Azerbaijan

Alliance of Women for Civil Society

$59,746
To conduct mock trials and mock public hearings. The Alliance intends to organize four mock public hearings and six mock trials that will explore current political controversies through structured discussion and debate. The Alliance will produce radio debates based on these events and will publish a book containing transcripts and documentation. The Alliance will work with a Georgian NGO to organize two public hearings in Tbilisi.

Azerbaijan Lawyers Association

$32,898
To defend the rights of the citizens of Azerbaijan, particularly rights concerning political participation. The Association will provide legal assistance to politically active citizens, produce two monitoring reports focusing on freedom of assembly, and conduct six training seminars on electoral law. The Association will work with NGOs, political parties, media, and others who are interested in asserting their rights concerning political participation.

Center for Economic and Political Research "FAR Center"

$59,306
To develop the analytical skills and political and civic consciousness of Azeri youth and to help them to formulate their advocacy and policy agenda. The FAR Center will manage a youth resource center, hold civic education seminars for groups of young people, and conduct a national opinion poll about political attitudes among the youth.

Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)

$176,145
To help Azerbaijan’s business community come together and advocate effectively for change at the national level, refocusing the government’s attention on essential reforms. Bringing different business community activists together, the project will identify priorities, develop a National Business Agenda (NBA) for Azerbaijan, and present the NBA to stakeholders and policymakers – thus improving civil society’s relationship with the government.

Center for National and International Studies

$47,849
To conduct eight conferences pertaining to the liberal tradition in the history of Azerbaijan in the regions of the country. The program will seek to counter the impact of government propaganda by demonstrating that liberal reform has historical precedents in Azerbaijan and thereby bolster public confidence in Azerbaijan’s democratic potential. The proceedings of the conferences will be published as a book at the end of the program.

Election Monitoring Center

$58,825
To promote transparency and accountability of parliamentarians prior to the 2010 elections. The Center will conduct monitoring of the parliament; organize 25 town hall meetings and 4 national civic forums to stimulate a discussion about issues of importance to the electorate. The organization will conduct a public opinion survey, publish a report about the priorities of Azerbaijani citizens, and produce brochures and posters to educate citizens about the parliament.

Ganjabasar

$24,915
To publish a weekly newspaper in the western region of Azerbaijan. The publication will review current events and the political situation in the region, focusing in particular on threats to press freedom and other civil society-related issues. In 2008 the newspaper will focus on the October presidential elections and will provide information about candidates, their platforms, and obstacles to free elections in Azerbaijan.

Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety

$74,938
To conduct monitoring and advocacy on issues of press freedom in Azerbaijan. The Institute will publish a daily press release and circulate appeals as needed and will conduct media and court room monitoring and hold biweekly meetings. The Institute will continue investigating unsolved attacks against journalists and will post materials from these investigations on its web page. Finally, the organization will train university students through its internship program.

Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety (IRFS)

$60,998
To conduct monitoring and advocacy on issues of press freedom in Azerbaijan. IRFS will publish a weekly monitoring report, circulate alerts and appeals as needed, conduct media and court room monitoring and hold biweekly meetings and seminars. It will conduct independent investigations into unsolved attacks against journalists and will post the materials of these investigations on its web page.

Internews Azerbaijan Public Association

$68,775
To maintain and expand its Azerbaijan Media Forum website. The Media Forum will publish relevant legislation, monitoring of abuses against the media, analytical articles, and original reporting. The site will host bimonthly on-line forums with parliamentarians, prominent journalists, political party representatives, and civil society leaders. Over the course of the next year, Internews will provide extensive coverage of events pertaining to Azerbaijanis in Iran, the local elections, and human rights.

Janub Khabarlari

$37,993
To publish and distribute its newspaper throughout the southern region of Azerbaijan. During 2008 the newspaper expects to pay particular attention to the municipal elections and the organization of campaigns and voting in the southern region. In addition to its publishing activities, Janub Khabarlari will support fledgling NGOs in the region with a resource center, regular roundtables, and legal consultations.

Law and Development Public Association

$34,605
To enable effective communication between parliamentarians and their constituents in five regions of Azerbaijan. In each region, the Association will hold training workshops and study tours for activists, and will organize constituency forums for parliamentarians to meet local citizens. In addition, the Association will maintain a web page and publish a manual for working with elected officials.

"Legal Help" Public Association

$26,687
To build legal literacy and defend citizens’ rights by providing legal consultations and representation for citizens in Lenkoran. The Association will offer legal services in police brutality, human rights abuses, labor rights, and NGO registration. The organization will conduct eight seminars about the role of NGOs in defending citizens’ rights, as well as publish a monthly bulletin and a book about the methodology of human rights work.

Media Rights Institute

$39,800
To improve the observance of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Law in Azerbaijan. The Institute will work with a network of FOI activists to generate 500 information requests and monitor how government agencies respond. When warranted the Institute will pursue court cases to obtain greater compliance with the FOI legislation. The Institute will produce two monitoring reports, contribute articles for publication in the press and maintain a website.

Society of Women of Azerbaijan for Peace and Democracy in the Caucasus

$28,512
To support its think tank, the Center for Public Policy, which will focus on five topics, including judicial reform, freedom of the press, and political prisoners. Center staff will research each topic and hold a series of discussions with experts to determine advocacy efforts. An expert group will prepare articles and television spots and will hold a conference on each topic.

Social Union of Sumgait Youth

$63,207
To operate its NGO Resource Center in Sumgait, publish the Yukselish Namine newspaper, and maintain a website. Yukselish Namine reviews current events in the country, focusing in particular on threats to press freedom and other concerns for civil society. In 2008, the newspaper will focus on the presidential elections and will carry information about candidates, their platforms, as well as obstacles to free elections in Azerbaijan.

Turan News Agency

$52,706
To maintain Contact, a web-based daily newspaper. The newspaper will offer a portion of the materials produced by the Turan news service available on the Internet for free. The articles will appear in three languages, English, Russian, and Azerbaijani, and will be continuously updated throughout the day.

"Uluchay" Charity Society

$36,207
To encourage the participation of young people in public life in Sheki. The Society will organize biweekly events including a speaker series and documentary film screenings, conduct civics training for village teachers, and train young journalists to write for a blog and a newspaper. The resource center will also provide access to books, computers, and other office support.

Women's Media Watch Azerbaijan

$29,383
To hold regular discussions about human rights, democracy, and empowering women as media professionals and citizens. The organization will hold roundtable discussions, publish newspaper inserts, circulate an electronic press release, expand its web site, and produce a talk show for a national television station, ANS. The discussions will focus on advancing women’s participation in public life and gaining greater public awareness of the problems and obstacles facing women.

Young Leaders Education-Training and Development Union

$30,503
To run the Ganja Media Center which will maintain a news website, www.ganca.az, and host events for journalists. The Ganja Media Center will provide office services, computers, and conference space to local journalists. The site will expand its coverage of news in the region, particularly in the context of the presidential election in 2008.