Legislative Discourse of State Support for Youth Social Initiatives in Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus

The development of the young generation potential is one of the most important state priorities in almost all countries of the world. The sphere of public regulation encompasses youth activity, which is a subject to predetermined directions of youth policy implementation. This enables the formation of a “corridor” of constructive youth activity and influence on the social consciousness of the young generation of citizens. This article examines the legal basis of state support to youth social initiatives, drawing upon a number of scientific studies and an analysis of official documents from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. The authors demonstrate that youth social initiatives in the legislative field of the compared countries are interpreted in a vague manner as socially useful labour, socially significant activities, and creative activity in a project format. Such initiatives are often defined in a more formal manner, although the substance of these definitions is not always clear. The official documents of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus in the context of supporting youth social initiatives do not acknowledge the subjectivity of young people themselves, nor do they define the content of their activity as a socially significant activity. The normative definition of youth social initiatives fails to acknowledge the role of young people’s personalities and leadership. The diversity of the youth community is not adequately addressed. Public participation of young people is primarily defined by the inclusion of young Russians and Belarusians in political institutions specifically designed for them, as well as network and controlled youth public organisations and associations. The scientific novelty of this work lies in its outlined prospects for the development of Russian-Belarusian cooperation in the field of education and youth policy, based on the support of youth social initiatives, while taking into account the established practices of state support for youth activity. It is recommended that a definition of youth social initiatives be incorporated into various legal documents pertaining to bilateral cooperation. Moreover, the implementation of these initiatives should be facilitated through the involvement of youth organisations and associations, public discourse, and the development of project-based youth initiative ideas in collaboration with higher education institutions.