Heydar Aliyev Foundation

Heydar Aliyev died in 2003, and the foundation was created in 2004. It has created by Ilham Aliyev

Heydar Aliyev Foundation is a non-governmental and non-commercial organization.

The foundation's structure combines methods of collective and unified management.

The executive body of the Foundation is the President. The President of the Foundation is his authorized legal representative. President, generally approves the programs and their implementation as well as identifies content of stuff, purposeful priorities of foundation activity and structure of foundation.[2]

Executive Director job has been approved for leading the Foundation's work which operates within the framework of powers belonging to its duties by the President. The Executive Director carries out current supervision of the Foundation's programs and events. He is also the authorized representative of the Foundation within the framework of its competence.[2]

The Expert Council operates under the Foundation, so that it ensures the great efficiency and effectiveness of the decisions. The Expert Council consists of various qualified experts. The task of the experts is to prepare relevant opinions and reports to present them to the President. The Council is an advisory body.[2]

The following structures have been established in the structure of the Foundation for the implementation of specific functions and tasks:

In June 2004, the competition on “The logo of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation” was held. About 2,500 logos have been presented in the competition. The logo of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation was accepted by combining the different part of the selected 2 logos. Aliyev Faig Becan oghlu and "Deadline" Company have been declared as winners at the end of 2004.

The logo of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation consists of an eight-pointed star created with "H.A." initial letters of Heydar Aliyev in it. An eight-pointed star comes from the Sumerian. İts philosophical meaning in Zoroastrianism is sky, earth, water, air, plant, animal, human, name. It also shows the development from the simple to the advanced. "H.A." initial letters surrounded by the eight-pointed star, shows the unification of the Azerbaijani people around Heydar Aliyev's ideas.

There are two colors in the logo: blue and golden. The blue color reflects the sky, democracy, uprightness, cleanness, innocence, peace, reliability, sincerity, and nationality. The golden color is the symbol of the sun, peace, development, and bright future.

Both colors are reflecting the wishes and desires of Heydar Aliyev.[7]

• to help realize the large programs and projects in Azerbaijan;
• to prepare and carry out programs and projects related to education, culture, health, sports, ecological issues (environmental);
• Expand cooperation with foundations, NGOs and public organizations of foreign countries and carry out projects together;
• Assisting to local social problems solution, to help the people with special care;
• to discover and develop the creative potential, knowledge and skills of people;
• to demonstrate of the Azerbaijani culture and the work on the protection of healthy moral values;
• to serve growing the children and teenagers as a citizen with a comprehensive knowledge;
• to carry out the occasions related to improvement of the international prestige of Azerbaijan;
• to inform the truth related to Azerbaijan to the world community;
• cooperation with educational institutions of the republic and foreign countries;
• to assist in scientific researches;
• to organize exchange of scholars with well-known scientific-research centers of foreign countries, to help increasing the creative and scientific potential of the country;
• to develop the infrastructure of child's institutions;
• to develop health and medical institutions;
• to support important research in the field of ecology and propagate a healthy lifestyle;
• to organize conferences and seminars on actual topics in Azerbaijan and abroad;
• to organize exhibitions of children, creative youth and art figures;

The foundation's executive director has described its activities as "broad and multi-sided," with projects that "aim to develop education and health systems, culture, promote our country abroad, protect our cultural heritage and improve the well-being of the people."[8]

According to a 2009 EurasiaNet article "The HAF builds more schools than Azerbaijan's Ministry of Education, more hospitals than the Ministry of Health, and conducts more cultural events than the Ministry of Culture."[1] It funded the Baku Museum of Modern Art, intended as a focus for an "eco-cultural zone" that will also include a white-sand beach, a Frank Gehry skyscraper, and a walkway that projects out over the Caspian Sea.[9]

"Vase decorated with the heads of favn" (1687-1705, by Claude Berten) - restored by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation

"Amazonka" (1685-1693, by Jacques Buirret) - restored by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation

The foundation has sponsored several projects in France, helping to finance renovations at the Louvre Museum and the Palace of Versailles.[1][9] The foundation gave 40,000 € to help renovate stained-glass windows in France's Strasbourg Cathedral. In 2011 the foundation donated 50,000 € for the reconstruction of the Berlin City Palace.

Other international projects have included rebuilding a school in Pakistan that had been destroyed by an earthquake[8] and organizing events in 2011 in Moscow and St. Petersburg to showcase Azerbaijani art and music.[10]

The foundation takes part in the organization and holding of musical festivals like the "Gabala International Music Festival", the "World of Mugham Festival", the "Uzeyir Hajibeyov International Music Festival", and the "Mstislav Rostropovich Baku International Festival".

Signing ceremony of the bilateral agreement between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Vatican for restoration of the Roman catacombs

Foundation funded the restoration of the catacombs in Vatican based on the agreement signed on June 22, 2012 by the president of the foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva and the minister of culture of Vatican, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravazi.[11][12]

The foundation is also the initiator of holding Baku marathon since 2016. The fund assembled from the marathon is directed to the project of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation concerning to children deprived of parental care.[13]

Conference “UNESCO-Azerbaijan: Bridge to Future”

Conference held in Gulustan palace in Baku on August 24, 2005. During the conference several educational problems in Azerbaijan were discussed and representatives performed with speeches by emphasizing the role of education in the development of the country. At the end of the conference memorandum was signed between Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, director- general of UNESCO and Misir Mardanov, the minister of education in Azerbaijan. According to the memorandum joint commission of education will be created throughout the cooperation with UNESCO. That commission will be responsible for implementation and cooperation on priority directions.[14][15]

The first international conference “ Medicine and pharmaceutics in medieval manuscript”

Conference organized by Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Washington Sciences Academy on June 12, 2006 through the attendance of the representatives from more than 20 countries and international organizations such as: UNESCO, England Medieval History Association, Washington Sciences Academy, International Pharmaceutics History Association, World Medical Historians Association, International Islam Medicine Association, Turkey Medieval History Association, Azerbaijan Medical Historians Union.[16] The conference held in order to discuss medieval medicine manuscripts, medieval pharmacy, medicine in classic literature and art, folk medicine and organize joint research and analysis for the manuscript heritage of the world.[17]

The International Conference “Azerbaijan: Past and Present in Dialogue of Civilizations”

On April 19, 2006 the 13th international conference entitled "Azerbaijan: Past and Present in Dialogue of Civilizations" initiated by the participation of representatives from 30 countries at the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Among the delegates there were poets and authors of Latin origin and workers of culture. At the conference were made reports relating to the issues like, existing legislative framework, religion-state relations, traditions, mutual relations of religions, working experience with religious groups and organizations, tolerance.[18]

The Conference “Addressing Literacy Challenges in Europe with Sub-Regional Focus: Building Partnerships and Promoting Innovative Approaches”

On May 14, 2008 Baku hosted a conference within the framework of the series of regional conferences of UNESCO on promotion of world literacy. The main target of the conference is highlighting the importance of addressing illiteracy in a large scale, creating evaluation of the literacy and discussing the experience of usage these methods. Besides, during the conference future international and local priorities were discussed relating to the establishment and utilization of literacy assessment methods.[19]

International forum “Expanding the role of women in intercultural dialogue”

In June, 2008 the forum commenced through the support of UNESCO and ISESCO by Heydar Aliyev foundation. Including the first ladies of several countries (South Africa, Angola, Poland and Latvia) more than 300 delegates participated in the forum. The declaration of Baku was adopted at the end of the international forum which calls the world states to increase the participation of women in decision making and peace making processes.[20]

World Youth IV Employment Summit

From September 24 to 27, 2008 World Youth fourth employment summit was held in Baku Gulustan palace. The goal of the summit was the achievement of more active work in solving youth unemployment and effective employment problems around the world. The summit organized by the attendance of 600 delegates from more than hundred countries through the discussions about the establishment of new working places, adoption and implementation of special state programs in this field, attendance of young leaders in solution of environmental problems and roles in improvement of entrepreneurship.[21][22]

The international conference “Economic Development through Education and Technology”

Signing of the cooperation agreement between the Heydar Aliyev foundation and UNESCO in order to contribute to the "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity"

Baku hosted international conference held by mutual organization of Intel, Microsoft Corporation, Ministry of Education and UNESCO through the support of foundation on November, 2010. Representatives participated from several countries, including Great Britain, Norway, Hungary in the conference.[23]

The international conference “ From isolation to integration”

The international conference was held within the joint project of the foundation and UNICEF in September, 2011. At the conference which delegates attended from more than 20 countries, issues were discussed on the integration of children with disabilities into society and support for reforms in this field.[24]

Between years 2004-2014 foundation published numerous booklets and books talking about Azerbaijan's history, culture, art, cuisine and nature.[25][26][27]

Singers of Gabagh is about the mugham (included in UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage of humanity list)[28] school of Garabagh and available in four languages, Azeri, English, French and Russian. Based on the book a music album was developed by Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The album contains 12 CDs, including mughams performed by 24 singers. The presentation ceremony was held at the UNESCO's headquarter in Paris in March, 2005.[29]

An album dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the marriage of musician Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevkaya published by the foundation and covers 8 CDs, 3 DVDs, and 1 multimedia CD reflecting works of Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya.[30]

Presentation ceremony of the book "Truth about Garabagh”

Collection of booklets Truth about Garabagh with five headings "Brief information of the history of Garabagh", "The beginning of the Garabagh conflict", "Activity of Armenian terrorist organizations against Azerbaijan", "The Khojaly genocide", "Consequences of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan" presents facts about the occupation 20% Azerbaijani territory.[31][32]

The book War and Our Historical Cultural Monuments contains information about historical monuments, mosques, temples and sanctuaries in the occupied territory of Azerbaijan. A number of specialists and scholars participated in researches in order to find out cultural places, including destructed monuments by Armenians.

In March, 2010 the book titled Azerbaijan was published by Heydar Aliyev foundation. The book contains comprehensive information about ancient history, culture, traditions, ethnographic characteristics of Azeri nation, including more than thousand modern photos and available in seven languages; Azeri, English, Russian, French, Italian, German and Arabian.[33]

The foundation has according to a 2009 EurasiaNet article received some criticism for not being transparent about the financial sources, criticism the government and the New Azerbaijan Party has called slander.[1]

In 2010, France awarded its Légion d'Honneur to Aliyeva, with French President Nicolas Sarkozy citing her "outstanding service and loyalty to France."[34]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

• Official website of Heydar Aliyev Foundation (English version)