Social Event 1

Drafter: Sanubar Nazarova
1. Type of event: AC Azerbaijan Business Meeting 
Date, Location and Length: 18 March 2010, Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, at 18.00-18.30 
The purpose of the business meeting was to assess the general status of affairs in AC AZ and to discuss the forthcoming evaluation of CABIR project. Furthermore, major focus of the meeting was to inform the AC members about the forthcoming Regional CABIR Alumni meeting in Tbilisi, possible contribution on the agenda, to evaluate need assessment and found out alternative proposals based on the lessons learned.
Total number of participants: 7 (4 Alumni Council members, 1 CABIR 17 participant, Dr. Warner and Ms. Celine)  
2.   Type of event: Dr. Warner’s lecture: “Modern Diplomacy: More Variety, Less Freedom” 
Date, Location and Length: 18 March 2009, Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, (18.30-19.30) 
Topics elaborated: Dr. Daniel Warner of Director of the Centre for International Governance Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies Geneva, Switzerland spoke at the evolution of the role of diplomats nowadays. Issues included: how a diplomat addresses state relations, is tasked with promotion of economic interests, the evolution of technology influencing the work of a diplomat, management of embassies, among others. Dr. Warner also shared his view on today’s challenges facing diplomats in tickling global threats like the global warming, security and environmental misbalance. He classified the role and internationally recognized authority above state institutions like UN, EU and OSCE and states itself in world arena.
ADA students raised some issues regarding to the current activities of translational organizations, diplomatic corps and their role of contributing to ensure peace in the frame of multi-polar system.
The lecture followed by a reception.
Total number of participants: 55 (4 Alumni Council, 1 CABIR Alumni, 24 ADA,  5 Baku State University, 6 Presidential Academy, 2 Caucasus University, 1 Western University, 1 Khazar University, 2 Baku Slavic University, 2 State University of Languages,  2 MFA, 1 State Committee for Security, 1 AFSP, 1 Ministry of Industry and Energy, 2 Geneva Graduate University)

Social Event 2

Drafter: Sanubar Nazarova
Type of event: Visually Impaired and Blind Children Access to Talking Library
Date, Location and Length: 01 June 2010, Society of Visually Impaired and Blind Children, at 14.00-15.30
On 1st of June- World Children Day was celebrated by Alumni Council Azerbaijan together with the Society of the Visually Impaired People in Baku. The second social event was dedicated to the children, awareness and protection of their social, economic and cultural rights.
It is estimated that in Azerbaijan 42.000 people are blind or visually impaired; of those more than 9500 are children. After the collapse of the former Soviet Union negative changes were registered in the life of blind people. The special jobs accordedto them were eliminated; and buildings and establishments allocated to them privatized. No one employed a blind person. During the transition period these people ought to overcome a lot of barriers in order to integrate into society, became its member with equal rights, have access to education and health service. They managed to unite under one society and started to publicize their conditions, their opportunities and challenges. Thanks to the strong and regular lobbying the Society of the Visually Impaired and Blind People could establish relationship with the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan and afford to print the books on Braille alphabet and mirroring modern standards.
AC Azerbaijan Social Event’s main aim was to contribute, to improve access to education and information of visually impaired and blind children. This was achieved by producing and distributing to them “Talking Fairy-tales CDs’’. There is only one boarding school in Baku which welcomes nearly 350 visually impaired and blind children.
The event was held at the Society’s hall. Representatives of children and youth organizations, NGOs forum, INGOs (Save the Children, Oxfam GB) and parliamentarians joined the event.
Samiyar Adbullayev, the head of the Society opened the ceremony presenting the history of the society and its activity and stressing the ongoing efforts to integrate visually impaired and blind children into society. Samiyar Abdullayev appreciated the AC AZ work and its interest to support those children’s access to literature. “I have been working with a number of potential donors. Today the Alumni Council Azerbaijan made a step forward to be one of the supporters of those children’s rights. The financial aid is important to realize our plans but the intention is crucial to start such charity work.’’-said Samiyar Abdullayev.
Also, Mrs. Guler Ahmadova , the parliamentarian of the Committee for the International Relations & Inter-Parliamentary Issues  as well as the head of the Republic Child Fond welcomed the SDS sponsorship and CABIR Alumni Council’s efforts to produce audio materials for blind children. “It is the most valuable present for children to spend their summer holiday listening to both national and foreign stories.  It is very amazing that not only big and rich firms and companies deal with these children but also Alumni networks’’.
In the second part of ceremony the blind children made some musical presentations such as playing piano and national instruments, and singing folk music. At the end of ceremony 70 visually impaired and blind children were given CDs and the rest 130psc are sent to the Boarding school for distribution.
Public TV (ITV) and local news agencies were invited to the ceremony they filmed and took interviews from parliamentarians, blind children and Alumni Council’s Social Event Manager.      
Total number of participants: 110 (2 CABIR 18 Alumni, 4 Parliamentarians, 11 NGOs, 2 INGOs, 20 Society of Visually Impaired and Blind Children, 8 media representatives)