On November 25, an event took place at the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University (ASOIU) as part of the program "BÜTÖV – Qərbi Azərbaycana Qayıdış Prosesində Gənclərin Rolunun Artırılması," organized by the "IRELI" Public Union with the support of the Agency for State Support to NGOs and in partnership with the Western Azerbaijan Community.
The event commenced with the rendition of the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan and a moment of silence in memory of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev and the cherished memory of our heroic sons who sacrificed their lives for the freedom and sovereignty of our motherland.
During the opening of the event, Ilgar Akhundov, the Secretary-General of the "IRELI" Public Union, provided information to the students about the activities planned within the program's framework. It was emphasized that from November 10 to 12, an initiative camp was organized in the city of Guba to strengthen the activities of initiative groups within the program. The initiative groups that participated in the camp will work towards implementing various ideas related to the return to Western Azerbaijan in the next stages of the program. Their focus will be on imparting the history, culture, and geography of Western Azerbaijan to the youth, aiming to present the truths about Azerbaijan accurately and comprehensively to the international community. Additionally, within the program, initiative groups plan to create video clips embodying the historical facts of Western Azerbaijan.
Following this, Shahin Rahmanli, the Chairman of the "IRELI" Public Union, and Ulviyya Zulfikar, the spokesperson for the Western Azerbaijan Community, delivered speeches. It was noted that our compatriots, who have lived in the historical territory of present-day Armenia for centuries, have been victims of ethnic cleansing policies. The speakers drew attention to the fact that the eradication of the cultural heritage of Western Azerbaijanis in recent centuries was implemented as a state policy of Armenia. The speakers expressed confidence that Western Azerbaijanis would return to their historical lands soon, highlighting the importance of the "Return" concept in this direction and encouraging youth to actively participate in the ongoing processes.
It should be noted that the main purpose of the program "BÜTÖV – Qərbi Azərbaycana Qayıdış Prosesində Gənclərin Rolunun Artırılması" is to disseminate the history of Western Azerbaijan, the realities of Azerbaijan, increase the participation of young people at the local and international levels, create an abundance of multimedia and electronic resources related to Western Azerbaijan, and enhance awareness among the youth about our historical lands.
