Diaspora organizations in abroad

The establishment of the Congress of European Azerbaijanis (CEA) in April 17, 2004 in the German capital Berlin was a significant event in organization of Azerbaijanis living in different countries. More than 50 Diaspora organizations from 28 countries of the world Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Belgium, Finland and Germany are collective members of the Azerbaijani communities of CEA .To protect national and cultural peculiarities of Azerbaijanis in the region, to ensure social and political-legal interests are the main tasks of the Congress. One of the activity fields of CEA in Azerbaijan is to support scientific-research works in the Caucasus and Caspian regions, to set foundations, research institutes, libraries and archives. Organization has been cooperating with the Diaspora in Europe, CIS and other regions.

Germany is one of the largest European countries where the Azerbaijani Diaspora represented. Since 1988 dozens of societies operated in this country and most of them continues to operate till date. Azerbaijan-Germany Society was established in 1988, in the city of Berlin. In Berlin Azerbaijan-German Academy (1986), Azerbaijan Culture Center and Savalan magazine under it, Ojag \'Society (1988), Land of Fire Cultural and Education Society, in the city of Bonn Azerbaijan Culture Center, in Düsseldorf German-Azerbaijan Society (1991), in Frankfurt Azerbaijan Society for Cultural Relations, in the city of Cologne Azerbaijan Cultural Society (1990), in the city of Nuremberg Azerbaijan Cultural Association (1990), in Limburq Azerbaijan House (1997 ), etc. Diaspora organizations also took an active part in the development of socio-cultural and economic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Germany. In 1996, Azerbaijani societies in Germany united in a single structure German-Azerbaijan Federation of Societies (GAAFS). The main purpose of the Federation is to strengthen relations between the Diaspora organizations. In August 21-22, 1999 the 1st Congress of GAAFS was held in Bonn.  In October 2004 in Berlin Institute of Culture named after Nizami Ganjavi started its activity. At the same time, courses of German and Azerbaijani language started, computer and music classes started to be taught.  

The first representatives of Azerbaijanis began to settle in the UK in the middle of the twentieth century.  At present, a large number of Azerbaijanis live in London and a strong Diaspora organizations function. Azerbaijan-England Society, European Society of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani Youth Club activists work to deliver the world the truth about Azerbaijan, the organization of Azerbaijanis, a wide range of steps taken towards the resolution of the Garabagh problem. For not forgetting of native land by the children Azerbaijani schools function in London. In addition, with the support of Europe-Azerbaijan Society the magazine Visions of Azerbaijan is published in English. The organization regularly-arranges events related to Garabagh, Khojaly massacre and makes efforts to deliver these problems to the Europeans.

Although the first representatives of Azerbaijani immigration began their activity in France (Alimardan Topchibasov, Ali Bey Hajibeyli and others) in the first quarter of the twentieth century, but the organized formation of Diaspora organizations coincides with the recent 15-20 years. In France, some national cultural centers, including “Azerbaijan House Association has been operating. In November of 2003 Azerbaijan-France Youth Association (AFGA) was established by students and youth. The purpose of the Society is to coordinate the work of students’ organizations operating in the country. Since 2004 the association publishes its Le Pont Bridge magazine.

Approximately 20 thousand Azerbaijanis live in Sweden. The vast majority of them are Azerbaijanis who emigrated from the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1980- 85. In 2001, Azerbaijan - Sweden Committee was established. A number of influential Swedish citizens take part in the work of the Society. Azerbaijanis immigrated to the country from South Azerbaijan established in June 2000 Azerbaijan -Sweden Association. Society unites 14 communities, including the Erk, Stars, Tribün, Savalan, etc. linked with Azerbaijan. 

In Austria in October 2002, Azerbaijan Academic Circle was created. Society is working closely with public organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan.  

The “Azerbaijan-Netherlands Society operating in the Kingdom of Netherlands was established in August of 2003. The organization publishes Benelux newspaper since 2004. In the Netherlands, in Den Hague city Azerbaijan Turkish Cultural Association has been operating since 1993. The organization had realized a number of specific events for the public familiarizing of the Republic of Azerbaijan to country peoples.  

One of the countries, where Azerbaijani Diaspora is widely represented is the United States. Although there is no precise data on the number of people living here, the number of different sources are up to 1 million 400 thousand. The World Azerbaijani Congress” (WAC) established in the city of Los Angeles of the U.S. in 1997, tries to coordinate the activities of Azerbaijani societies only in America but also in various countries around the world. The American-Turkish Associations\' Assembly of the (ATAA) set in the USA in 1970 has 57 departments operating in the United States and Canada. ATAA publishes a number of periodicals, including The Turkish World magazine (1989). ATAA is closely involved in the forums and other events of Turkish and Turkish-American communities.

On April 16, 2005 in Toronto, the foundation congress of Federation of Organizations of Azerbaijan was held with participation of Canada-Azerbaijan Cooperation Association, Azerbaijan Education and Cultural Center, Women\'s Association of Canada-Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan-Canada Friendship Society, the State Association of Quebec, Ontario Society of Azerbaijanis, Canada -Azerbaijan Alliance. 

Approximately 10 thousand Azerbaijanis live in these countries. In Australia Azerbaijanis Society (1996, Sydney) and Australia-Azerbaijan Society (2003, Sydney), and in New Zealand the Azerbaijan-New Zealand Friendship Society (2004, Oakland) function. The majority of the Azerbaijanis settled here are those moved from Iran and Turkey.

According to official statistics, approximately 106 thousand Azerbaijanis live in Kazakhstan. They are mainly settled in Jambul, Chimkend, Almaty, Taldı-Kurgan provinces. With initiative of “Turan Azerbaijani Cultural Society (1993) Ozan Culture Society was established in Almaty and Diaspora organizations in other provinces (Kustanay, Jambul, Taldı-Kurgan, Petropavlovsk). Since 1992, the state radio of Kazakhstan began program in Azerbaijani - Friendship, and the Sunday school of Azerbaijanis had been operating since 2002. Turan sets its activity in the territory of Kazakhstan together with 17 Azerbaijan societies (the Gobustan - Almaty, Friendship - Aktyubinsk region, Ali - Atırausk region, Azeri - Jambul region, Motherland and Azerbaijan - Pavlodar province, etc.).

Cultural centers of Azerbaijan operating in the Republic of Uzbekistan was established in January 2003. Girls dance ensemble Azeri function under the auspices of the Society. A collective was the winner of Friendship and cultural festival held in Uzbekistan in 2003,. In Tashkent city Brotherhood Azerbaijan Culture Center, Azerbaijan House also functions. In Azerbaijan House classes of the native language and computer; wrestling hall, a library, a museum named after Heydar Aliyev, the exposition Genocide against the Azerbaijani people are available.  

Azeri public organization of Azerbaijanis living in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan was established in 1992. Approximately 20 thousand Azerbaijanis live in the country. The vast majority of them are citizens exiled here during the repressions of 30s of the XX century. Azeri society has the aim to protect rights of our compatriots from the moment of its establishment, active participation in public life of Kyrgyzstan, to keep regular relations with historical land. Azeri department operates under the Kyrgyz National TV and Radio Company. Sunday school for Azerbaijani children started functioning in the city of Bishkek, Stars the ensemble of amateur folklore was set up.

The total number of Azerbaijanis residing in the territory of Russia is about 3 millions.  Most powerful Azerbaijani Diaspora organizations operating in the country is All-Russian Congress of Azerbaijanis  (ARCA). In March 5, 2001, at the constituent Congress the high state officials of Russia and Azerbaijan, representatives of public organizations took part in establishment of the Congress in the Russian Federation to strengthen ethnic reconciliation and civil peace, development of socio-economic and cultural co-operation between the Russian government and Republic of Azerbaijan, to help deepen it. To protect specific national features of Azerbaijanis, traditions, language, religion, culture and to defend  the rights and freedoms, protection of social security, to have respect to national and spiritual values and traditions of other nations  living in the territory of Russia are main objectives of the ARCA. At the same time, the Congress has taken real steps toward the development of political relations,   bilateral friendly relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. Many well-known representatives of the Azerbaijanis living in Russia were involved in activity of the Congress: organization\'s regional offices operate in 73 subjects of the Russian Federation. In addition, other national societies and communities are members of the ARCA: Ojag Cultural Center (Moscow), Azerbaijan Society (Moscow), Azeri-Turkic peoples (Kirov oblast), Nizami Society (Ulyanovsk), Azeri-Derbent (Dagestan), Land of Fire (Stavropol), Absheron (Kaliningrad), Dostluq-Drujba (Tula), Wave (Perm), Khazri (Novosibirsk), Azerbaijan Cultural Center (Buryatiya), Ozan (Chelyabinsk), Ahli-Beyt (Moscow), and other provinces in the national-cultural autonomies of  Tver, Kostroma, Tyumen cities.  At the same time, in order to coordinate the activities of local departments in RF’s North-West, Volga, Ural, Siberia and the Far East local district councils of the Congress have been created. The central structure of the Congress includes “The Economic Development Fund, Legal Protection Center, Azerbaydjanskiy Congress newspapers. The first TV and radio company in the territory of Russia, broadcasting programs in national language  Inter-Azerbaijan Company, Voice of Nation, Free time newspapers, Heritage scientific journal, Azerbaijan trade-exhibition center  function with the help of the Congress. One of the structures of the Azerbaijani Diaspora in Russia is former Azerros Federal national-cultural autonomy (FMMM) registered in Oct, 1999. The aim of  Society set basing on regional national-cultural autonomies functioned in Moscow, Tver, Yaroslavl has the purpose and objectives to organize communities of Azerbaijanis living in Russia permanently and temporary, to assist in preservation of  the national culture, customs and traditions outside of motherland, adaptation to the local environment, to organize a legal defense. Since 2001, the organization\'s Azerbaydjancı Rossii newspaper is published. With the active support of the Society Azermedia publishing house, Shahriyar literary and public assemblies function here. FMMM together with the regional communities (Moscow, Tver, Yaroslavl, Komi, St. Petersburg, Kostroma city departments) includes “Bakinets society, and the recent time, the national cultural institutions of Volgograd, Saratov, Astrakhan, Voronezh, Novosibirsk, Arxangelsk. Organization had established relations with the Azerbaijani societies of Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Canada and U.S. One of regional and national Diaspora organizations distinguished with its activities in Russia is the National-cultural autonomy of the Azerbaijanis   (AMMM) created in Saint-Petersburg in 1999. The number of Azerbaijanis in this second largest city of the Russian Federation has been increased in 1988 and 93 in particular. With the active support of AMMM more than a few years Sunday school, Chinar” dancing ensemble of Azerbaijanis operates here.  Azeri newspaper and “Dialogue of civilizations magazine are published here.

One of the most active organizations of the Diaspora in Europe is the Congress of Ukrainian Azerbaijanis (CUA) established in March 1999. Society plays an important role in the solution of socio-economic and socio-political problems of Azerbaijanis living in the territory of Ukraine, for the protection of national-cultural traditions. The CUA has regional departments in 27 administrative centers of Ukraine (Vinnitsa, Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Jitomir, Lvov, Odessa, Poltava, Sevastopol, Ternopol, Kharkov, Kherson, Cerkassk, Cerniqov, and others). Congress takes an active part in the social and cultural life of the country, arranges various socio-cultural and charitable acts, and establishes relations with other Diaspora centers in Ukraine, public and state organizations, charitable foundations. Society render assistance to Chernobyl invalids, those suffered in  Zakarpatye from natural disasters, accidents that occurred in the Donbass mines, as well as children\'s homes, boarding,  war veterans. The Azerbaijan ensemble has been operating under the Congress.  Sunday schools function in a number of regional offices of the Society. Voice of Azerbaijan newspaper of the Congress is published in Kiev. On the initiative of the Congress agreements on cooperation with scientific institutions, on student exchanges between Ukraine and Azerbaijan were signed. The Congress takes an active part in marking of Azerbaijani and Ukrainian state and national holidays, historical dates, in Ukraine’s socio-political, economic, and cultural events.

During 1991-2002 in the territory of Turkey House of Azerbaijan Culture and Solidarity Association in Izmir, Manisa Azerbaijan Culture and Solidarity Association, Bursa\'s Association of Azerbaijan House, Kocaeli Association of Azerbaijan House , Chanakkale Association of Azerbaijan House , Balıkesir Association of Azerbaijan House , Aydin Association of Azerbaijan House , Mughla Association of Azerbaijan House , Adana Azerbaijan Culture and Solidarity Association , Antalya  Association of Azerbaijan House , Ankara Azerbaijan Culture and Solidarity Association , Igdir Azerbaijan Culture and Solidarity Association ,Hatay Azerbaijan Turkish Cultural Center , Istanbul Azerbaijan Culture and Solidarity Association , Edirne Association of Azerbaijan House and etc. societies have been created. In May 2004, Federation of Turkish-Azerbaijani Circles (TADF) which unites Azerbaijani organizations, was established in the city of Iskenderun in Turkey. Federation covers Azerbaijan House communities operating in nearly 20 (Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Balikesir, Tire, Dortyol, Chanaqqala, Igdir, etc.) cities of the country.  The organization promotes interests of Azerbaijan in Turkey, coordinates the work of Azerbaijani organizations. Azerbaijani circles in Turkey play an active role in the region\'s cultural, socio-political, economic, social life. Istanbul Azerbaijan Culture and Solidarity Association issues magazine Azerbaijan\'s World since January 2004.