International Eurasia Press Fund is an independent international non-governmental Organization (NGO) which was founded by a group of journalists from different countries and has been registered in Azerbaijan in 1992.
Today it is a successful and respected non-governmental organization with a great experience , with efficient staff , a strong financial and technical base and great potential. The IEPF Head Office is located in Baku , and ten regional offices are located in the Tatar, Agstafa and Fizuli, and some in Russia and the Baltic States .
IEPF has about 100 staff with over 70% of the staff involved in IEPF community Mine Clearance Operations to recover the Azerbaijan lands contaminated with landmines after war and make the land conducive for farming and for other functions. There are 12 regular staffs who work at the IEPF headquarters.
IEPF works in 5 key areas: Media & Civil Society Development; Community Development; Refugees/IDPs Issues; Peace-making & Conflict Resolution and Education. IEPF has made significant achievements in peacemaking, conflictology and protection of human rights. Since its first days, the Fund has taken the responsibility to research best methods of study and settlement of the ethnic and military conflicts in the Caucasus.
Some of salient projects that IEPF has implemented so far in all activity directions are: “Peace at Home, Peace in the Country, Peace in the World” (1992), “Level One Landmine Survey” (2000-2001), “The Landmine Impact Survey” (2002-2003), “NATO and the Regional Security” (2002), “The Community Mine Action Team” (ongoing since 2002), “Mine Victims’ Needs Assessment” (EC/2004), “Establishing and Functioning of Azerbaijan Mine Victims Association (AMVA) in 3 Districts of Azerbaijan” (USDoS, WRA /2006-2008); “Azerbaijan Mine Victims Association” (AMVA) set up in March, 2007 and registered by the Ministry of Justice in July; with the financial support from the Weapons Abolishment and Prohibition Office of the Bureau for Political-Military Affairs, US Department of State, “Establishing of the Fuzuli RB and directing the activity of Terter RB of AMVA” since 1st July, 2007 and “Establishing of the Aghstafa RB of AMVA and directing its activity”, “Monitoring of Grants allocated by the Presidential Council on Civil Society Development to the national NGOs” (Az Gov NGO Support Fund/2008-2009); “Promote Peace in schools where both IDP/Refugee and local pupils are studying” (WB/2009-2011); “Establishment of Vocational Training Center for the Mine/UXO victims and retired de-miners” (USDoS, WRA/2009-2010); “VTC extension and expansion” (USDoS, WRA/2010-2011); “Azerbaijan Youth Advocate Program” (UNICEF/2011-2012); and Expansion and Diversification of VTC Cooperative Farm (Japan Embassy/2011); “Local organizing organization for the International Conference, IPI Oil, Gas and Media Conference” (2012); “Meeting of Donors and Partners on Sustainable and Equal Development” (UN ECOSOC/2012).
The International Eurasia Press Fund is also successful in the settlement of Azeri refugeesIDPs problems and studying migration issues and community development, and realizes projects in this regard. That the refugeesIDPs constitute approximately 40 percent of Community Demining Action Team is clear evidence to that.
The Project “Strengthening and stimulating mutual social relations between local and IDP pupils in joint schools” financed by Japan Government and World Bank is ongoing since January 2009. The project continued till the end of 2011.
The Project “Establishing a Vocational Training Center (VTC) for Mine Victims and Mine Clearance Retirees” financed by the US Department of State started in July 2009 has exceptional importance in mobilization of community initiatives. Organization of trainings for mine victims, their family members and mine clearance retirees created possibilities in reducing the level of unemployment in the region.
IEPF, holding special focus on creating areas for refugeesIDPs` self-income generation in a period of transition from humanitarian aid to development in Azerbaijan, gives priority to realization of projects aiming at the settlement of community problems, advancing entrepreneurship skills among the fleeing population. For that purpose the National Bank of Azerbaijan has granted license to Non-Bank Credit Organization “Eurasia-Credit” Ltd founded by IEPF in 2007 and registered by the Ministry of Justice.
Aiming at granting micro-credits to Refugees/IDPs, low-income families, the disabled, especially the mine victims and poor-people living in the liberated and war-affected zones, “Eurasia Credit” Ltd has established cooperation with international donors organizations and plans to do so also with local ones in the future. With the financial support of the US Department of State, “Eurasia Credit” has started distribution of small credits in Fuzuli, Terter and Aghstafa districts within the framework of project of establishing and directing functioning of regional bureaus of AMVA realized by IEPF. As a new stage at IEPF`s affairs a continuous expansion of the functions is determined to achieve in terms of resolving community problems.
As IEPF has seen settling refugeesIDPs problems as its prior affairs since its initial days, the Fund has organized and implemented a number of conferences and projects in this regard. It organized international conference on “National Affair and Refugees Problems” with The Russian Geographic Society, the Russian Writers Union’s St. Petersburg affiliate, Azerbaijan-St. Petersburg Cultural Center in St. Petersburg in December, 1997. More than 100 representatives from around 30 countries took part in the conference. The resolution adopted at the conference was sent to UN and world community paying special attention to the Azeri problems. Damages of the war to Azerbaijan were demonstrated in the exhibitions.
With the financial support of the Danish Refugee Council and in international partnership with Latvia, Russia, and Azerbaijan, IEPF began to execute the project “Multifunctional Inforterminal of the NGO’s in the Caucasus Region” in August 2001 and completed it in March 2003. The information net on the Caucasus region “CRINGO” was formed during the implementation. “Lobbing RefugeeIDPs Interests” project was executed in collaboration with the Georgian Association of Independent Journalists in 2002. CRINGO implemented a short term project within the “Week of negotiations” program aiming primarily at accurate study of refugees/IDPs problems, mediating by arranging meeting between the refugees/IDPs and authorities responsible and able to solve their certain problems.
One of IEPF main priority activity areas is to assist in achieving global peace through globally focused actions. The charter of IEPF clearly states that the purpose is to serve an international community. That is why one of the earliest projects of IEPF was the “Info-terminal”, an information portal that gathers and collates information related to the Commonwealth of Independent States and the post-Soviet countries. The project also led to the establishment of the CRINGO network - Caucasus NGO Network on Refugees and IDPs. The CRINGO network established in December 2001 was the first in the region with the purpose of strengthening cooperation and collaboration between regional NGOs through establishment of a regional network uniting NGOs from the Northern Caucasus and Trans-Caucasus. It unites over 60 refugees and IDP assisting NGOs from South and North Caucasus.
IEPF is involved in capacity building at various levels. IEPF also does lots of advocacy for specific beneficiary of the services that it provides. Moreover, providing humanitarian support remains a key component of the organization functions.
Being a member to CRINGOs Baku point, IEPF takes an active part in all executed projects and provisions and in the assessment and settlement of refugeeIDPs living, social-economic, educational, health and other problems.
IEPF participated in the Innovation Exhibition hold annually on “Consolidating Efforts to Eliminate Poverty and Hunger Through Global Partnership in the Name of Development”. UN Secretary-General, President of ECOSOC, General-Secretary of UNESCO, Head of NGO department of ECOSOC and other senior officials were present in the exhibition. Around 30 NGOs from various countries were also participating. “Successful Story” reflecting IEPF`s achievements gained within the project of “Establishing and Functioning of Mine Victims Association in Terter district of Azerbaijan was represented in the exhibition.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon highly appreciated IEPFs participation in the Innovation Exhibition and expressed his thoughts in IEPFs reference book saying “I support your efforts of the reciprocal service to mankind”.
Being accepted to the State Register for the exemption from certain social divisions and added taxes, IEPF was invited to be present in the process of distribution of humanitarian aid to refugees IDPs by the State Commission on the international humanitarian aid.
As Sustainable Development is a very important issue in the region, IEPF is active in several UN-processes and started to work on this, with special interest for the SDGs/Post2015 agenda, also on regional (EECCA) level.
Since IEPF got the Special Consultative Status with the ECOSOC division of the DESA, UN (in 2007), IEPF has made Sustainable Development a top priority of the organization functions. IEPF has regularly participated in ECOSOC meetings, such as high level segments, Annual ministerial reviews, and general assembles based on the theme.
IEPF in 2012 organized the meeting of donors and partners in sustainable development during the United Nations High Level segment in New York, and after the meeting, IEPF prepared a policy paper and recommendation that was distributed to international partners and stakeholders in development.
In 2013, together with ANPED, IEPF established a regional platform on Sustainable Development for CSOs in the EECCA and serves as the Secretariat for Eastern Europe, Caucasus and the Central Asia.
On 15-16th of July the same year IEPF has organized the Baku workshop “REGIONAL INITIATIVE ON POST 2015 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)“ with the participation of 11 NGOs representatives from all the countries in Central Asia, Caucasus, and Eastern Europe , where the regional platform for a concrete discussion on green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and governance in relation to the SDGs but with perspectives of CSOs from Central and Eastern Europe had been developed.
IEPF is participating at UN workshops and High Level Meetings in order to continue to push for more inclusiveness of contributions from the regions of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) in the Sustainable Development process as represent issues raised by members of the regional platform for CSOs in the regions.
On 12-15 September, at the Triennial Gathering of International Peace Bureau (IPB), held in Stockholm, Sweden, the Chairman of IEPF, Umud Rahimoglu was represented to the authority of the event as a member of Councilhe Chairman of IEPF, Umud Rahimoglu was represented to the authority of the event as a member of Council.
The member of IPB Council, U.Rahimoglu represents the NGOs of 18 countries in West Asia, such as, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Qatar, Yaman, Palestine, Oman, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, Bahrain, Iraq. It should be noted, and IEPF is the first among NGOs of Azerbaijan, that implements this mission.
IEPF has got its own registered publishing house.
The books like “Handbook for Journalists” published by the Journalists Without Borders and “Journalists on Dangerous Assignments” were both translated from English into Azeri and published by the International Press Institute. “Handbook for Journalists from Central and Eastern Europe” was also translated from Russian into Azeri which became the basis for publishing such methodic resource as “If you want to be a journalist…”. All these publications were distributed to NGOs, international and local mass-media structures and journalist departments of universities. Besides, the Fund published the book “NATO and the Caucasus Regional Security” with English and Russian versions on the basis of the materials of the Conference held jointly with NATO in Baku in 2002. The collection of materials (photos and archives on the Alley history) for a scientific-publicist, encyclopedic-biographic handbook book on “Martyrs Alley” was completed. In accordance with the Presidential Decree from 2005 “On Translating Azerbaijan Literature from Cyrillic to Latin alphabet” IEPF joined the project and 92 books with some 2003700 total releases have been typed, edited, composed and published at Eurasia-Press publishing house.
Annually, the Eurasia Press contributes in publishing several literature works in Azerbaijan, translating various important documents from English to Azerbaijani language.
Recently, Eurasia Press has published the following publications:
• Training material for UNICEF titled: “Healthy Lifestyle” within the project Azerbaijan Youth Advocate Program (2011)
• “Handbook for journalist on how to report on environment and climate change” within the IEPF and UNESCO project (2011)
• Annual Report for 2011 and 2012
• Briefing paper titled: “Report on the meeting of Donors and Partners in Sustainable Development during the HLS 2012”
History
