Azerbaijan

On 19 of January 2012, experts of SPARE implemented by Azerbaijan Youth Union conducted a training on “Saving Energy” for the secondary school pupils in the Lahic Settlement of İsmailli Region. Pupils were given information about climate changing, environmental pollution, ecological issues as well as goals, objectives and activities of SPARE program in Azerbaijan. They highlighted the energy resources, rational approach to getting the resources and careful attention to energy saving.

On the 14 of January, 2012 Second Children Academy launched within the framework of SPARE of Azerbaijan Youth Union. The purpose of the Children Academy is to form the ecological thinking of the children, to increase the knowledge of the school children in this sphere and to attract the attention of public to energy problems, saving the energy and energy resources as well as environmental protection. 15 students aged between 12-15 from the 10 schools of the Baku schools participating in the Academy will have classes in English and Azeri languages twice in a month.

On the eve of 2012, another school in Azerbaijan has joined to an International School Project for Application of Resources and Energy (SPARE). This decision was made by the teachers and students of school № 254 in Narimanov District of Baku. This decision was made by the support of the school № 284 in Binagadi district of Baku which participates in environmental project for more than 3 years.

On the 27 of December 2011, Colabration Memorandum was signed between Azerbaijan Turkish Private Lyceums Company (ATPLC) and Azerbaijan Youth Union (AYU) on joint cooperation within the framework of International School Project for Application of Resources and Energy (SPARE). The Document was signed by the chairman of ATPLC Head Office Arif Gomleksiz and AYU chairman Agajan Ahmedov.

Within the framework of International day of Energy (11/11/11) at general school N 287 – lyceum of “Zakalar” made an “Environmental Court”. From the process the man is affected. The charge was presented to Scientific and Technological Revolution (STR). Defender sides were health lawyer and inventor. The “process” was open because it was attended by students and parents.

On the 3rd of December, 2011 within the framework of SPARE of Azerbaijan Youth Union held an event on environmental protection and energy saving in the Gakhbash school # 2 in the region of Gakh.

On 11th November 2011 within the framework of SPARE Azerbaijan Youth Union arranged an event to celebrate the International Day of “Energy Saving” in the school 284 located in the Baladjari settlement of Baku. Participants of the 8th form who are also the members of the SPARE Followers Club, attended in the event to discuss environmental issues and environmental protection, how to save the energy and also the importance of education to improve knowledge of ecology.

On November 9, 2011 within the framework of international School Project on Application of Resources and Energy (SPARE) of Azerbaijan Youth Union, a trip was organized to Qala which is considered one of the ancient human settlements in Absheron peninsula. In the occasion of Flag Day, Baku Ataturk Lyceum students, teachers and parents participated in the open air tour in Archaeological-Ethnographic Museum Complex.

International School Project on Energy and Resources (SPARE) of the Azerbaijan Youth Union is included in the curriculum of secondary schools. SPARE project details, its purpose, implementation, program execution is described under the chapter of "Nature and Society”, in the section of "Global Problems of Society” with the subject of “Green Economy".

From 13 to 17 September 2011 in Joensuu (Finland) hosted an international environmental conference "Act now! Forest for the Future! ", held within the framework of ENO (Environment Online). The main purpose of the conference was to inform the public about environmental protection and ecology, the establishment of sustainable forest management in the world, the importance of forests for people in the world, promotion of a healthy lifestyle to prevent climate change and global warming, etc. The conference brought together about 5,000 representatives from 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and America.

From 13 to 17 September 2011 in Joensuu (Finland) hosted an international environmental conference "Act now! Forest for the Future! ", held within the framework of ENO (Environment Online). The main purpose of the conference was to inform the public about environmental protection and ecology, the establishment of sustainable forest management in the world, the importance of forests for people in the world, promotion of a healthy lifestyle to prevent climate change and global warming, etc. The conference brought together about 5,000 representatives from 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and America.

A summer school for children was organized between 22-28 August, 2011 in Shamakhi, Azerbaijan, in the framework of the New Media Project with cooperation of International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) and Save the Children. The Summer Camp was attended by 22 children aged 13-17 and coming from Azerbaijan’s Baku, Sumgayıt and Ganja cities and Goranboy, Lankaran and Sabirabad districts. They listened to speeches on the topics of environmnet, ecology, energy saving, health, child rights, media relations.

International seminar and annual coordination meeting, devoted to the SPARE development in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia took place 27-29 of May in Ukraine. Participants discussed development of educational materials for schoolchildren, domestic practical project on renewable energy and energy efficiency, NGO capacity building and involvement to national energy policy.

In eighth grade of Secondary school #2 in Gazian village of Ujar district there was held a public lesson in Physics dedicated to problems of global warming.

During the Event, students gained knowledge about the physical properties of the phenomenon and its impacts on environment. It was brainstormed about establishment of new industrial technologies to significantly reduce the use of traditional forms of energy.

Representatives of the International School Project for Application of Resources and Energy (SPARE) visited Azerbaijan from 5th to 9th May 2011. The five-days agenda of Yngvild Lorentzen, Head of International Project Department and Kay Asbjørn Knutsen Schjørlien, Project Manager to Azerbaijan, was rich in project activities, meetings and visits. During the meetings guests had the opportunity to get acquainted with the activities of SPARE-Azerbaijan, discuss ways for expanding the Program, monitor schools involved in the project and discuss the opportunities of the Project in Azerbaijan.

On January 15, 2011 the first session of the Child Academy took place in Baku as part of SPARE project. The Youth Union of Azerbaijan is the organizer of the Child Academy. Participants of the Academy are schoolchildren ages 12 to 14 from different schools that actively take part in SPARE events.

On 7 May 2011, a meeting of the Young SPARE Club members was held in School # 284 in Bilajari Settlement of Baku where students are actively involved in the international school project on the use of resources and energy. The meeting was attended by permanent members of the Club, as well as a group of seventh grade students wishing to become members of the SPARE team.

On 7th May 2011 a regular meeting of SPARE Youth Club took place in Baladzhary village. Members of the club are schoolchildren actively participating at the International school project on energy and resources saving.

Workshop on Bioenergy and Global Climate Changes was organized on April 27, 2011 in Ganja in the framework of Azerbaijan Youth Union’s International School Project for Application of Energy and Resources (SPARE). The event was attended by 20 Biology and Chemistry teachers, including 3 teaching methods specialists from 14 secondary schools of the City. The workshop contained theoretical and practical parts.

A child conference on “Energy Saving and Environmental Protection” was held on 23 April, 2011 in Lahij Settlement of Ismayilli District in the framework of Azerbaijan Youth Union’s International School Project for Application of Energy and Resources (SPARE). The Conference was attended by pupils of Lahij Settlement Secondary School, Dada Gorgud Private Turkish Lyceum, Baku Turkish Lyceum, Zakalar Lyceum, Ecological Lyceum, Sumgait City School # 24 and Bilajari Settlement School # 284 and members of the Lahij Municipality and local representatives of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.

The Olimpiade was organized with support of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), Ministry of Education, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, «Chag Ogretim Ishletmeleri» Company and INEPO EUROASIA Ecology Association.

The international youth conference - "Youth for Ecological Progress" - was held on 11-12th of November 2010 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The International SPARE project `s teams were attended in this conference and during the official opening ceremony the project presented by Rufat Dargahli, the active participant of the SPARE project and Young Ambassador on Environment. In his speech young ambassador mention that using energy resources inefficiency way is one of the main challenges and it polluted the environment quite enough.

The International Children's Conference on the Environment was hold in Nagoya, Japan from 20-26 October 2010. The Conference brought together over 220 children and chaperones from around 40 countries and is taking place simultaneously with the UN conference on the protection of biodiversity. SPARE Country Coordinator Naila Ismayilova, active members of the SPARE project, young ambassador on environment Rufat Dargahli and D.Aytakin were attended in the International Children's Conference on the Environment.

An exhibition of drawings under this slogan by school children who are actively working in the SPARE project took place at the end of April in one of the exhibition halls of Baku - Center for Contemporary Arts. About 60 pupils from the cities of Baku and Sumgait, rural regions of Ismail, Gah, Ujar presented their works on the theme of climate change, global warming, environmental friendliness. It’s expected to make this exhibition mobile and display drawings in the regions of SPARE activity.

On May 28th to 31st an international semonar on the development of the SPARE project took place in Minsk. An important theme of the workshop was the integration of SPARE project into the state education systems in the participants’ countries, as well as practical solutions for energy saving. Participants visited a straw house and a multistory house that was built with energy-saving technologies and was recommended as a model for construction in Belarus.

In January 2010 the Month of Energy Saving was organized in Ismailli district of Azerbaijan. Competitions, actions and other events took place at some schools. After exchanging views on global warming, COP-15, the consequences of climate change in Azerbaijan, the schoolchildren answered the following question “What steps would I undertake if I were a minister of energy?”

On October 16, 2009, the Extended Meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Azerbaijan Republic chaired by the President of the Azerbaijan Republic, Mr Ilham Aliev took place. The President noted that in the next year the environmental activities would have more active character. Mr. Ilham Aliev proposed to announce 2010 as a Year of Ecology.

From the beginning of the nest year the special focus will be put on alternative sources of energy, additional measures directed at forest restoration, provision of the regions of the country with clean water and other activities on enhancement of the environment shall be implemented.

In Barda, a city 300 km from Baku there was held a practical seminar on the topic «Using solar barrel in local condition», in framework of the international school project of SPARE. The seminar organized by the Azerbaijan Youth Union (AYU) at school № 8. Leader of the seminar was Ilja Melikov, the coordinator of programs on power efficiency and renewed energy sources Ecological Movement "BIOM", Kyrgyzstan. Organizational support gave by local NGO "ARAN”, who has a wide experience in various areas.