Daily Times
Friday, August 24, 2012
DURE NAJAF
Mehriban Aliyeva – a woman with quality to change the life of society, to understand and be principled to the things which really matter. As a member of parliament, president of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, she makes great contribution to the political life of the country.
First Lady of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva was born in a well-known family of Azerbaijani intellectuals. Her grandfather, Mir-Jalal Pashayev was a famous Azerbaijani writer, father Arif Pashayev is a scholar, rector of the National Aviation Academy, and her mother, Aida Imanguliyeva, was a noted philologist.
In 2004, Mehriban Aliyeva, the spouse of the president of Azerbaijan, HE Ilham Aliyev, became president of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, which was named in commemoration of the national leader of Azerbaijanis. The main goal of foundation is the country’s social, economic and cultural development.
One of the main objectives of Mehriban Aliyeva’s activities is to address the problems of children. Her charitable works in this domain include construction of new schools, hospitals, clinics, musical lyceums in different regions of Azerbaijan.
Thalassemia Centre with free of cost treatment was built in the capital city of Baku in 2007 and the projects of insulin donation and blood donation were fulfilled by the foundation.
Mehriban Aliyeva has given regular moral and material assistance to the homes for the elderly, getting them the necessary medical supplies of the latest achievements of the world medical science. A national campaign on breastfeeding was initiated by the foundation and summer camp for integration of disabled children into society was set up as well.
One of the priority spheres of the foundation is culture. Mehriban Aliyeva initiated “Days of Azerbaijani Mugham” (Mugham-traditional classical music of Azerbaijan) in Niagara, which became an exciting event in the cultural life of North America.
The foundation sponsored performances of Antonio Vivaldi, George Gershwin music, initiated the establishment of a Mugham Centre in Baku. She organises annual Gabala Music Festival which is attended by prominent musicians from all around the globe.
Mehriban Aliyeva funded publication of number of books on culture, music, history of Azerbaijan.
The first lady of Azerbaijan has been the initiator and organiser of many international conferences on dialogue between the different faiths striving for understanding and peaceful coexistence.
Azerbaijan, where all religions coexist and live in harmony, is a striking example of the tolerant relationship between the representatives of different faiths. A number of mosques and shrines of Azerbaijan, including one of the oldest Buzovna mosque, St Mary`s Catholic Church, orthodox church were reconstructed by the foundation as a part of the “Azerbaijan – Home to Tolerance” project of the organisation.
Mehriban Aliyeva is enormously active in preservation of the world heritage as well. Reconstruction of five window lattices at the 14th century-Strasbourg Cathedral in France, renovations at the Louvre Museum, Palace of Versailles sponsored by Mehriban Aliyeva are a vivid manifestation of this activity.
The foundation pays significant attention to the development of sports. The winners of Olympic and Para-Olympic Games, international championships are paid monthly stipends and scholarships or financially benefitted otherwise.
As president of the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation, Mehriban Aliyeva showed herself as a skilful organiser. Due to her growing prestige in international arena the World Cup competitions 2003 and 2004 and World Championship 2005 on Rhythmic Gymnastics were hosted by Azerbaijan.
This year, Azerbaijan hosted the Eurovision Song Contest which is one of the longest running television shows in the world and the most prestigious contest in Europe.
Mehriban Aliyeva lead the organising committee of contest named “Light Your fire!”. Within a short span of time the “Baku Cristal” concert hall with 23,000 seats capacity on the shore of the Caspian Sea, which opens up a magnificent view of the city was constructed.
The specific works aimed at upgrading the urban infrastructure, expansion of communication technologies and improving highways have been fulfilled. Along with improving existing hotels, new ones have been built in the capital of the country.
Thousands of guests of Baku witnessed warmth and hospitality of Azerbaijanis on those pleasant days of May and were impressed by rapidly developing Azerbaijan.
Due to Mehriban Aliyeva’s hard efforts for protection and development of Azerbaijan’s verbal folk literature and music heritage, she was awarded the title of Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO on August 13, 2004. The title of Goodwill Ambassador of ISESCO was given on November 24, 2006, for the wide-scale and selfless activity in different spheres of life.
The association of Heydar Aliyev Foundation with Pakistan started soon after the earthquake of 2005, which caused a heavy human losses and destructions. The natural calamity left Muzaffarabad in ruins and flattened the school in Rara settlement.
Mehriban Aliyeva had taken an initiative to construct a new modern school for girls in place of destroyed one. The 500-pupil capacity school, located in a mountainous area, was built by 2007.
The foundation regularly supplies the school with visual aids, books, computers and other means. This year it was completely reconstructed, renovated and refurnished.
In 2012, the first lady of Azerbaijan initiated a series of actions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh which consist of healthcare, education and humanitarian projects.
Within the plan of action, the hepatitis B vaccination and open-heart surgeries were carried out in collaboration with Kulsum International Hospital at Edhi Home, Akbar Care Institute for Cerebral Palsy in Peshewar andWomen’s and Children Hospital in Lakki Marwat.
On June 14, 2012, the foundation took part in celebrations of the World Blood Donor Day in Peshawar. The aim of the event was to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products as well as to thank voluntary unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts.
Mehriban Aliyeva donated one fully equipped ambulance and thousands of blood collection bags to Hamza Foundation, which deals with safe blood transfusion to the beneficiaries on both sides of Durand Line on purely voluntary basis.
In the course of its activity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mehriban Aliyeva also made a financial assistance for the construction of a new block of Eye Hospital of Khyber Eye Foundation, Peshawar.
During the holy month of Ramazan, the foundation hosted iftar dinners to more than 12,00 beneficiaries of Pakistan Sweet Home (Pakistan Baitulmal) orphanages in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Larkana, Nawabshah, Quetta, Zhob and Peshawar.
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