Eurasia Foundation Approves Over $142,027 in Grants for Azerbaijan
Baku, Azerbaijan - The Eurasia Foundation's Baku Advisory Board has recommended
$142,027 for four new grants to organizations in Azerbaijan to promote development
of private enterprise and civil society.
Private Sector Development
NGO "Agro Meslehet" $42,102.
To support the development of green rural tourism as a viable small business
in the regions. The grant recipient will publish an atlas of six southern regions
(Lenkoran, Jalilabad, Masalli, Yardimli, Astara, Lerik) that are promising for
rural tourism, create a rural tourism database and develop promotional tools
including CDs, brochures, and a website. In addition to these promotional activities,
the grant recipient will conduct a series of trainings for entrepreneurs and
local government officials in the targeted regions. The project will increase
farmers' knowledge of rural green tourism and improve the skills these entrepreneurs
require to more fully develop the sector.
Azerbaijan Project Management Association $44,567.
To introduce international project management standards to businesses and non-governmental
organizations in Ganja, Sheki, Guba and Lenkoran. The grant recipient will provide
training in two areas, basic project management and project management for enterprise
development, for 200 business people, public sector officials, and NGO activists
in four regions of the country. Successful trainees will receive the first level
of certification from the Zurich-based International Project Management Association.
The training seminars seek to create a pool of qualified project managers so
that local businesses can plan and execute projects more effectively.
Civil Society Development
Internews Azerbaijan $27,634.
To support regular program exchange between nine regional TV stations (one per
region in Sumgayit, Zakatala, Mingecgevir, Tovuz, Lenkoran, and two per region
in Ganja and Guba), that will improve cooperation between the stations and increase
their awareness of each others' activities. The project will initially provide
training for the regional TV stations on the latest production techniques. Following
the training, the regional TV stations will produce their own programs and share
them. As a result, viewers throughout Azerbaijan will learn about regional social,
political and cultural attitudes and differences and gain a much better understanding
of Azerbaijan's diversity.
Society of Women's Rights Defense named after D. Aliyeva $27,724.
To increase the participation of women and youth of the Nakhchivan Autonomous
Republic in the 2003 Presidential and 2004 municipal elections. The project
will organize a survey before and after the elections to reveal voter attitudes
on the election process. Training sessions and round tables on the voting process
in Azerbaijan will be conducted for more than 200 women, who will then lead
voter education seminars in their communities. Successful implementation of
the project will help educate more Nakhchivani citizens on democratic principles
and the voting process, improving the potential for free and fair elections.
About the Eurasia Foundation
Privately managed with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development
and other sponsors, we have made more than 6,500 grants totaling approximately
$130 million to support democratic and economic reform in 12 countries of the
former Soviet Union since 1993. In Azerbaijan, we have awarded more than $4
million in grants to advance local initiatives in civil society, private enterprise,
and public administration and policy. Please visit www.eurasia.org
and www.efazerbaijan.org
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