Leyla Aliyeva: "We all must feel responsible for our planet"

On January 17, the exhibition "Flight to Baku. Contemporary Art of Azerbaijan" will open in London.

In anticipation of this event, the Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the founder of the IDEA (International Dialogue on Environmental Action) campaign, and the head of the Azerbaijani Youth Organization of Russia, Leyla Aliyeva, met with representatives of a number of national online resources. Several hours of conversation with representatives of the new media provided an opportunity for an interesting and candid interview. We present the full text of this interview:

• Hello, Leyla khanum. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss with you the results of the past year and talk about plans for the current year. So I will start with a question. At the beginning of 2012, we would like to know how you assess the results of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's work in 2011?

• First of all, I want to note that 2011 was an important year for us from a historical point of view. And not only because the past year will be remembered as the year of our victory at "Eurovision" and the election of Azerbaijan as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. In 2011, our country also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the restoration of state independence. This significant date allows us to look back, analyze the path we have traveled, and, of course, think about the future.

In this regard, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation held unforgettable events in the capitals of European countries. In London, Paris, Moscow, Berlin, Rome, and the Vatican, concerts, exhibitions, and presentations were organized, dedicated to the history and culture of ancient Azerbaijan, contemporary art, and the uniqueness of the Azerbaijani people. The projects implemented by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation for the broader recognition and representation of Azerbaijan in the world created conditions for the successful promotion of our national culture.

It should be noted that in recent years, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has accumulated rich experience in organizing music festivals. These festivals, with the participation of world-renowned musicians, become places where future stars of classical music and mugham are born. The International Music Festival in Gabala, the International Mugham Festival in Baku, the International Festival named after Mstislav Rostropovich, and a number of other events have become traditional meeting places for world stars with the younger generation and attract the most discerning music lovers from all over the world.

One of the important areas of the Foundation's activity is the field of education. This is precisely the area that will ensure the successful development of our country in the future by forming a new generation of managerial personnel. From the first year of its activity, our Foundation has been implementing the "New School for a Renewing Azerbaijan" program. As part of this program, successfully continued in 2011, we have built and capitalized on about 400 school buildings in various parts of Azerbaijan.

Last year, the Foundation, together with the "Icherisheher" Administration, organized the Second International Art Festival "Maiden Tower." The festival was attended by 25 famous artists from 20 countries around the world. This festival promotes one of Azerbaijan's oldest landmarks - the Maiden Tower, acquaints people with our history and culture, and provides an opportunity for young talents to express themselves.

As you can see, the number of projects of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation is only increasing. Accordingly, our experience and skill in implementing various projects in various fields is growing. Therefore, we intend to continue expanding the geography of our activities, promoting national culture and traditions, and Azerbaijan worldwide. This is our priority.

• Recently, you launched a new global environmental campaign for young people – IDEA. As part of this campaign, the first steps have already been taken - an agreement was signed with the UN Development Program, and an international camp for young environmentalists was held in Gabala. How do you assess the public's interest in these events? How did your idea resonate among young people?

• IDEA is an initiative that meets the challenges of modernity. Today everyone talks about ecology and environmental protection. Our initiative is not for fashion; it is a desire to do something real and tangible. I believe that modern youth should think about one question: in what world will we live tomorrow? What awaits us, and what could be the consequences of environmental problems? We must feel responsible for our planet and make a common contribution to preserving biodiversity, everything that makes our life not only healthy but also interesting and diverse.

With this in mind, we launched the global youth environmental campaign IDEA. I can say that the results of this campaign exceeded my expectations. In a short time, we were able to create a broader basis for further activities.

On October 21, 2011, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation signed an agreement with the UN Development Program to mobilize Azerbaijani youth to achieve the goals of the "Rio+20" summit. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first Earth Summit. This summit laid the foundations for the sustainable development and environmental security of the world. The signed document provides for cooperation with the UN for one year.

As part of this project, many events will be held to inform young people about the goals of the "Rio+20" summit. Until July, we will work in secondary and higher educational institutions, hold round tables with civil society. In a word, we will talk about all the issues that should concern us today for the sake of improving the environment.

I would like to note that the IDEA campaign has already been supported by a number of environmental organizations. Practically all major youth and student organizations participate in the events held in the IDEA line. This once again confirms our motto, "One planet - one future." In this regard, striving to make our planet even greener, we plan to plant about 300,000 trees in Azerbaijan before the summit in Rio de Janeiro, which will be held in June. IDEA has already started the implementation of this campaign. At present, our volunteers continue to plant about 20,000 trees along the Zykh highway.

We are also not lagging behind in the field of information and communication. In the modern world, it is impossible not to use the Internet. The campaign website, www.ideacampaign.org, is already operating. Hundreds of young environmentalists from different parts of the world contact us through this website, write letters of support, and put forward numerous initiatives. I must note that IDEA actively promotes various initiatives and projects on social networks. By the way, our team has started working on the project of creating a special shelter for homeless animals based on the received letters. This topical issue is sometimes covered in national media. Therefore, we decided to contribute to solving this issue.

In addition, IDEA in Azerbaijan has identified five endangered animal species called the "big Caucasian five." These are the bear, eagle, wolf, gazelle, and Caucasian leopard. We are focused on maximizing awareness of this problem among Azerbaijani and international communities and implementing specific projects to preserve endangered species.

For example, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, together with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, implemented a project to protect Azerbaijani gazelles and relocate them to natural habitats. Special sensor devices make it possible to track the movement of these beautiful animals, record cases of illegal hunting for gazelles, and take preventive measures to preserve them. I cannot help but mention another interesting process related to rare animals and their habitats in Azerbaijan.

Probably, many people know that the symbol of Baku – the Maiden Tower – is also a habitat for swifts. Like swallows, swifts are migratory birds and migrate to South Africa for the winter. In the summer, they return to Baku, and there are about 200 of their nests on the walls of the ancient Maiden Tower. When the conservation process of the Maiden Tower began, these nests were threatened. Therefore, nests for swifts were specially built near the historical monument as part of the activities of the Icheri Sheher Historical and Architectural Reserve and the IDEA public association. This has become a unique example of preserving animals and birds and protecting rare species and cultural monuments.

As I have already said, the IDEA project has received public support and is highly appreciated by many international organizations. We look to the future with confidence and know that each of us must make a contribution to preserving biological diversity on our planet.

Speaking about 2011, we must note that it was a successful year for Azerbaijan in international politics. What do you think 2012 will bring?

Azerbaijan's victory at Eurovision and the election of our country as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council were certainly not accidental events. These achievements testify to the rapidly growing authority of Azerbaijan in the international arena and in the region. It also proves that independent Azerbaijan is confidently following the path of sustainable development. Today, Azerbaijan has become a leading state in the region, the economic, cultural and political center of the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan occupies an important place in the international arena as a democratic, modern and tolerant state.

We should all be proud of this. However, along with pride, we should all feel responsibility. This is responsibility for the future of our country, responsibility for our planet. We should be proud of our history and culture, life in a country where new bridges are being built, where dreams that seemed unattainable are becoming reality. However, as I said, we all need to be confident that our country and planet are still in good hands, in the future.

I wish us all success and prosperity in 2012.

Leyla Khanim, thank you for the interesting interview. We sincerely wish you success in your activities!