possibility of his/her active, free, constructive participation in the development of the society with the aim of satisfaction of the State needs in highly qualified specialists.
    The system of the higher education provides the citizens with the possibility of to be taught in one of the state languages of the Republic of Belarus by creating Belarusian-speaking or Russian-speaking groups at the institutions of higher learning.
    We would like to draw your attention to the fact that to write statements if you want your child to be taught in Belarusian is not necessary as it concerns only official representatives of the children of other non-Belarusian nationality, according to Article 5. Our state government must open Belarusian-speaking educational institutions of all levels according to the letter of the Act on Education without any applications. When there are Belarusian-speaking schools the Parents just send their children to such schools, knowing that their children will be taught in Belarusian the whole period of study.
    Article 32 is very important, according to which Belarusian-speaking groups must exist in each institution of higher learning, irrespective of the kind of property of an institution. There will be the greatest number of graduates from the Belarusian-speaking groups this year. According to the calculations of the Belarusian School Society they will be 23276. In the hear time a new Act on Languages of the Republic of Belarus must be taken, which must correspond to all democratic norms that exist in most European countries, including those of multilingual , where there are some state languages ( for example, Belgium or Switzerland). In the first turn it is the world declaration about the cultural diversity of UNESCO, which was adopted on the 3d of November 2001 at the 31st General Conference in Paris.
    According to the new Act, each state official must know both state languages so as to write without mistakes and speak fluent.
    It is very important to define the correlation of Belarusian Russian and English languages, to define boarders and range of use and language learning at our neighbors (Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Lettish). The separate Article may look into the situation with the language Yiddish as the constituent part of the multinational cultural heritage of our country.
    The new Act on Languages is sure to become the important step to the return of Belarus into the democratic united Europe.

Aleh Trusau
Chairman of BLS