Miscellaneous

YOUTH CENTER WORKING TOWARD REGIONAL PEACE

The idea of restoring peace and stability in the Caucasus has been the subject matter of frequent international meetings, symposia, seminars. New organizations are springing up fast to attend to the rapidly developing region’s most outstanding problems. One of such entities is the “Caucasus Youth Center”. Azernews has interviewed its general director Elura Mammadova.

- How did the idea of setting up an organization like that emerge?

“In April 2000, an international youth training “For leaders of government and non-governmental organizations” was held in Baku on the initiative of Azerbaijan, focusing on potential ways of cooperation in the name of peace and accord.

A particular place in our discussions was dedicated to negotiations with Georgian youngters, as our two nations, in addition to being good neighbors, share the problems inherent in newly-independent nations.

This is how the idea of setting up a coordination center for Caucasus youth, which then developed into the proposal to establish a Caucasus Youth Center, emerged. I have been engaged in youth organizations for 3 years, in particular with the Azerbaijan National Assembly of Youth Organizations, and it is with the latter’s support that I have established the “Birlik” Caucasus youth center. Analogous centers have also been established in Georgia and Armenia.”

- On what level do you maintain contact with them?

“With Georgia we communicate via telephone, E-mail and the Internet. Besides, twice a month we exchange working visits.

With Armenia things are a little more complicated. Their organization was set up only three weeks ago, but in January we have scheduled a visit to Armenia, while in February they will attend our training on inter-cultural education. We stay in touth through the worldwide web. We are working in the name of peace in the Caucasus, which to a great extent depends upon us, young people.

What we are sowing today lays groundwork for the next century. We must choose peace and accord and reject violence. But this peace must not hurt the interests of any party involved.

The main thing is not to be overwhelmed with anger and hatred. In fact, this will be a key topic of the 3-stage training “Peace in the Caucasus built by youngsters”, to be held in each of the Caucasus republics.

We must find ways of narrowing our differences. We are tired of wars, destruction, deprivation, we want to live in peace and accord.

This is what youth policy should be like - unified, humane and coordinated. It is no mere chance that we have decided to use the UN youth policy formula as bottom-line in our activities: “Involvement. Development. Peace.”

- What is your relationship with the UN like?

“Head of the UN information section in Azerbaijan Mr. Abdullah Dorani has always taken an interest in youth movement in Azerbaijan. Our organization maintains close contact with him. When possible, he attends our meetings.

We last met with him during a working visit by the Georgian delegation. Mr. Dorani then attended the “Caucasus youth for peace” roundtable and addressed its participants with a speech.

News of the roundtable was sent to the UN headquarters. So, we may even receive the status of an observer in the Organization.”

- What kind of activities have you already held?

“We were established relatively recently. In November, in cooperation with the ministry of youth and sports, ministry of education and the “Irshad” Islamic Research Center, an international conference, “Education in the spirit of non-violence”, was held and attended by representatives of youth organizations of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Abkhazia. Also then, a letter-of-intent was signed to set up the Caucasus Youth Center “Unity”.

In December, our activists conducted a charity action for the orphanage No. 3, a seminar “To the 21st century without AIDS” at the secondary school No. 47, a meeting with the international organization AAGEE in Istanbul, and attended an international conference in Georgia.”

MOVEMENT AGAINST HUNGER TO OPEN OFFICE IN BAKU

Spanish international humanitarian organization "Movement Against Hunger" intends to open an office in Azerbaijan.

The decision was announced Thursday in a meeting of Azeri vice-premier, chairman of the state commission on refugees Ali Hasanov with the organization's general director in the Caucasus Elojio Montijano.

Mr. Hasanov voiced his appreciation for the intention to open a representation in the country, assuring Mr. Montijano that the organization would have no problems with registration, taxation and customs.

Mr. Montijano shared the organization's two-year assistance program to IDPs and vulnerable population in Aghjabadi and Beylagan provinces at the expense of US donor organizations BPRM and "Refugees and migrants" and Swiss "Cooperation in the name of development".

The assistance will include not only food. It is also intended to improve the lives of the destitute through income generation and various agricultural projects. If necessary, the program could be prolonged, he said.

Mr. Hasanov said it would be better to identify the most vulnerable categories of refugee and IDP population, saying those in Bilasivar, Sabirabad and Saatli provinces were particularly needy.