Here we FACE

Forum of Azerbaijani Citizens in Europe (FACE) will hold its first Forum in Strasbourg, France on 27-28 May 2010.

The Azerbaijanis sharing the citizenship values will gather in lovely Strasbourg to network, to communicate and share their visions and views with each other during the 2-day event. Welcoming together a large group of active Azerbaijani citizens across Europe along with well-balanced panel members consisting of prominent policy-makers and opinion-formers both from Azerbaijan and Europe, here we’ll FACE today’s realities and concerns while discussing the values of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (founded on May 28, 1918), which was the first modern parliamentary republic in the Muslim world, acquiring the modern citizenship values almost a century ago.

Using the patterns from our proud history, here we’ll FACE the issues like our youth’s participation in our society as active citizens of a democracy, being informed and responsible and aware of their duties and rights, the ways of promoting their social, moral and cultural development, enabling them to become more self-confident and responsible in and beyond the classrooms and offices, encouraging them to become helpfully involved in the life of their universities, workplaces, communities and the wider world as well as discussing with the youth how to make themselves effective in the life of our country locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

The forum plenary meetings are expected to be attended by the Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg, Director General of Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport and Coordinator for Intercultural Dialogue of the Council of Europe Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Head of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe Arif Mammadov, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan in France Elchin Amirbayov and other related CoE and Azerbaijani officials and opinion-formers.

The brief outline of the Forum will be as follows:

26 May 2010 Arrivals

27 May 2010 Plenary Meetings at the Council of Europe
IndepenDance Party

28 May 2010 Group Discussions
Visits/meetings at the CoE structures and youth organisations
Attending ADR events to be organised by the Permanent Representation of the
Republic of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe.

The more detailed forum programme and concept will be provided soon.

FACE will not cover any expenses in relation to the participation in the Forum, where we will be happy to provide any organisational support and practical advices on these issues. Working languages of the forum will be English, French and Azerbaijani. Translation will be provided.

The participants will be selected based on the criteria of being well-reasoned and well-motivated to participate in the Forum. To apply for participation in the Forum, please email your CV (among others, specifically indicating the city/country from which you will attend the Forum) to natiq.bayramov@yahoo.com

The deadline for the applications is 30 April 2010.