.

Baku- a year later, changes are there but what about conscience?

2012-02-03T10:22:00.000+02:00

My heart was racing. I was standing at the passport control at Haydar Aliyev International Airport. I was nervous. After being called a traitor, an agent and many other negative things by our beloved media, it was my first time home since my last visit to Baku in December of last year. I was nervous and millions of unpleasant thoughts for pacing through my mind.

Few minutes down the waiting line, a woman in crispy uniform with a pretty smile said "Welcome home!" and stamped my passport. I was smiling too. Now when I think of that moment, I can feel the heavy weight lifting off my shoulders.

I was excited to be back.

But Baku didn't change. Apart from new constructions, a bit of usual glitz here and there everything was the same. The sad and stern looks on people's faces were everywhere- on the streets, on public transportation. The daily concerns did not disappear as quickly and as easy as some parts of old Baku destroyed for new construction projects and other mind blowing changes planned for the new Baku.

And though this may sound too dramatic, it felt like I was back in a country that had no future. Yes, and you might not agree with it. You don't have to agree with it. But, we, the citizens of Azerbaijan have no future because our future is being taken away from us. The life, the standards, the country we could possibly have one day, remains a distant dream, hidden inside of people like Bakthiyar Hajiyev who is still serving his unjustly given sentence in prison.

I thought of the people sitting behind their desks up there watching their Baku and ours, taken apart piece by piece, people forced to misery- all aware of where we have come. Surely, these officials are also aware that no matter how many new buildings they construct, or facades build, they will never cover the reality- poor health care, deteriorating education, non- existent social care and most importantly human relations (you might say how is that relevant, but it is. If you suffocate people so much, no one is going to care about others, its all going to become one big survival of the fittest struggle, if not it has already become so).

New Baku looks nice, but who is it for? You can "renovate" as many schools as you want, as many hospitals as you want, but if those who work there hold on to their old habits, all of this "beautification" is pointless. If young men on the metro don't know how to behave, if people litter the streets, if no one respects a line in front of an ATM machine- then none of them are going to understand the new Baku. They simply don't care! And why would they- if they struggle with their daily lives, if they need to take care of sick parents, if they need to pay a bribe at their local school or university...

Its just sad. Seeing how much is wasted, the potential human resources, and most importantly the potential future we might have. Its recklessly going away as if we are eternal, as if what have is infinite. We all are going to leave this world one day, but its the next generations who are going to stay behind and struggle with what we are leaving behind.

Albert Camus once said "by definition, a government has no conscience. Sometimes it has a policy, but nothing more". Today Azerbaijani government has a policy- arrest, silence, forget, bribe, renew, rebuilt and don't look back. The question is, what policy will it have tomorrow?

January 20th... (re- post from 2010)

2012-01-20T20:11:00.002+02:00

January 20th, 2010- 20 years gone but the memories are as alive as they never been before.

I remember...

It was the middle of the night, January 19th 1990, tanks started passing by our house... I remember... My mother screamed so loud that I still hear the sound of her voice in my ears every time I think of that night... I was standing by the window, trying to make out the huge machines that were coming... Back then I didn't know what was going on, I was only 7 but I knew it was not good. My mother's concerned face wasn't good. She was afraid and so were many others that night.

That night Soviet troops crashed barricades storming the capital. There was shooting everywhere.

A relative who was out that whole night, was pale white when he returned home the next morning, remembers my mother. He couldn't utter a word. Only later did he speak of what he saw that night outside- there were tanks running over people he said, soldiers ruthlessly shooting everyone, there was no mercy, no nothing.

My mom remembers how the next day she went to buy bread and she saw a man's shoe full of blood.

Four days after the attack, a statement issued by Kremlin called the incident as "security operation to constrain hooliganism and Islamic extremism in Azerbaijan"- it was their way to deal with the rising Popular Front and all those who stood behind it.

The world remained silent to these attacks not like in the Balkans or elsewhere.

I remember...

Every year, on January 20th, schools would have "Black January" day commemorating those who fell. Songs of pain and hurt would be sang, poems of heroes would be read, people would remember and tears were

shed...

We would visit the Martyr's Square, putting red carnations on those who fell- innocent people who died that night for reasons that I only understand now- freedom, faith, independence...

I remember...

New promo video on Azerbaijan

2012-01-12T10:38:00.000+02:00

It all sounds so perfect and pink.

Carpeted and sumptuous facades of Azerbaijan

2012-01-05T11:07:00.001+02:00

As we all just barely recover from the New Year celebrations, never- ending food and goodies left from the festive night, others been working hard. And I am ever grateful for this hard work given the tremendous (or perhaps not so much, depending how you look at it and who looks at it) influence this work might have on certain individuals who prefer lavish life styles and extra cash to things like a drop of honesty perhaps.

Before I confuse you even more, here is what I am talking about. Spiegel, released an article (though I would like to call it more of a tribute) about/to Azerbaijan which might please critics of the government and not so much those who are lobbying to "burnish" the country's image in Europe. Apparently the busy bees been occupied contracting shady pr agencies and throwing extravagant parties disguised under "cultural events" (apparently having carpets involved makes the purpose of such gatherings cultural- sigh, if only carpets knew how they are being used these days...) to improve the country's image in preparations to the upcoming Eurovision song contest.

Perhaps the busy bees are blinded my their bank accounts (reminding me of Donald Duck and his "$"- sign- popping- eyes) and their little tiny brains that were at some point in time and space replaced by "money money money, always sunny" phrases (which by no means implies that I don't have respect for ABBA anymore) and propaganda- talking machines. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many ex- European government officials you "buy", "convert" or whatever this shady business style is called these days- oh, I remembered now, it has a fancy word for it- Lobbying!- one can only hide behind carpeted and sumptuous facades this much. Sadly, it also reveals how much money can buy and what it can eventually do to you (see for instance Qaddafi and his "sad" departure from this world).

Anyway, the point is, you should read the article, draw your own conclusion, decide what to believe in and finally visit Azerbaijan this May. We live in a funny world, you just have to be careful who you trust, how you trust and whats behind that. After all Ronald Reagan did say once "trust, but verify"...

From human rights to diaspora- whatever works to hide the truth

2011-12-27T12:20:00.000+02:00

In a recent statement made by Novruz Mammadov, Ilham Aliyev's chief foreign policy advisor, human rights were once again dismissed and replaced by the usual cry- baby- cry statements of US supporting Armenia and only Armenia as well as going as far as mocking speech writers of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton as illiterate and in denial.

December 10th is celebrated as the International Human Rights Day, following the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. On this occasion the Secretary of State Hilary Clinton issued an appeal in which Azerbaijan was listed as a country in need for far more improvement within the human rights framework. This sparked (nor surprisingly) much negative reaction. So much, that Azerbaijan's Chief Foreign Policy advisor Novruz Mammadov (i wonder who is in need of temper management here) reacted... well... quite negatively.

In his remarks, Novruz Mammadov tried changing the actual point of the mock to something completely unrelated- once again the usual saga that everyone is picking on us when they shouldn't because we are a very stable, democratic, free and independent country unlike Armenia (because everything only evolves around Armenia and Azerbaijan).

Mammadov, accused US of not even ratifying the declaration themselves, as an official document (as if respect for human rights solely depends on a signature or adoption of any kind of document). He cited Occupy Movement as an example (which if he followed news closely have created a lot of public domestic debate in the US within the fair/unfair treatment debate).

In a counter statement in support of the speech made by the Secretary of State, Azerbaijani- Americans for Democracy (AZAD) "issued a press release" whereby expressing their gratitude and urging US continue pressing Azerbaijan for its poor record on human rights (not to mention freedom of expression, religion and more). Here is a brief statement from their press release:

Unfortunately, these officials did not provide any explanation for their government's blatant disrespect towards the basic rights and freedoms of Azerbaijani citizens enshrined in the country's constitution and Azerbaijan's international obligations. Instead, they once again repeated the old propaganda [...] shamefully hiding behind Azerbaijan's refugees and the occupied territories as if that tragedy in any way can justify the oppression the Aliyev regime inflicts on the Azerbaijani people.

There are many things that are not stable, not democratic and not free in Azerbaijan. Human rights are only one of these. And indeed, we have a long way to go to change this. There is no need to hide behind the facades of energy resources or consequences of war because hiding won't solve the problem but only make it bigger and durable. The longer Azerbaijani government continues to ignore the realities of present day Azerbaijan, the longer Azerbaijan will be criticized by other institutions and countries on its poor record for many indicators (after all, one cannot buy every single official in every single country or institution). It is too late to hide the truth, but its not too late to face up and do something about it. I am just wondering when this glorious day will finally come to Azerbaijan...

Let them eat cake returns (a meter longer)

2011-12-24T21:12:00.001+02:00

President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev turned 50 years old. He has been in power since 2003 and claims to have a democratic, free, economically developed country. To congratulate him on his outstanding contributions to Azerbaijan and its people in the last eight years, the city of Sumgayit (allegedly a group of local businessmen) decided to prepare a birthday cake. But this was no ordinary cake. And it wasn't the businessmen in their fancy suits who did it either. Supposedly this is the biggest cake by size even in Europe (if not the whole world) said the Sumgayit city official with much pride on his face.

Last year, it was the city of Ganja that built the biggest cake to celebrate President's 49th birthday. Looks like this is becoming a tradition. I am wondering which city is going to proudly announce its biggest birthday cake next year.

According to local news, the cake is 50meters long. Last year it was 49 (you can read about it here). You can watch the video [AZ] below. The man talking at the very beginning of the video is the head of the city executive administration. My favorite part is when the cameraman shows random kids asking them what the cake is for- some don't have a clue, others think its for celebrating Heydar Aliyev's birthday. Given how quickly people were taking the cake apart, it was good.

I only wish that the democracy the President Aliyev so often talks about, comes to Azerbaijan sooner than later. Perhaps this is what the President secretly wished for as well when blowing the candles on his birthday cake?!

"We want a democratic state!"

2011-12-18T16:20:00.000+02:00

Indeed, that is what many young people in Azerbaijan want. And I am saying young, as most of the elders, have lost hope in any change in Azerbaijan. Perhaps they lost it in 2003, or maybe in 2005. Or perhaps it was the Referendum and the last elections. But the youth is the future as it is repeated many times and so they/ us still have hope. We hope that Azerbaijan will become a democracy and we want it to become a democracy because we don't want to see next generations to come uneducated, unprofessional, unethical and most of all without hope.

Some of the words that appear in the vide as "titles" are "student, doctor, journalist, oligarch, judge, state employee".

Bakhtiyar Hajiyev's case remains unsettled

2011-12-08T11:19:00.000+02:00

On Tuesday, December 6th, the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan rejected Bakhtiyar Hajiyev's appeal. His lawyer, Sadig Bagirov, not surprised with the final ruling, announced his decision to take Hajiyev's case to the European Court of Human Rights.

According to AzeriReport article, Hajiyev didn't attend the hearing due to "technical" issues (it turns out Azerbaijan is not so advanced when it comes to technology- the telegram sent the day before the hearing asking for Hajiyev's permission to be present at his own hearing miraculously never reached the court in time).

During the hearing three motions were raised. Among them (and one of the most important ones) were a request to clarify "the compliance of the law on military service with the Azerbaijani Constitution" given Azerbaijani Constitution allows for alternative military service [Hajiyev was arrested on charges of evading military service] while the law on military service has not provided any provision on alternative service".

The decision indeed should come as no surprise. This happened before and will continue happening as long as Azerbaijan remains among the countries controlling its every single state institution, including the judicial system.

An inspirational talk at TED

2011-12-06T14:39:00.006+02:00

"What fuels a movement are the anonymous extraordinaries behind it!"

Watch a 20-year-old passionate organizer speak at TED talks only to inspire her viewers and listeners. I don't know about you but I definitely feel inspired.

The School of Authentic Journalism 2012

2011-12-06T14:19:00.000+02:00

I wrote about my experience at the J-School last year. You can too become a part of this unforgettable experience this coming year. So if you are interested, please follow the following link on more application related details. You can also e-mail the following address to request an application package: 2012applicaton@narconews.com

Deadline is December 28th, so don't miss out. The application is also available in Spanish which you can request from the same e-mail provided above.

Good luck and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to e-mail me.

'Invictus'

2011-12-01T01:07:00.000+02:00

I recently saw this movie and was not only touched by the story told in the movie, but also by a poem that is read my Morgan Freeman (portrays Nelson Mandela). It is especially the last two sentences of the poem that are repeated several times throughout the movie "I am the master of my faith, I am the captain of my soul". I thought I post the poem here.

'The World of Social Media'

2011-11-30T17:57:00.000+02:00

Jabbar Savalan's sentence stays intact (updated)

2011-11-30T07:54:00.001+02:00

Today, the judge at the Supreme Court, rejected the appeal of Savalan, young activist and a member of the youth branch of an opposition party the Popular Front of Azerbaijan. The judge, Imran Hajiyev made this decision despite Savalan's absence (allegedly he was informed of the trial however was still absent at the trial) and pleads of Savalan's lawyer to drop initially assigned charges of 2.5 years for illegal possession of drugs. And though, Savalan's lawyer made every single violation of the hearing and the overall investigation process clear, the judge, declared the verdict.

To read more about the story click here [ENG] and here [AZ].
***
Updated: Check out Amnesty International statement on the court as well here.

'Don't let them be silenced'

2011-11-17T09:32:00.001+02:00

This is a video prepared by Amnesty International as part of its new report on Azerbaijan (you can also read the following post here on the report and the report itself).

Amnesty's YouTube channel posted this video on its page with the following description:

The spring that never blossomed: Freedom suppressed in Azerbaijan, details a wave of intimidation and arrests around protests against corruption and the increasing suppression of independent media, non-governmantal organizations (NGOs) and opposition parties.
Since then, youth activists and opposition figures have been jailed on arbitrary or trumped up charges while journalists and human rights defenders have been threatened and harassed.

You can access the video either through AI's official YouTube page or watch it here.

'The spring that never blossomed: freedoms suppressed in Azerbaijan'

2011-11-17T01:01:00.000+02:00

And finally, Amnesty International's new report on Azerbaijan is pubic. "Azerbaijan: the spring that never blossomed- freedoms suppressed in Azerbaijan" can be accessed at the Amnesty International's website here: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/EUR55/011/2011/en

The report only shows how far Azerbaijani authorities can go to silence its dissent. The deputy director of Amnesty International in Europe and Central put it very well: "Azerbaijan has achieved the bones but not the meat of a democracy [...]"

There are full accounts of the spring protests, as well as numbers of those arrested, detained, and sentenced as a result.

I fully agree when the report concussions, one of which stresses the role of oil and gas and its significance for the international community while basic freedoms only being a matter of secondary importance.

You can read the report here as well or access and download it through Amnesty's website and the links provided above.

AmnestyReport_Azerbaijan

Amnesty International's Campaign for Jabbar Savalanli

2011-11-16T19:53:00.000+02:00

A new campaign was launched by the Amnesty International, calling for release of a student from Azerbaijan, Jabbar Savalanli, who was imprisoned and sentenced on bogus charges- the usual suspect, i.e., drug possession.

You can "dislike" the charge and join the petition by simply signing pushing the "dislike" button on their campaign page (see below).

Jabbar, was imprisoned shortly after posting a status update on his Facebook- calling for mass protests against Azerbaijani incumbent regime. He was detained, forced to sign confession and then imprisoned.

Please join the cause!

"Free them NOW!"

2011-11-14T11:26:00.000+02:00

The video campaign/petition below, was prepared in support of prisoners of conscience in Azerbaijan [AZ]. I too call on the immediate freedom of Elnur Majidli, Ruslan Bashirli, Zulfugar Eyvazov, Jabbar Savalan, Sahib Karimov, Arif Hacili, Tural Abbasli, Elnur Israfilov, Ahad Mammadli, Ulvi Quliyev, Vidadi Iskenderov, and Mehemmed Mejidli!

European Court of Human Rights and the case of Hajizada and Abdullayev

2011-11-09T18:24:00.000+02:00

After sharing my previous post on Twitter, a user linked this report (see below, or click here) on Azerbaijan prepared by the Medial Legal Defense Initiative, Media Rights Institute, and Index on Censorship and addressed to the European Court of Human Rights on the cases of Emin (Milli) Abdullayev and Adnan Hajizada.

Azerbaijan and the European Court Of Human Rights

"Azerbaijan [not] working to strengthen civil society"

2011-11-09T17:33:00.001+02:00

I am appalled. According to this article "Azerbaijan working to strengthen civil society" published in some local US paper, Azerbaijan "is a gradually evolving democracy with freedom of speech in which opposition parties are playing an increasingly outspoken and prominent role in civil society". Its a country where opposition newspapers "publish freely" and where "social and economic development was proceeding, along with religious tolerance [...]".

The article sums the results of a meeting organized by the Joint Working Group for the Implementation of International Human Rights Standards. They are based in Baku, Azerbaijan. This Joint Working Group, has all sorts of members- judges, economists, human rights experts and more. I am just curious which human rights expert in the right state of his/her mind could conclude that Azerbaijan is improving steadily its human rights record. Nor I can imagine an economist who could say there is fair distribution of economic revenues or that there is any other steadily developing economic sector other than oil and gas.

I would also very much like to ask Judge Jean- Paul Moerman, a member of Belgium's Constitutional Court who was at the meeting, where is he seeing the evolving commitment to freedom of expression in Azerbaijan? Release of Eynulla Fatullayev (whom he calls "opposition- leaning militant journalist") was a fight worth years. I wonder what Mr. Moerman have to say about other imprisoned journalists or activists or political party members. Perhaps in his mind this too is only a sign of a democratic state?

How is it possible that someone living in Azerbaijan, seeing the bitter reality can actually say or write something like this?! If you are so certain of this transparent, democratic and honest reality then why not get this article published in a bigger newspaper? Why not Guardian or NYTimes or WashingtonTimes?

Perhaps Mr. Shahin Camalov, the Co-Chair of the Joint Working Group and the rest of his colleagues are in a state of trans, pretending to pretend for the sake of pretending and not caring. Whatever it is that prompted this institution to write something like this shows how superficial, simple and unaware they are. They simply choose to say something for the sake of saying, hoping at best to get a pat on a shoulder. And you call yourselves a joint working group for the implementation of international human rights standards! All of what you have concluded in your so- called meeting, makes me want to question whether you even know what human rights are, let alone what international human rights standards stand and call for... How shallow... how shallow gentlemen...

Revolution in three "easy" steps

2011-11-07T19:45:00.000+02:00

Right, so for a while now I have been sharing some videos prepared by the School of Authentic Journalism and NarcoNewsTV. And here is their new piece of art, with Ivan Marovic, one of the founders of Otpor Movement talk about three "easy" steps in bringing down a dictator based on Otpor's experience. Enjoy!

Twitter, algorithms and protecting your nation's honor (updated)

2011-11-04T11:19:00.001+02:00

I know, its a strange combination but a recent tweet (in fact several) prompted me to write this post. I don't know about you but I use Twitter to stay up-to-date with news, friends, events and social media newbies. I too share interesting articles, links to websites, scholarship opportunities, and more.

A "mention" I received on my Twitter feed however the other day, made me realize, that even a feed can be misinterpreted. It turns out I tweet to much on the Arab world. Even if I do, so what? My Twitter account, my feed, right? Well, so I thought.

I actually looked up the actual definition of "algorithm" and according to Merriam Webster dictionary, algorithm is:

Which part of the definition my Twitter feed fits, I am not sure. Perhaps its the "step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end especially by a computer"? In this case, I must thank this user's comment, because its actually pretty cool- it turns out my Twitter feed can accomplish a complicated procedure (which I am not sure what is) through my very own computer?! Amazing isn't ?! Ah, the technology of these days...

But wait, it turns out, that instead of focusing so much on other things, I should be ready to protect Azerbaijan's honor. Here is why. That very same Twitter user (lets just call him Mr. X) says that instead of writing about the Arabs, I should write about Solovyov (referring to an article [RU] in Russian media) and his thoughts on war, and post- conflict relations between the communities. Mind you, I read the article, and there is nothing critical in it, in fact, that article is worth mentioning on Twitter as well. You see, the article (its more of a long excerpt from a radio program) is about a recent incident that took place in Russia, when Azerbaijani Airlines, refused to take on the passenger who had an Armenian last name but who was Russian citizen. Further down Solovyov (the guy who runs the radio program) says "the road of hatred is a dead end". And he is absolutely right.

Working in conflict resolution, I come across people like Mr. X and others like him, who are triggered by anything that doesn't praise Azerbaijan and its people. What Solovyov was saying is one of the basic steps to reconciliation in post- conflict societies (or so i thought, see the update section below). No one is talking about forgetting, neglecting history. History is history, and tragedies did happen. To call people traitors when they refuse to call names, and fight, engaging in aggressive dialogues, is simply won't lead to resolution of anything.

Oh, and I have to mention you his last two tweets "I suggest Arzu and her friends should form a committee to protect the rights of Solovyov" and "everything is clear with Arzu, while @Fuserlimon (Mr. X was mentioning me and another friend of mine during all his other tweets) chose to remain silent". What a doll?! Beautifully said... I am glad he cleared things with me. Makes me feel much better.

I still think there is no room for hatred as we need to build dialogue between the two countries.

***

This in an update for the section in the post about Solovyov which still in no way approves of Mr. X's attitude and comments made on Twitter that day.

I listened to the following radio program by Solovyov and I have to say that I take my words back regarding his attitude towards Azerbaijanis and Armenians. In his radio program (listen below), he makes nationalistic comments that are in fact disturbing.

He draws general conclusion out of the incident (Azerbaijan Airlines not permitting Russian citizen with Armenian last name on board of Moscow- Baku flight) saying things like "if they [Azerbaijanis] don't respect a Russian citizen, they don't respect Russian Federation" and its a disgrace for our government not to react to this "spit in our faces". He mocks Azerbaijan in Caucasian accent of its prejudices and asks whether Azerbaijan allows to show movies with Cher and tennis games with Agassi and others of Armenian dissent.

Solovyov, suggests a solution to the problem- introduction of visa regime between Azerbaijan and Russia. That way, says Solovyov, Azerbaijanis will have a legal right to say no to people they don't want to allow into their countries and similarly Russia would have the same right. In fact, it could generate an additional income for the state budget given the large numbers of Azerbaijanis traveling to Russia all the time. "Perhaps this would make them [Azerbaijanis] very happy" he adds at the end of his comment. I am not going to go into more details of what he says in this program but for those who speak Russian, they can listen to it here and draw own conclusions.

Eurovision 2012- singing for democracy

2011-11-02T18:33:00.000+02:00

I saw this image circulating and shared on Facebook today. Amid the glitter and poor tunes, lets make this year a special one for Eurovision.

Denied!

2011-10-31T20:11:00.000+02:00

So yet again Christoff Strasser was denied his visa for Azerbaijan (he was denied visa earlier in March, January and now October). And each time, a different explanation (or excuse) is brought forward by the officials of Azerbaijani authorities to justify the rejection.

Strasser is the rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on political prisoners in Azerbaijan. Unfortunately this man, was not able to visit the country since his appointment to conclude his report.

When Strasser was denied his visa in August of this year, Elman Abdullayev, first secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Press Service, explained [ENG] the rejection as a result of "the lack of universal criteria on determining whom to regard as political prisoners" and so since there was no criteria, there was no need for the visit.

And when his visa was denied for another time just now in October, this time, the official explanation circulating in local media [AZ] was that Strasser failed to provide an official invitation letter from PACE Azerbaijan office. Otherwise there are no problems with Strasser's traveling to Azerbaijan the only problem being his mandate.

One thing that keeps bugging me is that if Strasser can't get a visa, why won't he include this in his report and finalize his conclusions based on "distant research"? Why not connect with civil societies working in Azerbaijan on the issue of political prisoners online, have a series of conference calls? These institutions, can provide Strasser with footage, photographs, any other material he needs. They could be his eyes and ears in the field.

But oh well... Perhaps Strasser has a certain way of preparing his reports. I just hope this time, his comments of what he would do if authorities don't grant him visa (which they didn't), actually become a reality and he does something about it.

'Baku state of mind'

2011-10-31T18:56:00.000+02:00

I am sure many of you seen this video (below) about Baku prepared by two Peace Corp Volunteers, Tim and Brad (and if you haven't you must watch it). With catchy lyrics like

This is Azerbaijan, its called the land of fire

Where oil flows like honey

Nothing sweeter than my money

the duo is calling themselves 'Caspian Dreamers' and are in fact, candidates for the upcoming Eurovision song contest.

I should have written about them a while ago, but seeing an article in the Economist about them, actually prompted me to write this post only now. You can access the original article by the Economist here. The duo has a Facebook page too that you can access here.

I wonder if Kanye heard about this. I am sure he would have a great laugh too.

A reality check...

2011-10-25T21:54:00.000+03:00

My last two visits to Brussels shaped up a rather clear vision of where EU stands in its relation to our region and Azerbaijan in particular. Conclusion drawn: my country, nor this region is a number one priority for international institutions, at least not when their interests are not at stake.

In a way, I am thankful to the honesty I saw in Brussels and yet I am frustrated at the same time. EU's biggest concert at the moment is the monetary crisis (surprise! surprise!). That is all parliament members talk about (more or less) and all they really care. Any discussion outside of this issue- including currently popular topics like visa- free travel/ visa facilitation are not of interest, let alone talk and lobbying on democracy building, human rights, freedom of expression and more.

In case of Azerbaijan, the situation is even clearer- "as long as Azerbaijan has oil and gas, no 'sticks' would be used" as having heating in their homes, is just as fair and a human right for every European citizen relying on Azerbaijan's natural resources (so who cares if people get arrested when Europeans are warm in their homes).

To my surprise, things got even better, when during one of the meetings, a speaker suggested looking at all mighty mother Russia and asking for "democratic sticks" on its behalf towards Azerbaijan, especially as Europe will continue its cooperation with Azerbaijan no matter what.

For so many times now, I have been hearing the very same tune, that Azerbaijan presents a challenge and not an easy one. This challenge however, is not about improving the overall situation in the country and pushing the local government towards more democracy but rather to play it so well, that Azerbaijan is not pissed off and doesn't suddenly cut back its oil and gas delivery. As one of the officials mentioned "Azerbaijan makes it difficult for us to apply stricter rules because of oil and gas and that is a fact".

Yes, facts are facts, and reality is what it is. What is not clear is the whole basis and philosophy of such institutions. If European Neighborhood Policy is all about stability, prosperity and democracy, why then officials in Europe prefer looking the other way, only to resemble the "three wise monkeys"?

Facts are facts, reality is what it is. If Azerbaijan is going to change, this change must and ought only come from within. The question is, will it be possible. Lets hope it is, sooner than later...

Azerbaijanis' holidays

2011-10-08T13:01:00.000+03:00

Most recent article I wrote for Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso. You can follow the link or read the full article here.

Azerbaijanis' Holidays

The School of Authentic Journalism

2011-09-29T11:23:00.000+03:00

Perhaps the highlight of my year so far has been my time spent at the School of Authentic Journalism (SAJ or J-school). Imagine a group of fascinating people from pretty much around the world coming together to learn, work, teach, share and experience during a 10 day intense educational voyage to the world of authentic journalism. Yea, I know, kind of hard to imagine.

This year, the school was held in Mexico, which made the whole experience even more special. For me the time spent there turned into a great opportunity to talk to some of the most interesting and inspirational people from various corners of the world.

The school runs on funds raised throughout the year. You can support the cause by contributing here and read more on the school and Narco News here.

Some of this year's speakers included people like Ivan Marovic- founder of Serbian Otpor movement that brought down Milosevic; Oscar Olivera- one of the main protestors during Bolivia's water privatization and many more. Click here to see other speakers.

Above all, what makes this school unique experience is its approach to the field of journalism. This year split in three different workshop groups- investigative and online journalism, viral video/audio group the school hosted 40 scholars and about 40 professors. But its not your usual school, here at the school of authentic journalism scholars and professors learn from each other during workshops, free time, and plenary sessions. You shouldn't be surprised if at some point someone would like to interview you either for their paper, project or idea. Its a chance to pass on your message and hear many others speak about a number of different issues.

I am actually several months late in writing this post but I wanted to take this opportunity and share another great production of that school (to see some of the other creations you can visit here, here, here and here). Among its professors, Andrew Stelzer, an award winning radio producer and news reporter based in Oakland, CA. Working as a producer with the National Radio Project Adrew was one of my highlight individuals to meet at the school. He interviewed me and many others for his Radio Project "Making Contact" and so here it is: "Tales and Tools of Revolution: From Serbia to Egypt" with interviews from Ivan Marovic (Serbia/Otpor); Namees Arnous (Egypt/Journalist); and me (in case, you can't open it here please visit this site to listen to the full program):

Note: During the time of the interview, I knew I would have difficulties coming back to Azerbaijan after the whole March 11th Facebook saga. But I do hope, to travel to Azerbaijan soon, safe and sound.

Right to Information

2011-09-29T10:36:00.000+03:00

Wanted to share a very interesting project launched very recently- World's First Rating of Right to Information with 89 countries currently being on the list of ranked countries.

Launched and initiated by two well known organizations- Access Info Europe and Canadian Centre for Law and Democracy- the full report can be accessed here.

The rating shows not only a country's overall score, but also its strengths and weaknesses in relation to seven main categories: Right of Access, Scope; Requesting Procedures; Exceptions and Refusals; Appeals; Sanctions and Protections; and Promotional Measures.

Azerbaijan is too on the list of 89 countries.

Child marriage

2011-09-26T19:00:00.001+03:00

It was on one of my visits to Azerbaijan for field work, when I met young girls still in school, engaged, waiting to get married. Child marriage is a problem everywhere across the world. In countries like Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and elsewhere this is considered a common practice. The younger the bride, the better is the common thinking. No one thinks of their future, their education, their life as young mothers- to- be.

This documentary takes us on a journey of child marriage and abuse. All the while men in most of these countries including Azerbaijan get special satisfaction in luring young girls into the world of abuse, anger and pain. We must take responsibility for our actions. Parents of these young girls who get engaged or married off at a young age, must take responsibility and understand that a girl, is not a thing to be sold for money, food or a house. A daughter is a human being too who has equal rights as her brothers. We must continue raising awareness and educating those who don't know...

You can learn more about the project here.

Diplomatic services

2011-09-24T20:51:00.000+03:00

I am having some trouble with my passport. When I renewed it in 2009, our Ministry of Internal Affairs gave me a passport valid for 10 years. But when I saw the amount of pages, I wondered, where was the logic of giving a 10 year passport with the same amount of pages (34) given for a 5-year passport. The officer smiled, said there is nothing they could do about it, that they might change the system, but for now, thats how it is. He informed me that I will just have to come back and get a new one once I run out of pages as there is no policy/ regulation in place with regard to inserting additional pages to a passport that runs out of pages.

At first, I didn't think about it too much. But as the time went by, and my travels increased I began to worry about this. Finally it was time to deal with the issue. And so I did, I went to Azerbaijani Consulate in Istanbul (two days ago). I was already skeptical but thought it was worth of try. It was a very useful visit indeed to my surprise, as I have learned a lot. For instance, while we all live in a 21st century with advanced technology and all the high- tech conditions that come with it our official consular services, only sends diplomatic mail to Azerbaijan once a month if lucky twice (and please don't tell me that its because its too expensive!) Not only this, but that getting a new passport would take me between a month and three months. In fact, the official sitting behind the window told me that it would be best, if I traveled to Azerbaijan myself and got my passport renewed there.

In vain search for yet another try, I then called the Azerbaijan embassy in Ankara. Unfortunately my hopes were crashed as quickly as the embassy staff on the phone responded to my question: "no, we don't add pages and it takes several months to get a new passport".

I am just curious, so what if I was in a rush, or had a serious health issue and had to travel abroad as soon as possible, what then? All of this just because they haven't really worked out the process of it all. As according to another consulate official in Istanbul, there is a "working project" but its going to take some time for that kind of system brought outside of the country he told me when I questioned them on how is that possible that they don't have some kind of solution to this. Surely, I am not the first Azerbaijani national who came to them with a similar problem?

Its a real pity as I am missing on a conference I was supposed to attend at the end of October in Brazil. I was invited as a speaker there but I had to inform the organizers that I wont be able to come because of this silly complication.

Pity, pity, pity... But it has to change, sooner or later. I just hope it changes soon.

Could it be? Is Azerbaijan finally becoming like Europe?

2011-09-20T16:58:00.000+03:00

Of course not, but it did sound nice didn't it?!

As I was reading the new issue of TIME (September 26, 2011) I came across an article titled "Irked about perks. Italians are growing tired of picking up the check for their pampered politicians" by Stephen Faris reporting from Rome.

I thought it was ironic, given the resemblance of the situation in oil rich Azerbaijan. As Azerbaijani higher echelons made of ministers, president's closest aid and their families enjoy "opulent life styles" with lavish holidays, extravagant spending, luxury homes and dachas, Azerbaijani people are fed the one very simple line- "Azerbaycan xalqin rifahi gunden gune artir" ("Azerbaijan's well- being grows day-by-day).

Italian politicians lack any evidence of sobriety, just like Azerbaijani ruling elite. Any criticism is dismissed though finally Azerbaijani authorities did at least accept the fact that there is corruption. Not that it has done anything about it except to dismiss few government employees and civil servants here and there. Did that end corruption? Of course not. Did that end or at least vaguely cover up the lavishness? Of course not!

Take Azerbaijani National Parliament for instance. Does living conditions outside of the parliament impact Azerbaijani parliament members' daily lives? Do any of them bother arguing for improving life standards of average citizens? Do they even care to begin with? We all know (yes and that includes pretty much every single international institution or representative present in the country and abroad) that Azerbaijan failed to have democratic elections in the last, what, some 20 years now. And that pretty much every single person sitting in that parliament is a useless sack of potatoes (no offense for those who actually do things).

And yet, when it comes to Italy, people protest, they are fed up, while in Azerbaijan silence of millions of lambs continues at its usual pace. Behold, you shall not speak or utter a word because unlike Italy, Azerbaijani authorities are not so keen and enthusiastic about giving up "la dolce vita".

Azerbaijan media sustainability index 2011

2011-09-15T13:30:00.000+03:00

Designed and prepared by IREX this sustainability report is one of many that are prepared and released around the world.

This particular one refers to Azerbaijan and was released in 2011.

Media Sustainability Index 2011

'Arab Social Media Report'

2011-09-13T13:22:00.000+03:00

Arab Social Media Report

'Caucasus Triangle'

2011-09-13T10:37:00.000+03:00

Few days ago, I was in Brussels for work. My visit coincided with the II Youth Convention on Volunteering that you can read more about here. Held at the main entrance of the EU Parliament, Convention hosted more than 1500 young people.

I was lucky to participate at one of the workshops held on the last day of the convention. It was a film screening of a short documentary about the Caucasus prepared by a talented and bright woman Letizia Gambini. The documentary looks at youth, media, and democracy processes in all three Caucasus countries- Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. I was there as a guest speaker to talk about currently pressing issues, gender rights, youth rights and etc. after the movie ended. It was a fruitful discussion as we talked about issues ranging from human rights violations to gender equality, visa issues and more.

Overall, this trip to Brussels showed me how little is known about the Caucasus let alone its issues. Strange and ironic in a way especially since we vest so much hope in these higher European institutions for support and understanding and yet it is only a small fraction that is aware of the issues, problems, and difficulties these countries are facing.

There is so much more that needs to be done to raise more awareness and attention to our region...

The Eurovision no one wants

2011-08-31T14:04:00.000+03:00

After its victory in Eurovision 2011 this year, Azerbaijan is the host of the contest next year. However as great of an opportunity it would be for a country to attract international attention and visitors, for Azerbaijan, things look a lot gloomier. As a follow up to my previous post, here is a video [AZ] about present day Azerbaijan and all its "glamor". The country's leadership is no different than a raging bull clearing anyone who stands in its way (even if its an old woman, you will see in the video).

The video starts with images and footage of recently demolished houses in the capital. It then shows clippings of arrested activists and journalists and more.

6 activists sentenced in Azerbaijan

2011-08-31T13:13:00.000+03:00

According to this article published on August 25th, 6 Azerbaijani opposition activists were sentenced to various times with the highest jail term of three years for staging anti- government protests in the capital of Azerbaijan in April of this year. Among sentenced are Zulfugar Eyvazli (18 months), Babak Huseynov (18 months), Sahib Karimov (2 years), Elshan Hasanov (2 years), Elnur Israfilov (2.5 years), Arif Alishli (3 years).

The protests organized by the Oppositional Public Chamber were dispersed and resulted in arrests of more than dozen activists. According to the article, 8 more activists are awaiting trial.

'Cultures of Resistance'

2011-08-30T12:25:00.000+03:00

'Cultures of Resustance' is a documentary that shows how creativity and innovation can be used in the struggle for peace and justice. Below is the official trailer of the documentary, but you can read more about the documentary itself, screening times, and the director here.

Cultures of Resistance: The Official Trailer from Cultures of Resistance on Vimeo.

'Egypt: how we did it, when media would not' (Part 2)

2011-08-29T11:52:00.000+03:00

Back in May I shared with you a video prepared by NarcoNews' Al Giordano and Greg Berger on Egypt's revolution in the making. Today, I present you the second part of these series- "The Other Revolution in Egypt: an interview with Mohammed Abbas of the Muslim Brotherhood".

[...] The regime placed that [hatred] in us. It planted in us hatred of each other. It planted in us the idea that we don't like each other so that it could control us...

The new Baku, demolishing and “beautifying”

2011-08-23T17:57:00.000+03:00

This is an article I recently wrote for Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso.

The women in a video recently posted on Rfe/Rl website are desperately screaming protesting violation of their rights; a man in the background shouts “şərəfsiz” [AZ] (without dignity); the building hosting the offices of the human rights organization “Institute for Peace and Democracy” and two other NGOs is being demolished. The whole scene resembles chaos. Young men start demolishing the building in front of desperate people that look helplessly at the scene, then cranes intervene.

This demolition is part of an urban development project- a new park known as the ‘Winter Boulevard’. Angered men and women in this video are residents of this old neighborhood of Baku that is being destroyed. They were not alone in protesting against the demolition of this building. The UN high commissioner for human rights expressed concern regarding this event, while the European Union representative in Baku and Human Rights Watch openly condemned the demolition.

“Beautifying” the city comes at high costs

The ‘Winter Boulevard’ project is said to be under the supervision of the first lady, Mehriban Aliyeva. Nonetheless, the authorities don't seem to care about answering to the questions and demands of the local residents forcefully evicted from their homes. The body in charge of the demolition is the Baku City Council, however, its officials remain silent about the issue. The area envisaged for the construction of this project is partially a historical district of an old Baku with some of the buildings dating as far as to the 19^th century. Besides, the majority of destroyed buildings that carried historical significance were supposed to be protected according to a decision previously adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers.

And yet, neither demands by local resident nor history seem to matter for the local authorities. The demolition of this area situated between two main streets, Shamsi Badalbayli and Fuzuli, began in 2010. The residents were each offered 1500manat/ square meter (US1,900). However, unsatisfied with the offer (the amount doesn’t meet the present day value of these properties) residents took the matters into their own hands and headed to the Presidential Administration office (February 2010). Unable to get any results there, they then decided to try to protest in the streets (February 2010) only to be dispersed by the local police. In March the frustrated residents decided to hold a conference at the Human Rights House. Their attempts continued with a hunger strike in the courtyard of one of the old buildings scheduled for its demolition. Nothing worked and according to the Rfe/Rl local service some of the evictions and relocations were carried out without an official paper except for a 2008 decision, which interestingly calls for an execution of 1987 plan issued by the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan SSR on the construction of the Winter Boulevard.

Last year, Osservatorio published an article describing some of the most worrying features of the construction boom: Baku’s location on an active seismic zone; absence of a general urban and development plans for the city; demolition of Baku’s historically significant buildings and old residential districts; un-notified and forced evictions; unequal compensation packages and much more. In fact, little changed in year.

New Baku with its slowly fading beauty

Little is left from a city that was once home to the likes of “Ali and Nino”, the oil barons and its pathways. Baku is now a booming capital of construction, pricey real estate, luxury cars and boutiques- at a glance a city of wealth and stature. Its future is guaranteed by the country’s “black gold” with no one questioning the sustainability of these developments and constant changes to the capital’s landscape as a result of new construction projects. Rapid growth in the real estate market brought to the development of some the most extravagant construction projects in the last decade.

Some of these over-the-top projects include Baku White City project, which involved re-construction of the main downtown area, adding ten new districts and with a total development area of 221ha. Its partners include names like UK’s ATKINS, F&A Architects, and Foster and Partners. According to the developers the project includes 440,000 sq.m of office space, 230,000 sq.m of retail space, 3,600,000 sq.m of residential space and 530,000 sq.m of commercial space.

In the meantime while the local authorities indulge themselves in these copious ideas, according to a Human Rights Watch report, residents are forced out of their homes in the middle of the night, and detained while their homes are being destroyed with most of their personal belongings, either damaged or missing. Interestingly, based on the country’s property code [AZ], the state can only seize or purchase property if it’s planning to build a new road, a railway, or military building. Also, according to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers a legal contract must be signed with the property owner; the owner given 90 days notice; and provided with transportation during the re-location. Moreover, there is even a Presidential Decree from 2007 stating that the owner shall be paid 20% more of the market price in order for the landowner stay satisfied.

Time for real change?

While some might say that coming first in the Eurovision song contest this year in Düsseldorf was a great success for Azerbaijan, it is yet to be seen how the country’s leadership will choose to improve its image abroad. Having lavish boutique shops that cater only for the country’s small percentage of nouveau riche certainly does not mean democracy or fair distribution of oil revenues. Nor does it stand for addressing the needs and demands of the public at large let alone those suffering from the loss of their homes.

The transformation of this capital city into a glamorous metropolis no doubt means much for investment hungry contractors and companies, however, perhaps it is also time to look at the destruction caused by these up- scale developments especially as they seem to come at the cost of lives and homes of ordinary people.

Free Thought University (Azad Fikir Universiteti)

2011-08-19T13:12:00.000+03:00

An outstanding project. The video below is compilation of different voices and opinions about the university. You can read more about the school here.

SOCAR's new plans

2011-08-18T18:27:00.000+03:00

According to an article on Trend, the State Oil Company otherwise known to many as SOCAR intends reconstruction work of some of the country's old gas pipelines, construction of new ones and even improving gas supply to the regions. These new plans are part of the State Program on Azerbaijan's socio- economic development for 2009- 2013.

Under the program, Azerigaz (SOCAR's Production Unit) is instructed to construct and reconstruct main gas pipelines, improve gas supplies to the regions, new settlements, and to rehabilitate and reconstruct facilities for electrochemical protection of main gas pipelines and the electricity sector.

Sounds awful lot to me, especially if its completion date is set for 2013, but who knows, perhaps with a stroke of a miracle, our far out villages will to see gas in their homes, stop using wood and coal for heating and Azerbaijani children will have heating in their village schools and things will start getting better?

Who knows... we shall see in few years...

Understanding new media

2011-08-18T12:22:00.000+03:00

This is a presentation I gave this morning at Bilgi University for a group of civil society representatives from Georgia and Abkhazia visiting as part of the Caucasus School project.

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" href="http://prezi.com/zaorpepnjm2j/new-media-and-social-networks/">New Media and Social Networks on Prezi

Demolition of houses in Azerbaijani continues (Updated)

2011-08-14T16:38:00.001+03:00

Demolition of residential units in Azerbaijan continues, and not just in the main downtown area. Here is a snippet of one of the buildings being demolished for construction of a concert hall. Ironically, demolished house is located near the "highest flagpole".

Just now, an article [AZ] appeared on the Radio Liberty local service, reporting on new houses being demolished with residents actually living inside of these buildings. According to the article, none of the residents were given new housing but already demolition and eviction are on its way.

The state institution in charge- State Committee on Property Issues- and its department head Yusif Qambarov refused to respond to questions of the news portal.

In the meantime demolition continues in the neighboring area where Peace and Democracy Institute was once located.

Is Turkey's "silent revolution" the end of military coups?

2011-08-14T13:23:00.000+03:00

This post was originally published on Waging Nonviolence on August 14th, 2011.

Source: Adem Altan/AFP/Getty Images

Furious over the arrests of senior Turkish military officers, and unable to find common ground with the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Chief of Turkish Armed Forces Isik Kosaner handed in his resignation, together with the heads of the navy, army and air force on July 29th. Some have been calling it a “silent revolution”; for the first time in its modern history, Turkey’s military appears to be coming under civilian control, after decades as the government’s watchful overseer and the orchestrator of sudden coups. But at what cost?

Over the last two years, Turkey’s secular military power and the stridently Islamic, conservative ruling AKP (“Justice and Development Party”) have been engaged in a verbal war over allegations that military personnel have been involved in plotting against the current leadership in an operation known as “Sledgehammer” (Balyoz in Turkish). Since February of 2010, over 200 officers, admirals, generals, and colonels been arrested, detained and charged with conspiracy. In fact, hours prior to Kosaner’s resignation, 22 suspects—all military officials—were charged with involvement in carrying out an alleged internet campaign to undermine the government. Over 400 academics, journalists, and other public figures have also been jailed and tried on account of another conspiracy, “Ergenekon”—an alleged group of secular nationalists plotting to bring down the current leadership.

While the government claims that the resignation was an early retirement decision, in his interview with the newspaper Hurriyet, the Chief of General Staff made it clear that his decision to leave his post came as a sign of protest against the arrests of military officers since 2010 and his inability to protect the rights of his personnel.

Here in Turkey, opinions vary as to what the resignations will mean. Turkey’s military overthrew four elected governments in a series of coups that began in the 1960s. The resignation clearly represents the end of the power Turkey’s military once held over the country’s political system. And while some might argue that the rise of the ruling AKP over the past decade, marked the beginning of truly civilian rule in the country, it is hard to say whether this particular change is an indicator of the ascendancy of the civilian power and a true sign of democracy. This collective resignation also means the disappearance of the last meaningful check on the power of AKP.

Moreover, it is going to take more than a forced “retirement” of top generals to achieve full civilian control over the army. Other officers could very well take matters into their own hands when they see how their values are being mercilessly crushed by a religions regime like the AKP under Erdogan. Turkey’s military still holds its rights to intervene in the country’s political system if they perceive a threat to it, according to the military’s internal service code, which has yet to be officially altered. Nor has the curriculum taught at the military establishments been changed to emphasize the supremacy of the civilian rule in the country.

The once-powerful military now feels demoralized and weakened in its capabilities, which could cause people within it to act rashly. According to military analyst Gareth Jenkins, “The officer corps is growing disillusioned. Military officers are very reluctant to communicate with one another as there is a fear that it will be intercepted, distorted and used against them.” Such conspiracies create an impression that the Turkish Military Forces are a bunch of criminals and it undermines its historical significance given that it was General Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who founded the first Republic in 1923.

Meanwhile, the AKP’s grip on power grows. It has been introducing sweeping reforms, including plans for a new, nationwide internet filter system, which are changing the face of this promising and aggressively modernizing nation. It seems doubtful that the path to real democracy and justice will come from sudden “retirements” and other decisions made behind closed doors. This year, Turkey was rated as the country with highest number of imprisoned journalists, surpassing even China and Iran. One thing, at least, is clear: it is going to take a lot more than the retirement of few generals for the country to become an example of a healthy democracy in the Muslim world.

Small protest in the capital of Baku

2011-08-12T15:56:00.000+03:00

Today, a group of Azerbaijani youth- from the Committee for Protection of Young Political Prisoners- held a small protest at the Fountain Square. Dressed in black and white striped t- shirts and carrying a poster with "Democracy" written in between "bars" these young men and women walked through the square. Those following behind, held posters of currently in prison young activists- Ruslan Bashirli, Cabbar Savalan, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, Tural Abbasli, Ehed Memmedli, Rufat Hacibeyli, Elnur Israfilov, and Ulvi Quliyev.

The protest aimed to symbolize that the arrest of these young people, means arrest of democracy and the violation of human rights.

According to this article [AZ] passers-by seeing the posters and the photos exclaimed their support for the youth.

Another demolition, another eviction

2011-08-12T00:01:00.000+03:00

Today, the office of the Peace and Democracy Institute was slowly taken apart by some random men along hundreds of homes and office spaces destroyed and demolished in one of the oldest areas of the capital of Azerbaijan. The authorities are planning to erect a winter boulevard on that area.

The video below is the footage from today- how that office is taken apart piece by piece. The yelling women in the video are demanding for the resignation of the president, and his aid, calling them traitors and violators of human rights. The yelling man outraged promises that one day the homes of Ilham Aliyev, Ramiz Mehtiyev and others like them will be destroyed, their dictatorship will be destroyed just like that.

These men and women can yell as much as they want, their voices will only remain in this video. Azerbaijani authorities made it clear many times before that they don't care about its people. They only care about the sheep that quietly follows them. And as to the people?! Well, who are they for the Azerbaijani leadership?! They will and do just crush them, just as they crushed those homes...

I don't want a Bentley dealership

2011-08-11T10:20:00.000+03:00

I have written on this occasion before- Baku's unprecedented construction boom has been reported a number of times and keeps on popping in the news then and now. High rise buildings, expensive boutique shops, however all built at the expense of others. The lavish spending by the authorities and the few who can actually afford the luxury have chosen to close their eyes and forget about the others- pretty much the rest of the country.

Who cares about people being evicted from their homes, when rich businessman can buy himself a Bentley from the shopping center in Baku? Thats right, the exclusiveness one can get here, could hardly be found in a village in the outskirts of the country.

But again, who cares about them, Azerbaijani authorities are notorious for their "love" and "care" for its people- yes, in our dreams that is.

And so, yes, I don't want a Bentley dealership, nor do I want a winter boulevard, especially as its being build at the expense of residents who used to live in that old area of Baku.

I still have pictures of what is now just rubbles. I used to stroll down those narrow streets until I would reach the Fountain Square but that I guess is just left in a distant memory of my Baku and I am savoring it as who knows whats going to happen next in Baku.

To read more on Azerbaijan's construction boom click:

- Azerbaijan: halt illegal house demolitions, forced evictions (Human Rights Watch);

- Winners and losers in the new Baku (BBC News);

Why new media and social networks are only tools

2011-08-06T22:12:00.000+03:00

This has been argued by many, so I wont be telling something completely new here. And yes, I do therefore agree with Evgeny Morozov too and his "Net Delusion: the dark side of internet freedom" book.

I would say that by now, many would agree that especially in dictatorial regimes, social media can and is used by these very regimes to "retaliate" its own activists for the sake of "greater good".

But I wont be going into too many details with my personal thoughts on this this time and would like to share here instead an interesting post from Rationalinsurgent's blog titled "Regimes can exploit social media too" that pretty much sums it up perfectly. And here is even a teaser for you from that post:

Authoritarian regimes are crafty. They have lots of resources at their disposal, and they think strategically about the best way to use those resources to restore "calm" (read: maintain power).

Azerbaijan's never ending insane development projects

2011-08-03T11:52:00.000+03:00

If Azerbaijan was a place where people lived in full equality, where journalists had their full rights, where social welfare was at its best and everything was just fine, I would have probably applauded this project. But in a country where minimum salaries can't cover living costs and where freedom of expression, human rights, social protection programs, education, health care and other services are literally collapsing this is for sure a waste of money. And don't tell me Azerbaijani people need this- what Azerbaijani citizen living in a a village in Lenkoran needs, is a proper sewage system, heating and electricity, not to mention a salary and conditions good enough to keep his/her family happy and healthy. Perhaps instead of commissioning these over-the-top initiatives, our respective bodies of governance should channel this money to at least some of the multiple problems that actually are more important at this point than building an Olympic Stadium?!

Online oppression and what can you do about it

2011-08-02T12:24:00.000+03:00

Not too long ago, I wrote this post, referring to CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists) report '10 tools of online oppressors'. This morning, I cam across this tweet by Movements.org (great website by the way):

Some of these tactics include using violence against journalists, detention of bloggers, malware attacks, and others. You can actually access the full report in CPJ's website or visit here for the summary of the tactics.

Are you a good citizen journalist?

2011-08-02T11:28:00.002+03:00

Recently, NDI and the Lebanese NGO ASWAT organized a training in Beirut on "Citizen Journalism, Professionalism and Ethics". At the end of the training, a code of ethics for citizen journalists was established. And here it is (you can also visit this website, to access the code in Arabic and French):

I would like to thank the Global Voices Team and in particular Collins for sharing this with all the other GV authors.

Electronic visas to be introduced for Azerbaijan

2011-08-01T20:49:00.000+03:00

Google Images

It was almost a year ago, when on October 15th 2010, Azerbaijani authorities declared new visa regulations for foreign nationals. If prior it was possible to obtain visas at the arrival, from now on, each foreign national had to apply for a visa through Azerbaijani embassy in their respective countries. However, looks like the regulations are going to change as the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced just recently of new electronic visas to be available for foreign citizens.

According to Aydin Ismiyev (original article is available here [AZ]), head of the tourism department at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, work is under way however, there are no tentative dates as to when this service will be available. Ismiyev says once the service is approved, potential visitors will now be able to apply online for their visas through the Azerbaijani embassies in their countries (all the documents will be submitted online). The process will take about 15 days.

Not sure if this is going to ease the process but who knows, perhaps having to host Eurovision 2012 in Azerbaijan next year, somethings should start to change sooner than later.

Some "polite" male users of Facebook in Azerbaijan (updated)

2011-07-22T10:47:00.003+03:00

The user Orkhan's Facebook and Twitter accounts were hacked, hence the message. Thank you Orkhan for letting me know, and everyone else, including Adnan and Ilkin who helped to clear this up.

Eurovision 2012 in Azerbaijan, Triumph or Trap?

2011-07-11T21:41:00.001+03:00

My recent article written for Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso. You can read the article at Osservatorio's website by clicking on the title.

May 14th of this year was no ordinary day for Azerbaijan. That day marked Azerbaijan's first place victory in the Eurovision Song Contest in what was only the country's fourth year of participation in the competition. The streets of Baku were festive as Eurovision fans poured onto the streets celebrating, chanting and waiving Azerbaijani flags. The country’s president personally greeted and congratulated the winning duo, Ell and Nikki, praising the two for their outstanding performance in Dusseldorf, the host of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, and calling their success a “people’s victory.” However, while Azerbaijani authorities and many of the country's supporters together celebrate the country’s success, Azerbaijan still remains a country with a poor human rights record and an overall lack of adherence to democratic values.

The Euro Idol

Now in its 56th year, the Eurovision song contest is a glitzy show similar to ‘American Idol’ where fans vote for their favorite songs and singers. It is also the most-watched non-sport event in most of Europe with millions of people following the show. However, it is also known for its deeply politicized nature with neighboring countries favoring and voting for each other. In just one example of this favoritism, Turkey and Azerbaijan vote each year to award the highest possible mark of 12 points to one another. This year was no exception. Turkey - along with other countries like Russia, Malta, Ukraine, Greece, Croatia, San- Marino, Romania and Moldova - gave Azerbaijan the highest scores possible.

Azerbaijan was represented by a singing duo, Eldar Gasimov (age 21) and Nigar Jamal (age 30), also known by their nicknames of Ell and Nikki. Their song, called “Running Scared”, had already gotten some favorable nods during preliminary performances. Composed and written by three Swedish songwriters, Stefan Örn, Sandra Bjurman and Iain Farguhanson, “Running Scared” is about two young people who are so in love that they are too afraid to finally reach one other and unite.

We Knew We’d Win Anyway

According to political official Ali Hasanov, head of the political department under the Presidential Administration, “the victory was not unexpected”. Hasanov believes it is the importance and “great attention” Azerbaijan attaches to the Eurovision competition every year that got Azerbaijan its first place prize. But other factors may have played a role. Azerbaijan's fashion icon and culture guardian, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and the Haydar Aliyev Foundation she heads are involved in the contest. Her immediate appointment as the head of the Organizational Committee responsible for Eurovision 2012 in Baku only proves this to be true.

Azerbaijan's generous allocation of funds for Eurovision competitors is not something new for the country. As the world was tightening its belts during the financial crisis, last year alone Azerbaijan spent over two million US Dollars on a young singer: Safura. The performer’s Eurovision stunt included hiring Beyonce’s choreographer, a kitschy MTV-like video and expensive stage costumes.

Under the spotlight

Having won the contest this year, Azerbaijan will be the host of the Eurovision 2012 contest, currently scheduled to take place between 22 and 26 May, 2012. International critiques suggest that this might have an effect on the country’s poor human rights record while domestic observers are more interested in taking advantage of Azerbaijan's time in the spotlight to promote the country's culture and tourism. The contest could offer a possible political benefit in the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for 2012. Other stakeholders hope some attention will be paid to the ongoing conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno Karabakh, a territorial dispute that escalated in 1992 and has left thousands of people killed, missing, or displaced.

The head of the EU delegation to Azerbaijan, Roland Kobia, sees the upcoming event as a “golden opportunity”. In a statement he made shortly after the contest, Kobia said Azerbaijan should use this occasion to show the world its commitment to reforms and to the modernization of its society.

Many human rights activists and pro-democracy advocates in Azerbaijan can only wish such optimism were realistic, especially as the country has gained a negative reputation abroad for its crackdowns on activists and journalists, its tight control of independent media, and its history of rigged elections.

It was ironic to see that while thousands of Azerbaijanis hailed the Eurovision victory in Freedom Square on the night of May 14th in the capital of this oil-rich nation, that very same square has been closed to any political protests since 2003. The square has been closed to demonstrations since mass protests held in 2003 when the country’s current president came to power in undemocratic elections that failed to meet Azerbaijan's OSCE commitments and international standards for democratic elections.

A resolution recently adopted by the European Parliament condemns a recent wave of crackdowns in Azerbaijan on journalists, lawyers, and human rights activists. The resolution underlines the country’s superficial commitment to a number of international conventions and agreements. In the past four years, the country has regressed in its reform pledges rather than progressed, going so far as to accuse some of its young activists of plotting the overthrow of the regime. The recent forced closure of the Norwegian Human Rights House is just another example of recent crackdowns. Azerbaijan remains the only member state of the Council of Europe that, to this day, refuses to allow the Council’s special representative on political prisoners to visit.

And so, while Ell and Nikki are “Running Scared” from each other, Azerbaijan’s activists and many others are running scared from the Azerbaijani authorities at home and abroad. And it is definitely not out of strong love and affection for each other…

WikiLeaks vs. Mastercard

2011-07-01T07:12:00.004+03:00

I thought this was very creative! Supporting WikiLeaks!

"The right way of life..."

2011-06-26T00:01:00.000+03:00

I just read an article published in New York Times "A dissident is free from jail, but his punishment is not over" about Emin Milli and his struggle as a young, educated and talented man from Azerbaijan.

I look at Emin's life and especially the last few years as a struggle because what Emin and Adnan both has been through is a struggle. And its not a struggle that is over. They still have to deal with it and will have to deal with it because the circumstances. But they are not alone. And I think in such kind of struggle having the supporting network is extremely important not to give up, not to feel ousted, and most importantly not to lose hope.

But there was also something else in the article, that "moved" me. The quote by Ali Hasanov, that was too much (as most of the things he says) this time as well.

Ali M.Hasanov, a top official in the presidential administration, said President Aliyev had allowed the two to be released early because their parents asked for mercy... And the president granted this request out of humane considerations.

Its incredible that someone as inhumane as Mr. Hasanov, would use "humane" in his comments. That man is known for his brutality just like any other senior government official. But of course, I shall be mocked for these words because thats what "humane" people like Mr. Hasanov do. I hate to break it to you but it is obvious that the definition of humane or right way to life have different meanings in a dictatorial dictionary of Azerbaijani officials and international understanding and definition.

An Azerbaijani humane officials or their puppets (including judges, police officers and others) imprison people who fail to meet their standards of humanity. As long as you remain a clown, acting it out in front of them, praising them and always supporting them you stay out of prison, arrests, detentions, humiliations and much more.

The question that remains unanswered is how long this oppression, this approach to silence and attempts to break people up will continue...

Digital Activism Recommendations

2011-06-24T19:43:00.000+03:00

This is a presentation our group of Social Media and Digital Activism gave this morning at the Fletcher Institute as part of the Fletcher Summer Institute for the Advanced Study of Nonviolent Conflict.

I am also currently working on a manual with resources for digital activists and organizers on some of the tools they can use and websites they can refer to during their campaigns.

Digital Activism on Prezi

'Barrel of Laughs'

2011-06-21T03:57:00.001+03:00

Ivan Marovic talks about Otpor- Serbian movement that brought down Milosevic in 2000- and about 'dilemma action' used widely by the movement.

Prepared by the authentic journalists at the School of Authentic Journalists is a great insight into movements and tactics in just two minutes.

His name is number 5

2011-06-14T23:43:00.000+03:00

Few days ago, I read a story. The story was about one man's freedom. It was about E. being held emotionally captive despite him being physically free. In the story, E. despite this captivity embraces the world and the circumstances as they are. He doesn't give up. He simply looks at it from a different angle. He knows that at the end of the day, its not about where you are but its about who you are and that freedom can be a number of different things used or attained also through other means.

The story is called "My name is No.5" and the author of the story is a my friend and (as I have learned at the School of Authentic Journalism in Mexico in Spanish) a un compañero! You can read the story in its original version here [AZ]

Emin was accepted to the John Smith Fellowship Program this year. In fact, he was accepted to the program last year, when he was still in prison and due to exceptional circumstances, the program postponed his attendance to the following year. And so Emin was getting ready to go to Edinborough. But he couldn't. Because despite being free, he is only conditionally free.

I would like to share few excerpts from his story that inspired me to write this post (as translated from the original version):

I was free this year but conditionally. I was understanding what conditional freedom meant only conditionally. Conditional freedom reminded me of "being a little bit pregnant [...]

I got excited when I reached the airport. It was the first time in two years that I was at the airport. I consider this place sacred as it connects us with the rest of the world. This is our air gateway to the world. Those who want to see us and those who want to save themselves pass through here [...]

They looked at each other. Then after the woman looked at me she turned toward her approaching colleague and slowly lowered her head. I understood everything. They were talking about me [he was number 5]. That day, I couldn't fly anywhere. After picking up my luggage, I got into a car, and drove to the seaside. I was gazing at the sea as I sipped my tea... I wasn't rushing anywhere.

My companero, though I might be far to support you, I here for you!

And below is a song written by another talented young man, also inspired by Emin's story. Lyrics are available here.

And it happened again...

2011-06-13T00:07:00.000+03:00

Today was an important day in Turkey. Millions of Turks left their homes to cast their votes in general elections.

A lot of hope was vested into the ruling center- right Justice and Development Party (AKP)'s main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in these elections, however, it failed to win or get the majority of votes. It came with a 25.92% of votes while the ruling AKP with almost twice as much. But what is more concerning is the trend of the overall percentage of votes AKP has been getting since 2002 when it came to leadership with 34%, 46% in 2007 and 49.90% in 2011 (see more details here).

AKP will maintain majority in the parliament with 326 seats, followed by CHP with 135 seats, MHP 54 seats and independents with 35 seats. AKP was targeting 330 seats which would have allowed the party to push for rewriting the constitution. The debate over changing the constitution that was introduced during the 1980 coup, rests on AKP's promise of making Turkey a more democratic country with enhanced individual freedoms vs. its opponents fearing of AKP simply consolidating its grip on power. The current Prime Minister spoke of his affection for a French- style presidential system which is what many believe AKP will strive to achieve by changing the constitution. If this happens, Erdogan will have the constitutional right to govern for additional two terms, leading the country in 2023 which coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

In his post- election address, leader of the ruling CHP party- Kemal Kilicdaroglu promised to continue working as hard as they did before, sending out a strong message of becoming a ruling party.

According to the country's current constitution, a party must get a minimum of 10% of the national vote for it to join the country's 550- seat parliament (to read more on Turkish election system read this article by Al Jazeera).

It was disturbing to see cars drive on one of the busiest and hip streets of Istanbul, Bagdad Caddesi, with AKP flags hanging from their windows and women with headscarves smiling proudly waiving the flags from their cars tonight. It reminded me of Fenerbahce (one of the Turkey's biggest football teams) championship celebrations just few weeks ago on the same street, except this was no soccer championship. AKP's controversial rule in the country has been subject to criticisms. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Kilicdaroglu pointed out to limitations in democracy and freedoms. CHP leader referred to cases of confiscation of unprinted books, arrests and detainment of hundreds of journalist (Turkey is leading among countries with highest number of arrested journalists). Freedom of press is fragile, journalists are concerned their phones are tapped and mass case over military coup plot is in papers everyday.

So it looks like religion won today again for a third time...

'It is time to fly'

2011-06-12T18:02:00.000+03:00

Thought I share this cool video on recent Spanish Revolution. The voice in the background belongs to David Icke's and the speech he gives is from his 2009 speech in Melbourne. The speech is really powerful and there is a lesson to learn from anyone I believe. Enjoy!

Azerbaijan's own dictatorial rule

2011-06-10T13:25:00.002+03:00

I was reading this article today on New York Times by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith, and thought I share some quotes that fit Azerbaijani leadership so perfectly.

The article starts with the following introduction:

Despotic rulers stay in power by rewarding a small group of loyal supporters, often composed of key military officers, senior civil servants, and family members or clansmen

However the author of this piece argues that even this small group of supporters only does so because of the rewards expected for al their work done while suppressing opposition, silencing anyone who would go against the regime and therefore maintain their own version of stability and tranquility.

As long as their cronies are assured of reliable access to lavish benefits, protest will be severely suppressed.

Of course, some of the success stories of toppling a dictator portrayed in this article, do not fit Azerbaijan's scenario, nevertheless, there are some interesting facts worth noting and who knows, perhaps keeping in mind for future references...

From now on, internet freedom is our human right

2011-06-08T16:04:00.000+03:00

The report prepared by the acting special rapporteur to the UN and presented on Friday last week, stresses the importance of the internet as "an indispensable tool for realizing a range of human rights, combating inequality and accelerating development and human progress" and that "facilitating access to the Internet for all individuals, with a little restriction to online content as possible, should be a priority for all states" (see the article to read more).

According to the report:

Internet is one of the most powerful instruments of the 21st century for increasing transparency in the conduct of the powerful, access to information, and for facilitation active citizens participation in building democratic societies.

Below you can access the full report, alternatively you can visit here to read it.

Internet Freedom is a human right from now onw

Mubarak is ousted in Azerbaijan too

2011-06-08T00:30:00.000+03:00

Yes, finally! It took Azerbaijani authorities a while to finally demolish Mubarak's statue erected in a city just outside of Baku a while back ago. Not only did it take them a while, but the park where the statue used to stand was heavily guarded by the local police so as to prevent any acts of local demolition.

The news were reported by a local website Deyerler.org [AZ].

May this be a sign of democratization brothers and sisters!

Truth hurts

2011-05-30T17:54:00.000+03:00

Google Images

Azerbaijani authorities hate it when someone says something negative about whatever is happening in the country. When that happens at home, its easier to deal with - a drug charge here, a hooliganism charge there and the case is solved. The "violator" is put away behind bars and authorities are happy (at least for the time being).

Things are not that simple when the criticism comes from somewhere outside the country's jurisdiction. That is when the country's leadership quickly resorts to "whatboutism" and "double standard" arguments. Suddenly the country that boasts about its democratic endeveours 24/7 switches to "we are a young democracy" argument, that is "in war" with a neighboring state and that there is still a long way to go and that European and other international institutions should cut this country's leadership some slack. Or close their eyes and ears and keep their democratic mouths shut here and there.

Of course no one is saying that anyone is perfect. Perks exist everywhere, but what makes things different is how countries and institutions deal with these perks. Certainly in Azerbaijan, dealing with our perks is something unacceptable especially because why deal with problems when you can simply hide them away behind facades while just piling and piling and accumulating records and records of violations.

Case in point would be recent wave of protests and those people brave enough and committed enough to take the streets, whom the leadership of the country describes as hooligans, amateurs, and at times even psychopaths engaging in acts of illogical behavior, damaging private property, claiming to be nationalists wanting democracy and (this is my favorite) paid to be doing all of this by third countries and parties.

Of course, if things were as the local leadership claims it to be then why would all those international institutions talk about these events? Why would they spend their valuable times to write reports and adopt resolutions about this? Surely Azerbaijani leadership can't claim that they too are hooligans, amateurs and psychopaths?

Just look at the recent resolution adopted by the European Parliament on Azerbaijan on May 12th, 2011. Among many different shortcomings, the resolution mentioned closure of the Human Rights House as well as clampdown on freedom of expression and assembly. The resolution also called on the Azerbaijani authorities to release recently arrested young activists as well as journalists.

Of course, Azerbaijani government was outraged. In a statement issued by the ruling party, its leadership claimed the resolution to be biased. "The country's people [wonder which people they are referring to because as far as I know, YAP doesn't really engage with people when it comes to doing a survey on democracy in Azerbaijan or anything else as a matter of fact apart from threatening people to join YAP sponsored rallies, concerts and events but thats another story] are concerned about a number of untrue clauses included into the resolution adopted at the plenary meeting of the European Parliament [...] The clauses about the violation of freedom of speech, media, freedom of assembly in Azerbaijan do not reflect reality [true, because in reality we don't have any journalists sitting behind bars and all requests filed by the opposition parties to hold rallies in downtown ares were always granted]. The clause about the political prisoners and arrest of persons for their political views is not true either, it was included into the document without having been investigated objectively".

Really? The only reaction that the officials could come up with is this weak statement? I hate to break it up to you but dear YAP, you couldn't have done worse. Perhaps its actually time to look at things in all their actual light? Perhaps not everyone is crazy and pretentious as you think they are?

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps...

Eynulla Fatullayev finally FREE

2011-05-26T22:24:00.000+03:00

It took a decision by the European Court of Human Rights, campaigns, statements, reports, talks and action campaigns to finally after four years of long and tough struggle to see one of Azerbaijan's most critical journalist, Eynulla Fatullayev, finally taste freedom after four years spent in jail on ambiguous charges, paying what many would call, the price for ones' openness and commitment in bringing out truth.

He was charged with defamation, libel, accused of terrorism, his newspaper was shut down, and he had to go through hell before being released. Surely, its all part of the greater struggle, and surely that struggle is ain't easy and there is a price to pay. But the news of his release today, probably caused many to celebrate in Azerbaijan. Indeed, this is a perfect cause for celebration.

Fatullayev's release came shortly after an online campaign was launched by Amnesty International ahead of its International Media Awards 2011. Of course, local frenzies of the government picked up on the action, and retaliated, or at least thought they did with silly tweets circulating around, trying to change the whole point of the campaign. According to this post on Global Voices some of the supporters and members from 'IRELI', an equivalent of Russia's pro- Putin 'Nashi' launched anti- Amnesty Twitter campaign trying to avert the attention with photoshopped images and slogans like "if you are that fair then start a campaign over occupied #Karabakh! #Azerbaijan' adding 'and it will be better if you stop blurring the image of #Azerbaijan' and etc.

What IRELI did, was a typical reaction- Azerbaijani authorities and its supporters hate it when something negative is said about the country and especially when it has to do with human rights, freedom of expression, arrested journalists, elections and what not. Of course no one wants to talk about it and keep is hush hush but every once in a while, we too get a piece of good news, just like we did today, hearing about Eynulla's release.

But this doesn't mean that the spot light on Azerbaijan should fade away, contrary, criticisms, reactions, statements must continue calling for release of other arrested bloggers, journalists, activists who too were charged with baseless accusations and put away in prisons.

Eynulla Fatullayev is FREE, lets hope he will not be the only one pardoned...

'Join us and urge Azerbaijan to free Eynulla Fatullayev'

2011-05-24T18:26:00.001+03:00

A campaign launched by Amnesty International calls on everyone to take action and join supporters in calling on the Azerbaijani authorities to release arrested journalist Eynulla Fatullayev who was imprisoned in 2007 on baseless charges and despite recent ruling by the European Court of Human rights remains in prison on additional drug possession charges.

Here is what you have to do to join the action:

'Egypt: how we did it, when media would not'

2011-05-20T19:16:00.002+03:00

We all knew what was happening there. Some of us were following the story in the news, some on social networks, others were covering the news on the spot. The #jan25 was born there. And what was a building struggle for years became a number one priority for 18 days on the agenda of the international media. Yes, it was the Egyptian Revolution.

In March, exactly one month after the revolution, Al Giordano and Greg Berger went to Egypt in search of what to become a series of videos/ stories featuring some of the key people behind the #jan25- a manual on how civil resistance was built to win. Why? Well, simply because they wanted to know how it was done but more importantly they wanted to show the world how it was done, what was it like and in what circumstances it was happening.

Today, Narco News TV proudly presents its first video in the series of a documentary on Egyptian Revolution.

Few more comments on Azerbaijan's victory in Eurovision song contest

2011-05-17T17:59:00.000+03:00

So for the last couple of days after I posted my entry on Azerbaijan's victory in Eurovision song contest a lot of feedback comments have been coming in and so I decided to write an additional entry regarding my original post.

Yes, it is true that Azerbaijan won the Eurovision song contest. Congratulations to Azerbaijan, its representers and all Eurovision song contest supporters around the world. And while for some countries Eurovision is not that big of a deal, for Azerbaijan its a matter of national importance. But at the end of the day, its just a song contest.

Back to the point of being critical- some said that I shouldn't be so negative, and in fact appreciate the fact that Azerbaijan won. Well, let me explain. Azerbaijan won the Eurovision song contest- it has invested a lot, not only financially but also morally into this competition, and the fact that its won, shows how much effort was put into this. My point was that if Azerbaijan and those responsible for the contest manage to get Azerbaijan come first in some of the (though I still think the most unimportant) most popular competitions held every year- the Eurovision- why cannot it do the same thing regarding everything else that is wrong in this country- freedom of expression, freedom and security of journalists, overall security of its people, respect of human rights, equal rights, "0" corruption, better salaries, better liberties and much more...

And yes it is also true that by winning Eurovision song contest, many who have never heard of Azerbaijan before will now google (though according to some of Azerbaijan's officials, already 80 million hits were made on google in search of a key word Azerbaijan) Azerbaijan and start reading about Azerbaijan. And it is also true that as they search on the Internet about Azerbaijan they will not only be coming across of the Azerbaijan Azerbaijani government is striving to portray- equal, transparent, democratic, free- but they will also be coming across the Azerbaijan that it is in reality- unequal, corrupt, authoritarian, unfree.

So perhaps, as Azerbaijan prepares to host 2012 Eurovision song contest, it should use this opportunity to show the world that Azerbaijan can not only win a song contest but that it can also set an example of true democracy and respect of its people and treat them with more than imposed fear and violent police...

'Running scared' from Interpol

2011-05-15T02:30:00.001+03:00

For some it is the most important time of the year. For others its just yet another reason to crack jokes. Yep, here we are, for yet another Eurovision song contest. And as Azerbaijan celebrates its this year victory with a song called "Running Scared" by Nikki and Ell, one of Azerbaijan's young activists, Elnur Majidli declared wanted by Interpol. You know why? Well, simply because Azerbaijan chooses to spend thousands (if not millions) of government money on things like Eurovision while paying no attention whatsoever to the internal situation on the ground where for the record, journalists and activists get arrested on faked up charges.

So yea people, continue celebrating something as unnecessary and stupid as a Eurovision song contest, while turning a blind eye on human rights, freedom of expression and all the other violations taking place in your country. Because who cares about that right when Azerbaijan won such an important event of the year?!

All you need is a bit of inspiration, a pinch of imagination and supporting friends

2011-05-07T20:38:00.000+03:00

I want to thank my friend, Roli who send an e-mail today with a link to this video. Its such an inspiring peace. And its based on a true story. After watching this, one really does feel like all you need to get what you want is a bit of inspiration, a pinch of imagination and supporting friends : )

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Basta!

2011-05-04T23:44:00.000+03:00

Bing Images

is what I feel like yelling every time I read of yet another unjust imprisonment or humiliation or violation of basic rights in Azerbaijan. And its how I felt yelling today too as I heard how another youth activist and a member of one of the opposition parties, Jabbar Savalan was sentenced to 2.6 years on charges for illegal possession of drugs.

Jabbar was arrested several months ago on February 5th, after publicly announcing on Facebook a "day of rage" inspired by what was happening in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere.

The lawyer, Asabali Mustafayev of a 19 year- old activist says allegations against his defendant were "groundless" and complete falsification as many activists and human right defendants argue.

Outside the court room, in Azerbaijan's second largest city Sumgayit, activists and supporters chanted "Freedom" as they heard the verdict. Police reaction was quick (as it always is)- seven protestors were arrested and few journalists received body injuries.

Immediately following the decision, the country's deputy of the Human Rights commission at the National Parliament Rabiyyat Aslanova [AZ] explained that in Jabbar's case, an independent court ruled the decision and that all the details were evaluated. In no way, in Aslanova's words, the court could have made subjective decision, "its not possible" she added. She also noted that its time stop criticizing decisions made by the Azerbaijani courts.

The very same "objective, transparent and honest" court imprisoned other activists and journalists, including the two bloggers whose immediate release was called upon by a number of influential international institutions. I guess, the "honest" court system Mrs. Aslanova is talking about exists only in her imagination because in reality, Azerbaijani courts are just as corrupted as anyone else including Rabiyyat Aslanova who can make statements as such while heading HUMAN RIGHTS commission.

I ask you Rabiyyat Xanim, how many more people will have to get arrested, killed, beaten, and humiliated? Will you speak the same words if tomorrow someone close to you gets arrested and imprisoned? Will you still continue boasting of "lawful and just" system of Azerbaijani courts? I doubt it, because if one day that happens, maybe then you will finally become human again. Maybe then, you would finally stop lying again. Maybe then, you will finally do your job as the head of the Human Rights Commission. Maybe... Maybe not... After all, in your world not everyone is entitled to freedom, and certainly not everyone is entitled to living the live they want without pressure, intimidation and fear of being arrested or else one day...

'The 10 tools of online oppressors'

2011-05-03T23:56:00.000+03:00

According to Committee to Protect Journalists Special Report:

The world' worst online oppressors are using an array of tactics, some reflecting astonishing levels of sophistication, others reminiscent of old- school techniques.

And so Danny O'Brian writes of what is happening around the world in countries like China, Iran and Burma and many others where freedom of media and activism are heavily censored and brutally punished.

CPJ.tools.of.Oppression

'From Facebook to the streets of Baku'

2011-05-03T12:11:00.000+03:00

The following is an excerpt from my recent article written for Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso.

Are the winds of the "Arab Spring" reaching Baku after all? A number of peaceful protests directly calling for the authorities to resign have stared in Azerbaijan, with the Internet playing a key role. The demonstrations have so far been met with repression, intimidation and new arrests.

Earlier in March, a group of young and internet- savvy activists created a Facebook event page calling it "March 11th- Great People's Dat". In a short time, the group managed to gather thousands of supporters (more than 4,000) not only among independent activists and students but also among opposition party members. The Facebook page called on the Azerbaijani people to unite in demanding a change in the current regime. It was a loosely- organized structure with no leaders guiding the campaign and it did not have any clearly- defined set of actions. It served as a platform for young and independent activists, students, and opposition members, to discuss and share their ideas. It was the first nonviolent form of resistance in recent years that directly called on the authorities to resign[...]

You can read the rest of the article here.

Freedom on the net 2011

2011-05-03T11:30:00.000+03:00

After having celebrated the World Press Freedom Day yesterday, the report published by the Freedom House 'Freedom of the Net' came in handy especially as the report sheds light on some of the countries and issues discussed during the World Press Freedom Day.

The description of the newly published report on the Freedom House website reads:

[...]This report examines internet freedom in 37 countries around the globe. The study's findings indicate that the threats to internet freedom are growing and have become more diverse. Cyber attacks, politically- motivated censorship, and the government control over internet infrastructure have emerged as especially prominent threats.

Some of the countries as ranked "Not Free" include Iran, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, China and Burma. It came as a relief to see Azerbaijan rank among the countries listed as "Partly Free" however it was only a partial relief knowing how pressing media and internet freedom is in Azerbaijan. You can see the full list of score table here and the cluster map here.

Below you can see the Azerbaijan evaluation of the report, while the full report can be accessed here.

Azerbaijan2011

Donkey Bloggers speak at World Press Freedom Day

2011-05-02T23:01:00.001+03:00

In 1993, following a Recommendation adopted during UNESCO's General Conference (1991), May 3rd, was proclaimed as the World Press Freedom Day.

It serves as an opportunity to inform citizens and share information on press freedom violations taking place every day in many different corners around the world.

It serves:

as a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended, and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even murdered.

Held this year in the US following the tradition, World Press Freedom focused on themes like:
- New frontiers of news media
- A legal and regulatory perspective
- New barriers
- New trends of journalism

While a number of other pressing issues were discussed, the conference also had guests. Among these, were the donkey bloggers, who spoke about their arrest, the donkey video, press freedom situation in Azerbaijan and much more:

How Azerbaijani authorities deport foreign journalists

2011-04-28T19:16:00.001+03:00

On April 17th, three Swedish journalists were taken to the police department first, then to the state migration office and then deported.

The video is taken from the Swedish channel where the video been posted. The men in civilian clothes taking the journalists to the police department by now have become avid "assistants" of local police, helping to detain people on the streets.

And here is how one of the local journalists- Khadija Ismayil remembers the incident:

I was there when these guys were arrested. They have been standing in the square with me and dozens of other journalists when plain cloth people (like the ones who always "help" police to disperse people in the rallies) grabbed them and forced them to somewhere. I asked the guys who they are, where they are taking my colleagues - no response. Only when we arrived at police station we could figure out what is happening.

I entered the police station to help with communication as there was no one speaking English in the police. Inside the police station, the same plain cloth guy demanded me to stop talking on the phone (I have been reporting what happened to media) and give him my phone. I asked who he is and why should I give the phone. He screamed at me. Tried to take my phone by force. I gave up the phone. They pushed me to the separate room. Few minutes later My, Charlie and Lotta were brought to the same room. They took my ID and documents of Swedish journalists. One policeman was asking them about names, DoB, etc.

I was told they don't have accreditation and they couldn't film. I explained that they haven't been filming yet and accreditation is not a license to film. they wouldn't listen to me. They told me that these journalists came as tourists, not as journalists. I tried to explain that:

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS JOURNALIST VISA IN AZERBAIJAN

We have same visas for tourists and journalists.

In the invitation letter to the embassy in Stockholm it was written that these guys are coming to produce reports about democracy and Azerbaijan- EU relations. So purpose of the visit was clearly indicated.

Embassy in Stockholm was very friendly and issued visas in very short period. The embassy supposed to send documents for accreditation to MFA. They arrived on Saturday morning. and on Monday first thing in their schedule would be a visit to MFA. They also requested interview in presidential administration. In fact accreditation is needed ONLY for access to state agencies and events.

THERE IS NO LAW requiring filming permit from anyone in the country in the public places.MFA HAS NO AUTHORITY TO LICENSE journalism activity. Accreditation is for being invited to the press briefings, etc.

After police checked my ID and found out who I am, I was forced to leave the police station, even though my colleagues didn't have any translators. Me and their cameraman Zsolt were waiting in front of the police station. Then the girls called and told me that the police took them through the back door of the police station, put them into the police car and taken to the Migration office. There they have spent more than 24 hours in custody ILLEGALLY. and then deported.

Migration service can detain and deport people ONLY IF THEY ARE ILLEGALLY IN THE COUNTRY - for example, crossed the border illegally, or have no visas, or their visas are expired.

I spoke to migration lawyer Alovsat Aliyev (head of the Azerbaijan Migration Center - NGO providing legal assistance to migrants and on migration issues). He said if these guys decide to sue Azerbaijan for being deported ILLEGALLY (that is what it was), they will definitely win the case.

Obviously we were witnessing one more case when governments actions were STUPID. If people in the government have no brains, you get into diplomatic scandals. Diplomats were there, helping the guys (they spent more than 24 hours in custody of Migration department of the Interior ministry), now they are deported, reached home safely. Now hopefully, diplomats can talk openly and say all what they think about the case.

It was a shame, and I don't think there is a way to justify these actions.

When parks at home don't suffice

2011-04-28T00:17:00.001+03:00

We all know by now how much Azerbaijani authorities love building parks, re-opening old ones, renovating others all either named after late President Aliyev, or have his statute. We also know that this phenomenon doesn't just exist in Azerbaijan, that there are parks like in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, carrying late President's name and his bust.

So here is another piece of news for you, according to RFE/RL's Balkan Service, Azerbaijani government will pay approximately 2million euros for renovation of a park in Belgrade with late President's statue erected there too. Isn't this marvelous?! We should all embrace this awesome initiative and take pride in such decision!

2 million euros?! I can't even imagine what one can do with that money at home. But once again, who cares, as long as there are monuments and busts of late President, current president and anyone from the Aliyev's family, its alright! Who cares about the rest...

***
There is one in Romania too.

Yet another 'Flower Holiday'

2011-04-27T13:33:00.001+03:00

In lest than two weeks, Azerbaijan will celebrate its 4th 'Flower Holiday'. It began four years ago, when local authorities decided to commemorate late President Aliyev on his birthday with this holiday. But it was never a simple holiday.

Different speculations are made each year as to how much money is spent on this holiday, but one figure always hits the media- millions. Brought either from Holland or somewhere else in the world, the flowers receive special care by gardeners like Ruslan Aliyev who spends hours on end watering, cleaning, and caring for the them. He says they need special attention, and thats what he does.

And each year, thousands of residents are either forced or come on their own to the park named after Haydar Aliyev to take a look at the flowers, take photos, have their ice creams or sun flower seeds and go home, for yet another time, not questioning the essence of this, not even one simple question: is it making their lives any better? I wonder if these people do the same on April 30th every year too, for some reason I doubt they do.

This article [AZ] published by Radio Azadliq (Radio Liberty Local Service) explores the upcoming holiday while paying a visit to heavily guarded park. Right now, no one is allowed, and the park is sealed from all the entrances.

Organized by the Baku city executive committee, the celebrations will continue throughout the day with fireworks held later in the evening. And this happens every year, including the year when just 10 days before the celebration, people died in one of the universities in Baku. Young men and their professors were shot but who cared?! Celebrations continued in their full even then. So nothing can stop Azerbaijani authorities from having their own fun, because at the end of the day, who cares about the rest...

Who said 'bigger' isn't 'better'?

2011-04-25T12:29:00.000+03:00

Well, who knows, most of the time its only a matter of showcasing how rich someone is, or well- connected or strong or powerful. In this case, its about architecture or perhaps it would be better to say architectural giants built in the capital of Azerbaijan showcasing yet again the whatever it is the country leaders are trying to make it look like.

The series of three videos below are part of the Discovery Channel's "Build it Bigger" show hosted by Danny Forster who travels the world in the search of "bigger" architectural marvels, talking about them and most importantly enjoying it very much. Here you can find detailed info on each of the countries and projects the show hosted.

In the episode on Azerbaijan, Danny visits the extravagant Heydar Aliyev Culture Center and the Flame Towers.

I came across these three videos on Twitter while reading my friend Ani's feed. So with no further ado, I present you the tree parts of a show on Azerbaijan.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Protect and safeguard or beat and shout? (part 2)

2011-04-18T01:33:00.000+03:00

And here is more footage from protests that took place today in Azerbaijan.

The second guy police arrested was begging to release his arm as it was hurting. An older woman was refusing to get into the car. The man in the tie said he was crossing the street and when the police shut the door he was saying that his wife was waiting just there for him. The last two women talking to the cameras were human rights advocates- Novella Jafaroglu and Saida Gocamanli. The police officer standing behind them quickly walked up to them asking for their IDs.

And this is the democracy and freedom we hear government officials talk about all the time.

Protect and safeguard or beat and shout?

2011-04-17T21:11:00.000+03:00

On the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan it reads:

Police is the brave organ standing on guard of state and people of Azerbaijan with great fighting spirit (Heydar Aliyev)

The fighting spirit is no doubt questionable. Azerbaijani police is always high spirited when it comes to beating up people, arresting them, falsifying charges, shouting, taking bribes and what not... Its bravery is too visible everywhere. Its when it comes to "standing on guard of people of Azerbaijan" that doubts start popping up here and there. Or maybe there are some new standards that we don't know yet? Like arresting a child and her mother as they cross the street and yell "Istefa" (resignation) and "Azadliq" (freedom).

The video below is from today protests (17 April 2011) and shows pretty much how a mother and her child got arrested.

Azerbaijan's "honest" Ombudsman

2011-04-16T13:56:00.000+03:00

Wikipedia defines Ombudsman as:

a person who acts as a TRUSTED intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while REPRESENTING the interests of the PUBLIC by INVESTIGATION and ADDRESSING complaints reported by individual CITIZENS

In Azerbaijan however, Obmudsman represents one body and acts within its interests only- the government. Elmira Suleymanova, who was elected in 2002 for a seven year term was the first Ombudsman to be appointed in Azerbaijan. So far, its been hard to gauge these woman's statements. Having met her personally was too rather a phenomenal experience as she failed to respond to any of our questions and since it was a meeting we were anxiously waiting for, that was disappointing indeed. But thats another story.

On April 16th [AZ], during the OSCE meeting in Vienna, Elmira Suleymanova dismissed the statements with regard to the pressing situation of human rights in Azerbaijan, not to mention belittled the presenter himself- Intiqam Aliyev (lawyer) and his organization as having no say and "0" influence in the country. She further accused him of being lenient towards the opposition and in fact being under pressure from these institutions (an argument which is very popular these days). The country's Ombudsman further accused Mr. Aliyev of having one purpose only- while talking of Azerbaijan in such a negative way, to get invited to events taking place abroad.

I am having a hard time understanding, that how, an official representative, an Ombudsman, could say something like this, during an International Conference, hosted by an organization like the OSCE, and actually believing in what she was saying and still consider herself as someone who is REPRESENTING people's rights and acts as a bridge between the people and the government. What a boost to the country's image...

"Azerbaijan's innocence and blind international perspective on just and democratic Azerbaijan"

2011-04-15T01:07:00.000+03:00

Ah, when will our authorities realize that the international organizations are well aware of the reality on the ground and that there is no point of making fools out of themselves?

Take this article for instance in which, Novruz Mammadov who heads International Relations Department at the Presidential Administration, comes across very surprised when commenting on recent OSCE and EU statements with regard to April 2nd protests and brutal police crackdown.

The statement issued by the OSCE and the EU about the 2 April rally caused me surprised and regret.

Because according to Mammadov that was a "minor event" and such a "serious" reaction was unnecessary. Mr. Innocence further criticizes those established institutions for taking "such sensitive approach" and calls them biased. So you call the treatment of people below as "minor" and not "serious":

source

This is minor too?

Who are we kidding here really? Only ourselves Mr. Mammadov! Only ourselves! Its just so convenient and simple isn't it?! You lie and start living the lie yourself, loosing the border between the fake world and the real world. Well Mr. Mammadov, perhaps thats the main difference here, those institutions that you call sensitive and biased are from the real world, while you are from a planet unknown to the humankind...

Why did Azerbaijan join Council of Europe?

2011-04-14T11:39:00.000+03:00

According to Samed Seyidov, who is the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Parliamentary Assembly to the PACE Azerbaijan joined the CoE for the following reasons (see the link and scroll down to read this quote):

We joined the Council of Europe not for the sake of membership. We joined the Council of Europe for the sake of democracy, human rights and supremacy of the law.

He then adds:

We will express our attitude openly if we see that any of these issues is used as a means of influence upon Azerbaijan's interests.

Here, you have said it yourself Mr. Seyidov, that Azerbaijan joined Council of Europe "for the sake of democracy, human rights and supremacy of law" but I am having hard time seeing any of these notions applied in Azerbaijan.

Where is democracy? Certainly its not in fake elections we have each time and more certainly its not in the way you treat your people when they protest on the streets. Or tell me, where is the human rights notion? Does it even exist in your vocabulary, because it looks like you use these words only when you want to and mostly for the internationals not the locals. Is it in the way you treat your journalists? Or anyone for that matter? Or tell me, what about supremacy of law? Is supremacy of law means that judges can be bought? Or does supremacy of law mean that they can imprison anyone they want just because someone "influential" demanded that person's arrest for the sake of their own personal happiness and comfort?

Ah, Mr. Seyidov, if only you really knew the meaning of these notions. Its a pity that such sacred and important notions have become a joke to you and people like you, who have no idea and no understanding whatsoever of what these notions really mean... Sad... Very sad...

Using VLC player to convert .wmv files

2011-04-13T00:38:00.001+03:00

After looking for a program that would convert .wmv file I had on my computer (especially for Mac users) to any other format that I could then use in my I-Movie, I came across this website that actually says that you don't really need an extra converter and all you have to do is simply turn to your VLC player (which most of us probably already have on our computers) for help, as it can do it pretty much for you (it has its own stream/export function).

Its a simple procedure so just follow the following steps:

1. Launch VLC player

2. In the File menu of your player select "Streaming/ Exporting Wizard"

3. Select "Transcode/ Save to file" and click next

4. Click "Choose..." button and select .wmv extension file you need to convert

5. Select "Transcode video" and select the "H.264" codec and 1024 kb/s in a window below

6. Select "Transcode audio" and selected "MPEG 4 Audio" codec and 192 kb/s right in the small window below

7. Select "MPEG 4/ MP4" option as Encapsulation format

8. Click "Choose..." and save it as a "newfilename.mp4" to your desktop or designated folder

9. Then click finish and voila you are done. Converted file should appear shortly after either on your desktop or another folder.

I use MPEGStreamclip to convert other formats to .mov and you can download this program for free online.

Good luck!

Caspian Sea

2011-04-10T15:07:00.000+03:00

Came across this video earlier today on Facebook. The band is called Brazzaville and the song "Caspian Sea". Enjoy!

No comment...

2011-04-02T13:52:00.001+03:00

One question: if everything was great in Azerbaijan as certain people say it is, then why people would shout "Resignation" and protest?

Certainly, the vide below only justifies oppressive Azerbaijan regime and Azerbaijani police that acts on orders of the authorities.

One answer: nothing is great in Azerbaijan.

Oil and Poverty

2011-03-31T16:38:00.000+03:00

This documentary that was prepared in 2004 (according to the information provided on its YouTube page) portrays some of the footage, you wont normally see when watching fancy commercial adds about Azerbaijan like this one on your TV. Most of it is about oil rigs and refineries but there are also glimpses into lives of people living in Azerbaijan (who most definitely don't drive Porches).

It has no commentary and is accompanied by one of the greatest Azerbaijani composers' Fikret Amirov's 'Azerbaijan'.

When new technology becomes dictator's toys

2011-03-29T19:47:00.000+03:00

We all know the drill- in dictatorships, or countries short of democracy, anything related to new technology might be used against you. Because its all seen as a potential treat to the ruling party. Its a simple procedure that is universal pretty much anywhere where circumstances "call for action". In such places, it is likely that your twitter feed, or blog or website may actually by the cause of your arrest, beating or something else. Its no big news, that in places as this, government uses filtering services to monitor what is shared with the rest of the world.

The Open Net Initiative launched a report 'West Censoring East: the use of western technologies by Middle East Censors 2010- 2011'. According to the report's conclusions:

[...] the authors find that nine countries in the region utilize Western- made tools for the purpose of blocking social and political content, effectively blocking a total of over 20 million internet users from accessing such websites.

Below you can read the full report:

ONI_WestCensoringEast

BP, Azerbaijan, spies, oil and some other secrets revealed

2011-03-29T13:38:00.000+03:00

The video below is shocking and in a way not so shocking investigation about Azerbaijan, its oil, BP and other actors involved in Azerbaijan's oil boom and its slip to authoritarian dictatorship.

Take a break

2011-03-29T11:14:00.000+03:00

As I was browsing this morning Technorati, I came across an article about this one person who has realized that the divide between his real life and digital life got so blurred, that it was time to change that. The author of this article, went out for a walk but thats not the only thing he did. There was another suggestion too, especially for those who probably feel they must be glued to the screens of their computers and laptops 24/7- www.donothingfor2minutes.com :)

I checked it out and it is indeed relaxing (in fact, I have it still open and I can hear the breeze and the sound of the ocean), so if you ever feel like taking a break, but can't afford a stroll or a quick nap or something else that would involve getting away from your computers, you should definitely try this website out. I found it relaxing (but I promise, that I don't spend all of my time in front of my computer :)

Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber- Dissidents

2011-03-29T11:05:00.000+03:00

I have been meaning to upload this great report for a while now but since Turkey banned blogger.com and you can only access it through bypass proxies and changing your DNS servers, its been rather frustrating keeping my blog updated recently.

This "Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber Activists" is a useful guide book for all those who want to make sure that they are safe and secured from a number of different actors and most importantly their authoritarian governments (yes, there are still many countries in the world that are authoritarian, and Azerbaijan is just one of them). Prepared by the Reporters Without Borders, this handbook looks at terminology of today's online community and its residents, guidelines for how to set up and run blogs, ethics especially for those bloggers who write of news in their countries and become sources of valuable information for external actors, and much more.

Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber- Dissidents

'I am sorry but I don't want to be an emperor..."

2011-03-26T10:13:00.001+02:00

When I first saw this video, I got chills. I thought of people around the world suffering from dictatorships, torture, inhumane treatment... I thought of my country where a lot of things have gone wrong and unfortunately its leader being nowhere close to saying that he doesn't want to be an emperor. Because he is one and he rules his country with no reservations to anyone including his very own people.

We have known Charlie Chaplin for his impeccable humor but this speech is not such a script of a movie, its something much more powerful. I putting the text of this speech below the video.

And I would like to thank Peop1e.org for mashing up this video.

I'm sorry but I don't want to be an Emperor - that's not my business - I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible, Jew, gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another, human beings are like that.

We all want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone and the earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful.

But we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men's souls - has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.

We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in: machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little.

More than machinery we need humanity; more than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.

The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me I say "Do not despair".

The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress: the hate of men will pass and dictators die and the power they took from the people, will return to the people and so long as men die [now] liberty will never perish...

Soldiers - don't give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you and enslave you - who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel, who drill you, diet you, treat you as cattle, as cannon fodder.

Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men, machine men, with machine minds and machine hearts. You are not machines. You are not cattle. You are men. You have the love of humanity in your hearts. You don't hate - only the unloved hate. Only the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers - don't fight for slavery, fight for liberty.

In the seventeenth chapter of Saint Luke it is written " the kingdom of God is within man " - not one man, nor a group of men - but in all men - in you, the people.

You the people have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness. You the people have the power to make life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then in the name of democracy let's use that power - let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give you the future and old age and security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power, but they lie. They do not fulfil their promise, they never will. Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people.

Now let us fight to fulfil that promise. Let us fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men's happiness.

Soldiers - in the name of democracy, let us all unite!

Look up! Look up! The clouds are lifting - the sun is breaking through. We are coming out of the darkness into the light. We are coming into a new world. A kind new world where men will rise above their hate and brutality.

The soul of man has been given wings - and at last he is beginning to fly. He is flying into the rainbow - into the light of hope - into the future, that glorious future that belongs to you, to me and to all of us. Look up. Look up."

The story about 'Otpor'

2011-03-21T12:21:00.000+02:00

Just wanted to share a video about Otpor movement that I watched earlier this morning during the workshop on civil resistance and non violent conflict told by one of the founders of the movement Ivan Marovic.

'Generation Facebook: Emin, Adnan, and the Future of Dissent in Azerbaijan'

2011-03-15T12:35:00.000+02:00

Much has been said and written about Azerbaijan, its failure to meet democratic standards and treat its citizens justly. Numerous international reports been published, statements made, warnings sent. But none had any effect on this country of 8.6 million population rich in oil and gas. If all goes the way it is, nothing will change in Azerbaijan and free voices will be further silenced, punished and crushed.

However, Azerbaijani youth, its "Facebook Generation" is advocating change, despite it all. European Stability Initiative, a Berlin based think tank looks at this and other nuances of Azerbaijan's popular dissent and political development through several prisms of politicians, youth and international organizations. Starting from the birth of Azerbaijan's first Democratic Republic in 1918, and ending with arrests of Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizada, contested Referendum, and 2010 parliamentary elections, this report explores the debts of the popular rhetoric on democratic developments and the role international organizations such as the Council of Europe can play and yet has failed so far.

Ladies and gentlemen, with no further a due, I would like to present here the ESI 2011 Azerbaijan report 'Generation Facebook: Emin, Adnan, and the Future of Dissent in Azerbaijan'.

Generation Facebook in Baku - 15March2011

March 12 protests in Baku (updated)

2011-03-13T11:36:00.002+02:00

On March 12th, Azerbaijani people and its opposition chanting: "resign" (Istefa), "freedom" (Azadliq), "end to corruption" (korruptsiyaya son) and much more. But Azerbaijani authorities, claiming that "all is well" and Azerbaijan is an example of "blossoming democracy" clamped down on peaceful protestors.

The video below is compilation of footage from yesterday from downtown Baku.

[Updated:]

We are citizens of a different country

2011-03-08T19:46:00.000+02:00

Another youth activist, was arrested today right from under the noses of his very own parents. Today, on March 8th, Rashadat Akhundov was sentenced to 5 days of imprisonment. And another activist, this time deputy chair of youth branch of an opposition party- Musavat, Sakhavat Soltanli was too arrested on March 8th. Soltanli was charged with auto- hooliganism.

There are rumors that more activists will be arrested over the course of the next few days and any protests planned for March 11th, will be dispersed.

It all seems out of this world- as if we are not citizens of this country but from somewhere else and so anything we say is used against us. Oh, wait a second, I think I know why, I have completely forgotten about it- we are all HOOLIGANS- and so the Azerbaijani authorities are punishing all its young hooligans on same charges (though I have to say auto hooliganism is something new). Its just there is this one thing- it looks funny from the outside- one huge and rich government is scared of its progressive youth?! Hmm... strange doesn't it?!

The time has come...

2011-03-07T01:01:00.001+02:00

Dear Mr. President,

The time has come… Not to disrespect your people, not to punish them for their demands, not to humiliate, not to kill, not to arrest, not to crush but listen…

The time has come to embrace the youth that is passionate and determined to live in a country that represents democracy and freedom, where values of humanity are taught in schools and where no one is punished for speaking out…

Azerbaijan is rich- its history, its culture, its arts, its music, its people… Azerbaijan is also rich with bright minds, golden hands, and creative souls… This is the richness and the gold that should be cherished. Yes, Azerbaijan is also rich in oil and gas, but this treasure means nothing for these very bright minds, golden hands, and creative souls.

It doesn’t mean anything for a retired teacher- Huseyn, who can barely afford his medicine. It doesn’t mean anything, for a little girl- Melek, whose family is struggling with affording schoolbooks and other appliances. It doesn’t mean anything, for a medical student- Sevinc, who is crippled by her very own professors just for the sake of extra 50 or 100 dollars (or manats) if not more. It doesn’t mean anything, for a young boy- Sanan, living in a village in Lenkoran, who doesn’t know that girls too have a right to education, work and an independent life or that he cannot decide for the faith of his younger sister.

Look around yourself Mr. President. Look at how many lives you have ruined by not reaching out, refusing to listen and shutting up.

Forget about all those fake smiles, applauds, praises that greet you at places you go. They are not there because they adore you. They are there because they are told to be there. They are there because they were threatened to be there. You think, an 80-year-old woman, shaking your hand at an opening ceremony of yet another Olympic center, and praising all that you have done for her and her family is out of love? At best, its out of hope, that maybe, you will indeed help, that maybe, behind those elegant suites, stands a man, who truly cares for his people…

Dear Mr. President, you are capable of many things- with one phone call, a man or a woman can get arrested, with one stroke of an eye, someone can lose their life, with one gesture, someone could get lucky or not. Why can’t you treat your people well instead? Why do you keep your people in fear, anger and pain?

True, there is an army behind you- thousands if not more of people who have nothing more but an empty soul, brainwashed, re-programmed and ready to serve you- your personal army of thugs- men in plain cloths or animals who do not fear anything. It is true, that with just that one order, you could unleash them but why? You would not need them if you treated your countrymen well!

Isn’t it enough? The money and the greed have gotten everyone surrounding you rich and capable of doing anything they want. They own mansions, cars, bank accounts abroad; their wives only wear couture and their children live lives that would only be a dream for all those children living across the country in poor households. Where is justice in this? Why do some need to suffer while others only get to live better at the expense of those very pensioners, or teachers, or doctors, or students?

Dear Mr. President- you can arrest/torture/kill/belittle all of the Azerbaijani youth (of course, except those who are loyal to you and only) but greed will eventually end in destruction… All that we – the youth- want is what you speak of all too often in your televised addresses- equal and sustainable development, democracy, respect for human rights and freedom of expression- but not in just empty words and non- existent examples…

No longer can Azerbaijan hide behind the facades that are carefully built to hide lies, secrets, shady businesses, corruption, bribes, and much more… How many more people's lives you plan on ruining? Haven't you had enough?! You have made a tyrant out of yourself and the regime that is ruling this country. No point in dismissing international reports just because they propagate truth. Its not a secret anymore so no need to fool anyone with silly statements and baseless arguments...

"The 21st century is a lousy time to be a control freak"

2011-03-06T20:58:00.000+02:00

It is indeed! Especially after seeing what is going on in the Middle East and North Africa I could not not share this video. Some excellent insight!

Alex Ross Senior Advisor at the US Department of State speaks on social media, 21st century, new technology, network, Middle East, North Africa, Wael Ghonim and much more. Enjoy!