Azerbaijan marks National Youth Day

By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

The education of its youth is the bedrock of any state. A well-educated youth represents hope for a better future. It strives for perfection and fights for positive changes.

As a significant part of society, Azerbaijani youth are involved in a variety of scientific, athletic, cultural, and social and state activities.

Azerbaijan has been celebrating February 2 as National Youth Day annually since 1997.

The holiday was inspired by the first forum of Azerbaijan's young people, which took place on February 2, 1996.

A year later, national leader Heydar Aliyev signed a decree declaring February 2 as National Youth Day.

Azerbaijan was the first post-Soviet and Eastern European country to commemorate this day. Globally, International Youth Day was only declared on August 12, 1998, at the Lisbon Conference on the United Nations initiative.

The country continues to support young people through various youth-related activities in health, education, employment, social protection, and other fields.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on December 29, 2012, to establish the Youth Foundation. The foundation's mission is to support socially significant initiatives of youth organizations and young people.

Under another presidential decree issued on March 7, 2018, the "Youth Foundation of the Republic of Azerbaijan" public legal entity was established on the basis of the Youth Foundation under the Azerbaijani president to meet the interests of youth and to formulate and implement youth policy based on foreign experience. The foundation holds grant competitions for a variety of projects created by young people.

Azerbaijan marks National Youth Day with a series of events.

On the occasion of National Youth Day in 2022, Azerbaijan's Culture Ministry will organize several concerts under the name "New Youth" music days from February 2 to 4.

To recap, in honor of Azerbaijan's talented youth culture figures who took part in the Patriotic War in 2020, a video titled "Young Hero" was released last year on National Youth Day.

Artist Narmina Abdullayeva, musicians Shahriyar Imanov (tar), Ali Mammadov (piano), The Passion Quartet, Joshgun Gadashov (piano), Baku band, and Aytaj Huseynova, Nigar Pashayeva, Nargiz Gafarly, Yusif Gurbanov, Shafiga Abbasova, Leyla Lutfaliyeva, Aslan Nuri, Turkana Kerimli participated in the project.

In addition, Azay Azayev, an employee of the Heydar Aliyev Palace, Firdovsi Eyvazov, a dancer in the ensemble of the State Academic Philharmonic Society, and Tarlan Asgarli, an artist of the State Academic National Drama Theater, took part in the filming.