| Belarusian Republican Youth Union |
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The Belarusian Republican Youth Union ('''BRSM''') ( in the Eastern European country of Belarus . The goals of the BRSM are to promote Patriotism and to instill individual Moral Values into the youth of Belarus, using activities such as camping, sporting events and visiting memorials. The organization, which was created by a merger of other youth groups in 2002, is the successor of the Leninist Communist Youth League of the Belorussian SSR . While they are only one of a few youth groups inside Belarus, it is the largest and receives much backing from the Belarusian Government . The BRSM has been accused of using methods of coercion and empty promises to recruit members and that the organization is being used as a Propaganda tool by the Lukashenko Government . CREATION , 2005 . The photo also shows two Soviet awards the Leninist Communist Youth League of the Belorussian SSR earned; the Order Of Lenin and the Order Of The Red Banner .]] The BRSM was created on 2005 . MEMBERSHIP AND STRUCTURE In order to join the BRSM, a person must be between the ages of 14 and 31, be able to send a by the BRSM for service in the Armed Forces . Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus Example of a recommendation from the BRSM to the MoD RB . Retrieved Aug. 8, 2005. The BRSM national headquarters is located in 2005 The National leadership of the BRSM is controlled by the Central Committee (Центральный комитет), which is headed by the First Secretary of the Central Committee (Первый секретарь Центрального комитета). Below the First Secretary are the Second Secretary of the Central Committee (Второй Секретарь Центрального комитета), the Chairman of the Central Investigation Commission (Председатель Центральной контрольной комиссии), and three Secretaries of the Central Committee (Секретарь Центрального комитета). Collectively, these leaders are also referred to as the Secretariat of the BRSM (Секретариат ЦК ОО «БРСМ»). SYMBOLS The BRSM has three official symbols: the Emblem , Flag and scarf. The emblem, which is based on the VLKSM Badge , has a Red bar and a Green bar. Modeled from the Belarusian Flag , the design of the emblem has the initials of the BRSM in Gold in the red section and a golden Olive branch in the green section. The flag of the BRSM has the same elements as the emblem, but the reverse of the flag has the organization's full name, written in gold, placed in the red section and leaving the green section unemblazoned.Flags of the World page "Belarus - Political Parties" . Retrieved Feb. 7, 2006. Each member is also presented a scarf, which is also colored in red and green. The scarf is worn around the neck and tied in a knot in the front to stay in place. ACTIVITIES Most of the BRSM's activities are similar to those that were performed by the Soviet (Style Radio, 101.2), which began broadcasting in June of 1998. The BRSM is the only youth group in Belarus that was given permission to operate a radio station. Just like the Komsomol and other organizations, the BRSM was awarded the Order Of Lenin and the Order Of The Red Banner for its work during the Soviet-era.President of the Republic of Belarus Photo source showing the two orders the BRSM received while it was part of the Komsomol . Retrieved Sept. 28, 2005. CRITICISM Inside of Belarus, the BRSM has been accused of using unethical methods to increase their membership. The claim, made by teachers and students in Belarus, is that members that joined the BRSM either did so by coercion or were lured by promises, which included discounts at local businesses, living in good dormitories, and assistance in finding a job after and his Cult Of Personality . Human Rights Watch HRW 1999 report on Belarus Human Rights Watch , a group that monitors human rights abuses around the world, has also criticized the BRSM for limiting academic freedom on Belarusian college campuses. HRW noted in a report filed in 1999 that ''"although (the BRSM are) ostensibly politically neutral, the centralization of appointments of rectors and the increasingly institutionalized position occupied by the BRSM in student life have created a campus environment conducive to propagation of political orthodoxy and the squelching of independent views rather than one conducive to the open-ended inquiry and expression essential to academic excellence."'' HRW also noted that BRSM members are present during entrance exams and that BRSM members influence the entrance board to exclude candidates who use the Belarusian Language as their preferred language or those who have opposite political point of views. The United Nations has stated that Lukashenko's government has, either directly or indirectly, created Non-governmental Organization s (NGOs) that are used by the government as tools of publicity. The UN contends in a report released in early 2003 that the BRSM will mostly be used by President Lukashenko as a tool to recruit officials into his government. The same report also commented on how other youth NGOs are having problems with funding and that their members face expulsion from their schools, thus having to join groups like the BRSM as a last resort. United Nations Online Network in Public Administration and Finance Nations in Transit 2003: Country Report of Belarus (pg 135) . Retrieved Aug. 18, 2005. REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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