Youth and Peace Contest - Azerbaijan

This project relied on a competition to encourage young people - and their broader communities - to participate in peace-building activities and to draw awareness to the need for peace. Young people were asked to submit entries for the contest; the best 10 films and 20 articles were honoured on September 20 2003 (UN International Peace Day).

To support the contest, the media was used as a broader strategy for peace education. Television, radio, newspapers, films, posters, and other media activities were designed to encourage young people to enter the competition. In addition, one-day seminars for children and young people were organised in cooperation with the Zercalo Newspaper and Arts Gymnasium and the Azerbaijan Cinematographers Union. Professional members of these organisations provided practical tools and skills to participants related to their participation in the contest. At the end of seminar, some participants prepared scripts and began filming; others wrote newspaper articles. Reliable Future organised these seminars in 20 regions of country in order to promote the participation of youth from all areas.

Expected project outputs include a book featuring the winning articles, a disk with the 10 selected films, and a book on 'Youth and Peace'.

Peace, Children, Youth.

Reliable Future was founded by high school students in 1998 and officially registered in 1999 by the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan Republic. There are more than 150 members of Reliable Future working "to unite progressive and active part of Azerbaijan youth and direct their forces to build up democratic, civil, open and healthy society."