Baku, 20 February

An event was held to mark the opening of new building of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center on 20 February.

The event was attended by Mubariz Gurbanli, Chairman of the State Committee for Religious Associations, Kamal Abdullayev, Academician and Chair of the Board of Trustees of BIMC, heads and representatives of government agencies, as well as leaders of religious and ethnic communities.

First, the event participants got acquainted with the conditions created at the new building.

Later participants of the 10th International Winter School of Multiculturalism met with members of the Board of Trustees and staff members of BIMC.

Addressing the meeting, Kamal Abdullayev said consistent and purposeful steps are being taken to protect and promote the multicultural environment in Azerbaijan. Multiculturalism is one of the priority directions of public policy in our country.

“Although multiculturalism has gone through tumultuous years in Azerbaijan, the political foundation of multiculturalism was laid down during the rule of national leader Heydar Aliyev. Multicultural values, promoting the languages and literature of the nations living in Azerbaijan and their right to education in their native languages are well documented in official documents. The multicultural policy which was founded by the national leader is successfully being continued today by President Ilham Aliyev and Mehriban Aliyeva, First Vice President and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Today the Azerbaijani multiculturalism is taught at European universities. Those universities teach Azerbaijani literature, culture, Azerbaijani values, in other words, Azerbaijani realities,” he said.

It was also noted that Heydar Aliyev Foundation has implemented a number of important activities in the field of multiculturalism in various countries, including Italy.

Stating that important steps are being taken to establish close and friendly ties between Azerbaijani and foreign students, Kamal Abdullayev added that winter and summer schools, which are organized twice a year, aim to provide an opportunity to students, who have studied Azerbaijani multiculturalism in theory in foreign universities, to witness how the values of multiculturalism and tolerance are preserved in Azerbaijan.

Maharram Ahmadov, Deputy Head of the Humanitarian Policy, Diaspora, Multiculturalism and Religious Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, stressed that tolerance is one of the priority directions of the religious policy which was founded by national leader Heydar Aliyev and is being successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev. Maintaining, developing and promoting the traditions of tolerance that our people have formed over millennials are among the main goals of the government’s religious policy. The fact that winter school has become a tradition is also part of this policy.

Mubariz Gurbanli, Chairman of the State Committee for Religious Associations, said that multiculturalism is a public policy of Azerbaijan and the way of life of its people. Azerbaijan constantly preserves and develops its policy of multiculturalism and its tolerant position. Azerbaijan has a long history and great traditions of multicultural life. An atmosphere of deep friendship and cooperation has existed among representatives of different nations in our country since early times, he noted.

Later BIMC Adviser Aytan Gahramanova informed the event participants about the congratulations received on occasion of the 10th International Winter School of Multiculturalism.

BIMC Executive Director Ravan Hasanov said winter and summer school project contributes to strengthening a global peace. Every younster participating here will share their impressions about Azerbaijan back in their countries. As a result, the number of young people coming to Azerbaijan for a study and travel will increase, he added.

Later other members of the Board of Trustees talked about the importance of the winter school.

At the end, “Azerbaijani Motives”, a documentary by Ziya Shikhlinsky, was displayed.