Strengthening Civic Engagement and Community Participation
$100,000
Public Summary: To support Azerbaijani civil society organizations’ (CSOs) and activists’ engagement with citizens and strengthen their local, regional, and international networks, the Institute will carry out a series of training workshops and ongoing consultations as well as peer-to-peer exchanges and community building activities. CSOs and activists will be trained on topics such as community organizing and advocacy; citizen-driven issue identification and research; strategic communications and outreach; engagement with citizens and peers; and coalition-building. CSOs and activists will be supported in pursuing community initiatives.
Policy Analysis and Public Debate
Engaging Young Scholars in Democracy Research
$90,000
Public Summary: To promote informed policy discussion and support a network of independent scholars in Azerbaijan and to improve understanding of current events in Azerbaijan. The organization will produce and publish a series of analytical articles and research pieces on topical issues, including religion, economics, nationalism, militarism, and prospects for liberal democracy in Azerbaijan. Additionally, the organization will facilitate opportunities for research collaboration between young Azerbaijani scholars and academics at Western universities.
Human Rights
Promoting Accountability for Rights Abuses and Corruption in Azerbaijan
$75,375
Public Summary: To promote government accountability for the abuse of property rights and corruption in Azerbaijan. Information on rights violations will be collected, and legal assistance will be provided to victims of abuses. The project will raise awareness of both relevant national laws, and of property rights violations committed by the state. It will also highlight how systemic corruption among state officials exacerbates and directly results in violations of property rights.
Government Processes
Increasing Lawyers’ Capacity
$26,345
Public Summary: To improve the quality of human rights litigation in Azerbaijan. Trainings with lawyers will be conducted in Azerbaijani. The organization will update and maintain a website in Azerbaijani that will serve as a resource for lawyers and citizens. It will monitor court cases and create video content to raise awareness of the rulings.
Human Rights
Human Rights in Azerbaijani Regions
$49,675
Public Summary: To raise awareness of human rights violations in Azerbaijan. Monitoring will be conducted and legal advice given in five regions of the country. In addition, a series of events on human rights will be held in Baku, where participants will discuss the results of monitoring efforts as well as human rights issues and governmental transparency in the country.
Accountability and Transparency
Documenting Corruption
$31,550
Public Summary: To document instances of corruption in Azerbaijan. Research will be conducted to identify sources of corruption and misuse of public funds Interviews will be conducted. Media products including articles and videos will be created. Discussions will be held Awareness of the prevalence of corruption will be increased through concentrated domestic and international outreach
Freedom of Expression
Independent News Website
$96,900
Public Summary: To support freedom of information in Azerbaijan. Regular news updates from throughout the country will be published, including reporting on political, economic, and social topics online, as well as featured articles from expert contributors on key issues. The readership will also be engaged on social media platforms with livestreamed content and multimedia materials
Human Rights
Human Rights Monitoring
$62,000
Public Summary: To raise awareness about political prisoners and human rights abuses in Azerbaijan. A website will be created to disseminate regularly-updated news and information on these issues, including updated information about ongoing cases and new cases as they appear. Regular reports will be researched and will be shared with decisionmakers, particularly in European institutions and governments.
Civic Engagement
Addressing Local Problems
$45,667
Public Summary: To increase citizen engagement on the local level in Azerbaijan. Information will be collected about common problems in regional cities, including lack of awareness of government obligations, corruption and problems of marginalized communities. A website will be maintained with news and information about local government, including journalistic reports on local problems and expert interviews.
Accountability and Transparency
Documenting Corrupt Tenders
$45,500
Public Summary: To document instances of corruption in Azerbaijan. Research will be conducted to identify sources of corruption and misuse of public funds Media products including articles, photo stories and videos will be created and distributed online. A final report will be created examining overall trends in misuse of public funds, and violations of the right to public information
Accountability and Transparency
Documenting Elite Corruption
$68,650
Public Summary: To increase the availability of information on kleptocracy in Azerbaijan Investigations will be conducted to reveal cases of public officials using their position for personal gain. The findings will be shared with a wide audience online in an engaging format. The failure of the government to operate in a transparent and accountable manner will be highlighted
Freedom of Expression
News Aggregator
$34,028
Public Summary: To make news and analysis of current events in Azerbaijan available in a systematic, searchable fashion. Regular updates summarizing and analyzing the main news themes in Azerbaijan, particularly from social media will be published Quarterly analytical articles and a year-end digest will also be published and distributed
Human Rights
Legal Aid in Azerbaijan
$28,117
Public Summary: To increase awareness of citizens’ rights and promote local government accountability. The organization will open an office in the regions of Azerbaijan and provide legal services to local residents in need. The organization will make video documentation of local issues and post them to its website and social media pages
Civic Engagement
Building Capacity for Local Engagement
$60,070
Public Summary: To promote civic participation in Azerbaijan. Meetings will be held in eight regions Representatives of local groups will attend capacity-building trainings and will implement small projects that address local issues. A report will be written and distributed, and a conference will be held. Awareness-raising videos will be made and posted online and to social media
Freedom of Information
Support for Independent Media in Azerbaijan
$156,358
Public Summary: To support freedom of information in Azerbaijan. News articles, analysis, and commentary will be created by a network of journalists for sharing on the organization’s website and on social media. The pieces will focus on stories not covered by government-controlled media, including economic issues, corruption, human rights violations, and social problems.
