IRELI Public Union

IRELI Public Union (aze. "İrəli" Ictimai Birliyi) – Non-governmental organization of the Republic of Azerbaijan operating in youth sector.

History

IRELI started operating as a youth movement on August 26, 2005. Jeyhun Osmanli was elected Chairman of the IRELI Public Union at the conference held on December 24, 2008, with the participation of 380 delegates in Azerbaijan State Philarmonic Hall. Following the conference, the first official meeting of the union was held on 16 April 2009, where members of the staff, the Secretariat's statute and the Secretary General were approved. The Public Union IRELI was registered officially on February 19, 2009 by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Rauf Mardiyev was elected as the new chairman of the organization on May 5, 2012 at the second reporting-election conference. Until that time, Rauf Mardiyev worked as Secretary General between 2010 and 2012. On June 27, 2014, IV Reporting and Election Conference of IRELI Public Union was held. In the election process, the members of the organization unanimously elected MirHasan Seyidov as the new chairman of the IRELI Public Union. At that time, Mirhasan Seyidov was working as the Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Youth Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan. As a result of open voting in the V Reporting and Election Commissions held on December 19, 2016, Mirhasan Seyidov was elected as the chairman of the board of directors for the second time.

Objectives

The main objective of the IRELI Public Union is to encourage the initiatives of all young people who can support the development of state youth policy and participate in the formation of civil society that is closely involved in youth policy and protects the interests of the country. Also, one of the main goals of the Public Union is to strengthen the mutual relations with state bodies working in this area, and to increase the existing cooperation and to contribute to Azerbaijan's youth policy.

Directions

To take a close part in the development of the state youth policy and to further develop the role of youth in dynamic development.
Formation of modern thinking in youth
Representation of youth in all spheres of social life and community building
Developing young people as a worthy citizen for our country
Preservation of Azerbaijani nation and statehood values
Protection of public and political interests of the country on international platforms
Promotion of cultural and historical heritage
Formation of competitive youth in international arena

Structure

Membership in IRELI Public Union is carried out individually and collectively. According to data from May 2015, more than 37,000 people are members of IRELI. Organization’s membership is based on application.

Leading positions of "IRELI" Public Union

The IRELI Public Union is the elective body and the supreme body is considered a conference. "IRELI" Public Union annually conducts Reporting Conference, in which it reports on its activities to the public. Every two years, the Reporting and Elections Conference is held. At the reporting-election conference, elections to the Union and the Central Control and Inspection Commission are held:

Chairman
Presidential consultant
Board of Directors
Central Control Inspection Commission
Secretariat

Members of the Board of Directors: Azer Amirov, Turgay Hasanaliyev, Nargiz Khalaf, Ulviyya Gahramanli, Elmar Mammadov, Kenan Aliyev

Central Control Inspection Commission: Eltun Ibrahimov, Hamid Gasimov, Agamir Agamirov, Lala Babayeva, Ulviyya Gahramanli

Chairman of IRELI Public Union: Mirhasan Seyidov.

Secretariat

Adviser to the Chairman
Chief Accountant
Press Manager and Public Affairs Officer
Projects and Events Manager
International Relations Secretariat
Human Resources Manager
Secretariat for Regions

Projects

"IRELI" Public Union has implemented 15 large-scale projects in the last two years of its activities in order to contribute to the State Youth Policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

My Youth Organization

"My Youth Organization" is a project implemented by IRELI Public Union together with the Youth Foundation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Goygol city in 2014. It is a project about forming and building of a youth organization and its structure. As part of the project, teams of secretariats needed to fully function and develop the youth organization. In general, the main goal of the project, covering the youth from 7 regions, was to support the development of the organizations, structures, mechanisms of operation, closer acquaintance with management, increase participation of the young people in this sphere. Objective of the project is to educate young people from seven towns and districts of Shamkir, Goygol, Balakan, Yevlakh, Tartar, Gabala and Sabirabad, where youth organizations are not functioning, to enhance the organization's structure, mechanism, management and increase their activity in society. Trainings on 7 secretarial formats were provided to young people on human resources, public relations, financial management, project management, management and international relations. As a result of the project, 4 out of 7 regions have applied to the relevant agencies in order to open and run their youth organizations.

Youth Development Academy

Youth Development Academy is a joint project of IRELI Public Union and the Youth Foundation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan which was held in Baku in 2014, Project coordinated the activities of the IRELI Public Union in the regions and universities, as well as the youth working in higher education institutions enhanced managerial skills, increased participation in the socio-political, socio-economic and cultural life of the society on the principles of patriotism, and statehood. Training sessions were held on topics such as project writing and management, public relations and PR, team building and the role of youth in government decision-making. Representatives from 10 regions and 13 universities were involved in the project.

Point of View

"Point of View” was a project launched by IRELI Public Union and the Youth Foundation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2014. The main goal of the project was to educate young people who can raise Azerbaijan's name in the world arena, to raise international competitiveness, and to spread, explain and propagate the philosophy of "I am proud of Azerbaijanis" in the world arena. Under the project, young people have been made able to apply the knowledge gained after being trained in five days. The trainings were mainly about "Azerbaijan's politics", "Team building", "State building", "Political analysis" and "Nagorno-Karabakh". The project was held at the Youth Center of the city of Guba, which was selected by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan as a "youth capital" in that year.

Green Office Certification System

The project supported the public in Azerbaijan not to remain indifferent to environmental problems. Green Office standards have been set up primarily for the Green Standard, which, is based on global experience, have created suitable conditions for minimizing environmental damage during any office activity. Also, the Green Standard Certification System has increased the potential for environmental monitoring and evaluation in both "IRELI" Public Union and Azerbaijan. Firstly, international experts with international experience have been invited and established a Green Standard adapted to new Azerbaijan by establishing partnerships with local experts. After the announcement, applications were received from the organizations seeking to participate in the project. The selected bodies were initially acquainted with the "Green Standard" module and then passed the audit and participated in the certification system. In parallel, the Green Standard Training module was created and prepared a group of 20 people - "multipliers" selected during the training. Multipliers were the people to access, utilize and evaluate environmental issues in different organizations and to inform them about the Green Standard. The trainings continued in 2015-2016.

National view from abroad

"National View from Abroad" forum was organized jointly by IRELI Public Union and Center for Human Capital Development (İNDEX). in Istanbul in 2016. Representatives of 20 youth organizations from 19 countries took part in the Forum, which was supported by the Youth Foundation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The main goal of the project was to bring together active Azerbaijani youth organizations living and organized outside of Azerbaijan and to further enhance the efficiency of Azerbaijan’s work in the international arena. At the end of the event, the participants of the Forum including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Poland, Spain, Hungary, Norway, Turkey, Czech Republic, Italy, Romania, Lithuania, Northern Cyprus, representatives of Azerbaijani youth organizations operating in the two countries have issued a joint statement. The statement says: "We are proud of representing our country abroad as the world Azerbaijanis, and we always realize its responsibility. The phrase "I am proud of Azerbaijanis" by national leader Heydar Aliyev has now become the lifeline of each of us. Our goal is to convey accurate information about our country, the path of development of Azerbaijan in the short run, the national values inherent to our nation, the [...] and occupation policy of Armenia against our people, as well as the world, to achieve justice. "

Regional Youth Cooperation Forum

“Regional Youth Cooperation Forum" project was launched in Ganja in June 2016 with the support of the IRELI Public Union and the Youth Foundation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The main goal of the project was to encourage joint activities for young people, where "Youth Houses" and "Youth Centerr" were operating under the State Program "Azerbaijani Youth in 2011-2015" and "Ganja-2016 European Youth Capital ". During the project, representatives of Regional Development Public Union gave detailed information on the activities of the organization. The young people were interviewed and the questions of the participants were answered by the staff. By expressing their ideas and wishes, the young people got some advice and knowledge to implement these ideas.

SAY (Support of Azerbaijani Youth)

Volunteers play a major role in organizing projects in Azerbaijan. Taking into consideration the forthcoming international events (Baku 2015 European Games, Ganja-European Youth Capital, 42nd International Chess Olympiad, 4th Islamic Solidarity Games, etc.), IRELI Public Union launched a program in 2014, called Support of Azerbaijan Youth (SAY). Within two years SAY program has implemented four major projects and is still in the process. As a result of four projects, more than 400 young people have become the members of the SAY family.

SAY:Volunteering Academy

"Support of Azerbaijan Youth: Volunteering Academy" project was held in Guba, the Youth Capital, in 15-20 December, 2014 with the support of the IRELI Public Union and with the support of Ministry of Youth and Sport of Azerbaijan. The purpose of the camp was to inform the youth about forthcoming European Games, to stimulate the active involvement of young people in international and local events, and to enhance the professionalism of volunteers, their training and specialization through the promotion of voluntary activities in Azerbaijan. In total, 100 young people participated in the project. The project consisted of two parts: the transmission of "Theoretical knowledge" and the "Application of Knowledge".

SAY:Green

The camp was organized within the framework of the second SAY movement supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan and organized by IRELI Public Union. During the camp, 100 young people have stayed in tents set up in the outdoors, participating in environmental awareness raising activities, developing their knowledge and skills and organizing competitions in mountainous and diverse extreme sports. During the camp, special trainings, field training, mountain training, shooting, cycling, ecological education and training programs were organized. The objective of the project was to eliminate the potential pollution of nature by humans during the camp as well as to educate young people about social responsibility and to instill them a healthy lifestyle in order to avoid future environmental problems. The project was held in 4-9 August, 2016 in Hajikand settlement of Ganja city.

SAY:Multiculturalism

In the camp organized under the third activity of the SAY Movement, supported by the Council of State Support to NGOs under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the "IRELI" Public Union, 100 young people remained in the open tent camps, participating in public hearings and trainings on propagation of a number of multicultural values. The main objectives of the project were to promote democratic culture in the context of the 2016 Multiculturalism Yearbook in Azerbaijan, the promotion of civic society in the right direction, the development of democratic environment through the formation of principles of humanism, tolerance in youth, acceleration of integration into the world culture and the recognition of our national-moral values in the background of integration, to prevent the historical achievement and the removal of our monuments by the disbelievers. The camp took place on July 25-30, 2016 in the Ismayilli region.

SAY:Volunteering Festival

SAY: Volunteering Festival (Volunteering Festival) project was organized by Ireli Public Union and supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan on September 28 - October 2, 2016 in Oghuz region. More than 100 young people participated in the camp within the framework of the SAY movement as a continuation of activities in the field of volunteering in Azerbaijan. The goal of the project was to further enhance the knowledge and skills of young people with volunteerism and to support the volunteer group of IV Islamic Solidarity Games. In accordance with the program, special training on team building, self-presentation skills, organization of events and other topics were held for young people participating in the project. Also during the festival, the young people took part in various entertaining programs.

“Gənc Əkinçi”

“Gənc Əkinçi” project was implemented in Ismayilli on March 12-15 with the support of the Youth Foundation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The main objective of the project was to formulate professional journalism in Azerbaijan, to develop existing contacts between existing mass media and to create new contacts. During the project, the reporters held a series of workshops by the speakers and discussed the role of media representatives in promoting Azerbaijan in the international arena and bringing the truth to the world. Young journalists who participated in the project published their articles in the local press as well as in the foreign press. Another important objective of the project was to ensure the access of journalists to foreign media. IRELI Public Union signed cooperation agreements with several foreign media outlets in this area. Within the framework of project sustainability, the "Gənc Əkinçi" Newspaper was published in 3 editions at the first stage.

Intellectual Champion of Azerbaijan

"Intellectual Champion of Azerbaijan" is a project that promotes the development of intellectual potential of youth in Azerbaijan. The project was held in November-December 2016. In total, 75 regions and 1336 young people participated in the project. Each region has a team of 17 people. The project evaluated the knowledge and skills of the young people and contributed to their intellectual activity. The project had been implemented in 2 directions. The first direction was the selection of winners among economic regions, and the second stage was the final game. At the initial stage of the project, selection stages of intellectual games were organized in 10 economic regions. Within the framework of the qualifying stages, four intellectual games were held in each economic region, and each of the districts located in the economic region had the right to generate teams for 4 games. The teams of selected and successful young people have the right to represent the economic region, in which they live, at the final stage. The final stage is the stage that reflects the final games. At this stage, competitions were held among young people who succeeded in each of the economic regions at the qualifying stage. These young people took part in intellectual games on topics such as national culture, heritage, history, rhetoric and other knowledge. Intellectual games within the project were following: 1. Khamsa 2. What? Where? When? 3. Search and Find 4. Discover the homeland

Location: Baku, Sumgayit, Guba, Sheki, Ismayilli, Sabirabad, Lankaran, Tartar, Mingachevir and Shamkir (districts)

DO!: To games with friends

With the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, DO! Campaign was held in May, 2015. The purpose of the campaign was to support the promotion of existing sports infrastructure in children's homes, return the love and spirit of neighborhood sports, and support the first European games hosted by Azerbaijan. Stands were installed in 6 different locations and 20,000 bracelets were sold. With the gained profit project team renovated public sport facilities in the city’s residential areas. 144 young people volunteered to support the campaign. As a result of the campaign, sport equipment was repaired in 29 neighborhoods and different children's homes.

International

One of the main priorities of "IRELI" Public Union, is to ensure decent protection of Azerbaijan's position and interests in the international arena, strengthening ties with foreigners and international organizations. For this reason, members of "IRELI" have participated in various events and projects in foreign countries and have represented Azerbaijan and created conditions for international cooperation opportunities. Over the past two years 110 young people have benefited from this opportunity in 26 international projects.

International Partners

Russian Youth Union (Russia)
Giovannie nel Mondo (Italy)
The Ukrainian Youth Assembly (Ukraine)
LOYAC (Kuwait)
European Voluntary Service accreditation
- EVS (July 21, 2015 "IRELI" Public Union has been accredited by the European Commission's European Voluntary Service (EVS) on both types of programs. Accreditation is based on the issues of representation of Azerbaijani youth abroad, stimulation of voluntary activities, job placement in job placement and other issues)

IRELI Radio (Iradio)

IRELI Radio started its activity for the first time on October 10, 2010. On February 2, 2015, IRELI Public Union conducted a presentation of the youth radio "Iradio" and opened the www.iradio.az website of the radio on the occasion of Youth Day. The main aim of "IRELI" radio is to always be with young people, to study modern problems of young people, to work on their education and solve problems, and to use them effectively. The young that were selected to work at Iradio, have been trained by specialists in internship programs. It is a functional online radio that meets the modern requirements, preparing younger audiences, engaging hundreds of young people. The broadcast time of "Iradio" is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Website : Iradio

Membership

In 2014, IRELI Public Union started to use online registration system. Statistical calculations show that every 351 minutes a person is added to the ranks of "IRELI" youth. The organization's Human Resources Secretariat holds weekly meetings with new members, and all information about the association's activities is regularly delivered to young people. To join the organization it is possible to approach the office or register online within the first 5 days of the week.