2010 International AIDS Candlelight Memorial

AIDS in Azerbaijan. Not really the topic that most Youth Development Volunteers really consider tackling. However, this is my third year as a coordinator for the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, an international grassroots community mobilization campaign. This year about 1,200 community organizations in over 109 countries will host local community Candlelight Memorials. Ganja will be be celebrating it's third memorial. Although it is new to the community, it is no less significant.

I will have the daunting task of teaching Azerbaijani youth about HIV/AIDS in a culture that doesn't talk openly about any sexually transmitted diseases. This years event will also take on the topic of discrimination. Students will receive basic information about HIV/AIDS (what is it, how do you get it, and how to protect yourself from contracting it) before lighting candles to honor Azerbaijani citizens currently living with, and those lost to AIDS.

It can be very difficult to find current statistics about HIV/AIDS in Azerbaijan. Largely this is due to the fact that very few Azerbaijanis have been tested. Most people will not be tested, and even if they know their behaviors have put them at risk, testing can be a frightening concept. There is a lot of stigma about having this disease in such a conservative culture. Although Azerbaijan is much more open than other cultures in this region of the world, the people predominately frown upon the behaviors that can lead to contracting HIV. There are not many statistics available, and those that are have been difficult to locate in English for any years past 2007.

Therefore, I will provide some statistics for HIV/AIDS in Azerbaijan for 2009:

The Ministry of Health informs that in the first quarter of 2009, Azerbaijan registered 129 new HIV infections (for 2008 total was 436 new infections).

Of these 129 new infections, 96.9% are Azerbaijani citizens, 90.4% are men, 12 persons died from AIDS, and 33 HIV infections progressed into the AIDS stage.

64.8% of new infections are contracted through use of infected syringes, 16.8% through heterosexual contact. In the first quarter, one child was infected from his/her mother.

73.6% of new infections were registered to live in the capital city Baku (22.4% of those live in the Absheron peninsula surrounding Baku) while 25.6% are from the regions outside of Baku.

TOTAL HISTORICAL STATISTICS

Since 1987 Azerbaijan has registered 1,944 persons infected with AIDS (1,869 are Azerbaijani citizens) 251 deaths have been reported from AIDS (as of first quarter 2009).

1193 people (63.8%) of a total of 1869 HIV infected persons were infected after use of infected syringes. 432 people (22.6%) were infected through heterosexual contact and 14 people (.7%) were infected through homosexual contact. 17 (.9%) infants have been infected from their mothers. 1 person has been infected from donated blood.

Demographics for Azerbaijanis infected with HIV/AIDS

Under age 14: 17 persons (.9%)

Age 15-18: 5 (.3%)

Age 19-24: 153 (8.2%)

Age 25-29: 379 (20.3%)

Age 30-39: 847 (45.3%)

Age 40-49: 347 (18.6%)

50-59: 38 (2%)

Over 60: 7 (.4%)

Unreported age: 76 (4.1%)

Men: 1230*

Women: 215 *

*Statistic provided by Dr.Dilshad of the Baku AIDS clinic, for all years through 2007, and added new infections for 2009. This statistic is missing persons from the 2008 year.

Number of people who have gone to get treatment: 227 (30 of these began treatment in 2009)

According to UNaids.org as of 2009 Azerbaijan is estimated to have between 4,600 and 16,000 persons living with HIV/AIDS. The discrepancy in numbers is due to a lack of testing.

http://www.candlelightmemorial.org/about_us/

http://abc.az/eng/news_20_04_2009_34037.html

http://www.unaids.org/en/CountryResponses/Countries/azerbaijan.asp

Finally, for any of my Azerbaijani readers online who wish to learn more about HIV/AIDS, I have had basic information translated for you. Please pass this information along to your fellow citizens. Knowledge is the first step toward keeping Azerbaijan from losing more citizens to this disease.

What is HIV?

n HIV is short for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV is a virus that effects the bodies immune system. The virus over time will weaken your bodies ability to fight other illnesses. HIV is the first stage of having AIDS.

n HİV qısa İnsanın immunçatışmazlığı virusu deməkdir.HİV orqanizmin immun sisteminə zərər yetirən virusdur. Bu virus illər keçdikcə insan orqanizmini zəiflədir və başqa xəstəliklərə qarşı mübarizə bacarığını azaldır. HİV, QİÇS-i qazanmağın ilkin mərhələsidir.

n HIV infects the T Helper cell. Once inside a T helper cell, HIV takes over the cell and replicates. In this process the infected cell often dies. The new virus seeks out new T-Helper Cells to infect.

n HİV köməkçi T-hüceyrələrini yoluxdurur. Onlar T-köməkçi hüceyrənin daxilində olarkən, onu özününküləşdirir və çoxaldır. Çox vaxt bu prosesdə yoluxmuş hüceyrələr ölür. Yoluxmuş hüceyrə öldükdən sonra virus yoluxdurmaq üçün yeni köməkçi T-hüceyrə axtarır.

What is AIDS?

n When the HIV virus has lowered your bodies immune system to a specific weak state, the virus is then called AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)

n HİV virusu insan orqanizmini müəyyən dərəcəyə qədər zəiflətdikdə, bu virus sonradan QİÇS (Qazanılmış İmmunçatışmazlığı Sindromu)adlandırılır.

n When people have AIDS, the symptoms are usually those of other illnesses that effect them during their weakened state. So often, the symptoms can be similar to the flu.

n İnsanlar QİÇS-ə yoluxanda onlar başqa xəstəliklər zamanı keçirdikləri hallarla (simptomlarla) qarşılaşırlar. Daha çox qrip xəstəliyinə bənzəyir.

Who is at risk to get HIV/AIDS?

n ALL people, of EVERY race, gender, age, and culture can get HIV / AIDS.

n Bütün insanlar, milli mənsubiyyətindən, cinsindən, yaşından və mədəniyyətindən asılı olmayaraq HİV/QİÇS-ə yoluxa bilərlər.

How do I know if someone has HIV / AIDS? Mən necə bilim ki, kim HİV/QİÇS-ə artıq yoluxub ?!

n You can not tell someone has HIV or AIDS just by looking at them. The only way to know for sure if someone has HIV or AIDS is through a blood test. This means that you can have HIV or AIDS and not know that you have it.

n Kiminsə sadəcə zahiri görünüşünə baxmaqla demək olmaz ki, bu insan yoluxub ya yox. Bu faktın yeganə aşkarlanma yolu qan testinin verilməsidir. Bu o deməkdir ki, Sən HİV QİÇS-in daşıyıcısı ola bilərsən amma bundan xəbərin olmaz.

How do you get HIV/AIDS?

n HIV is not like a cold or flu virus. The virus is transferred through blood and body fluids of an infected person, to a non infected person. The most common ways of getting HIV or AIDS is through sexual contact, use of needles, and from mother to child during birth.

n HİV sadə soyuqluq və yaxud qrip virusuna bənzəmir. Bu virus xəstə insanın qan və yaxud bədən mayeləri vasitəsi ilə sağlam insana keçə bilər. HİV QİÇS-in daha geniş yayılmış yolları: iynələrdən istifadə, seksual kontakt və doğuş zamanı anadan uşağa keçməsi.

Can I catch HIV / AIDS ? Mən HİV/QİÇS-ə yoluxa bilərəm?

n You can not get HIV / AIDS through “casual contact.” This means that shaking hands, giving hugs, sharing food and drinks, from mosquito or bug bites, or just touching someone with HIV / AIDS will not give you the virus. It is safe to be friends with people who have HIV or AIDS. The virus will not pass to you unless you exchange blood or bodily fluids.

n HİV/QİÇS-ə təsadüfi görüşməklə yoluxmaq olmaz. Yani əl ilə salamlaşma zamanı, qucaqlaşma, yemək və içki ilə paylaşma zamanı, milçək və ya ağcaqanadların dişləməsi,və ya HİV/QİÇS virusunun daşıyıcısı olan bir çəxsə əl vurmaqla yoluxmaq olmaz.

Is there a cure to protect myself? Özümü qorumaq üçün bir dərman mövcuddurmu?

n Scientists have not yet discovered a cure for HIV / AIDS. There are medicines for people who currently have HIV / AIDS to help them to stay healthy and live longer.

n Alimlər hələ HİV/QİÇS-ə qarşı dərman tapmayıblar. Hal-hazırda HİV/QİÇS xəstələri üçün dərmanlar var ki, onların sağlam qalmasına və bir az artıq yaşamasına kömək edirlər.

What are some ways I can protect myself from getting HIV/AIDS?

n Do not share needles. Do not touch needles you find. Make sure when you get a shot at the doctor that the needle is new. Do not use drugs, as this is the number one way HIV / AIDS is spread in Azerbaijan.

n İynələrinizlə paylaşmayın. Tapdığınız iynələrə əl vurmayın. Həkim qəbulunda olarkən əmin olun ki, istifadə olunan iynə təzədir. Narkotik vasitələrdən istifadə etməyin, çünki, elə bu vasitə ilə Azərbaycanda bu xəstəlik daha da geniş yayılmışdır.

n Do not touch blood for any reason. If someone is bleeding, use protective rubber gloves if you must give help to the person.

n Qan gördükdə qətiyyən toxunma. Əgər bir kimsə qanaxmaya düşübsə, və sən yardım etməlisənsə, qoruyucu rezin əlcəkdən istifadə et.

n Abstinence is the only 100% protection from HIV / AIDS. However, if you do participate in sexual activities (oral, anal, or vaginal sex) with either a man or a woman, you need to use a condom EVERY time. Being faithful to your partner will also decrease your risk for getting HIV or AIDS.

n Özünüzü qoruma yeganə 100%-lıq müdafiədir HİV/QİÇS-dən. Lakin, əyər siz seksual fəaliyyətlə məşğulsunuzsa (oral,anal, və ya vaqinal seks) kişi və ya qadınla, siz HƏR DƏFƏ prezervativdən istifadə etməlisiniz. Eyni zamanda, partnyoruza qarşı sədaqətli olmağınız sizin HİV və ya QİÇS-ə yoluxma təhlükənizi azaldır.

n Do not engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. If you do, even one time, you are at risk of having HIV or AIDS.

n Fahişələrlə cinsi əlaqədə girməyin. Əyər bu hal, bir dəfə də olsa baş verərsə, siz artıq HİV/QİÇS-ə yoluxma təhlükəsinə düçar olursunuz

How can I protect my family? Mən öz ailəmi necə qoruya bilərəm?

n If you are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant, you should get tested for HIV / AIDS. If it is found that you have HIV or AIDS, doctors can start medication to protect the child from being passed the virus.

n Əgər siz hamiləsinizsə, və yaxud hamilə qalmağı planlaşdırırsınızsa, siz HİV/QİÇS-ə qarşı müayinədən keçməlisiniz. Əgər müəyyən olunsa ki, sizdə bu virus var, həkimlər virusun uşağa keçməsinə qarşı tədbirlər görə bilərlər.

n Do not engage in sexual activities with prostitutes, or have multiple partners. Being faithful to your spouse is important for protecting their health. If you do, even one time, you are at risk of giving HIV or AIDS to your spouse.

n Fahişə ilə əlaqədən çəkinin və yaxud çox partnyorla əlaqəyə girməyin. Ər və ya xanımınıza qarşı sədaqətli olmaq ailənizin sağlamlığının qorunması üçün çox vacibdir. Əgər bir dəfə də olsa siz bunu etsəniz, siz HİV və yaxud QİÇS-ə yoluxma təhlükəsi altına düşürsünüz.

Summary

How to get HIV/AIDS

n Through sexual contact, either oral, anal, or vaginal, with either a man or a woman.

n Through use of non-sterile needles or medical equipment.

n From mother to child at birth

n Direct blood to blood exchange

HİV/QİCS-ə necə yoluxmaq olar:

n Kişi və ya qadınla seksual əlaqədə olmaqla (oral,anal və ya vaginal yolla);

n Sterilizə olunmamış tibbi ləvazimatdan və ya iynələrdən istifadə etməklə;

n Doğuş zamanı anadan uşağa;

n Qan dəyişməklə

How to protect yourself and your family

n Practice Abstinence

n Be Faithful

n Use a condom every time

n Use only new needles and sterile medical equipment

n GET TESTED

Özünüzü və ailənizi necə qorumalı

n Özünüzü qoruyun;

n Sədaqətli olun;

n Hər dəfə prezervativdən istifadə edin;

n Təzə iynələrdən və sterilizə olunmuş tibbi ləvazimatdan istifadə edin

n Müayinədən keçin

GET TESTED /MÜAYİNƏDƏN KEÇİN

n Müayinədən keçmək pulsuzdur/ Testing is Free

n Tam məxfidir/ Testing is confidential

n Yaşadığınız yerdə mümkündür/ Testing is local

n 022 56 12 43 Gəncə nümayəndəliyinin əlaqə nömrəsidir

Nearing the Finish Line

This week has been both busy and stressful for me. With the start of spring I am trying to keep the finish line in sight. In a little less than 6 months my service will come to a close. Last year as my group (AZ 5) felt the pull of Close of Service, I didn’t understand the pressure, excitement and anxiety that were slowly sweeping over them. This year, I finally understand.

I recently received a Small Project Assistance Program (SPA) grant to help purchase resources for an English Language Multimedia Listening Library. Ideally, the goals of the project are to improve students’ listening comprehension skills by providing them with English language DVDs and CDs in a variety of topics which are both educational and entertaining, in order to make them more competitive for study abroad and international work opportunities. With the grant, I’ve managed to procure over 200 used DVDs and CDs thus far for the new multimedia section of our library. This involves a lot of coordination, budgeting, and training of Azerbaijani counter-parts in cataloguing and management of library resources.

In addition to the grant, my host organization has once again passed their grant application for a US Democracy Commission grant. We will be hosting the 3rd annual Youth Civic Leadership Academy at our center this year, which will take a total of 60 students for 7 weeks of leadership, human rights, critical thinking, conflict management and a variety of other courses. At the end of 21 weeks, we will take 20 students to our annual summer Leadership Camp. I’ve been working very hard on transferring the skills and knowledge of how to plan a camp and the academy to my new counterpart. As this is the third year I’ve conducted this academy, I need to ensure that next year it can continue without me being physically present.

This week was also the announcement of FLEX study abroad program participant selection. Ganja was fortunate to have 5 students chosen this year. Four girls and one boy, of which 4 students I have personally worked with in helping to prepare for this program via conversation clubs, FLEX preparation classes, book clubs, interview work shops and various other programs to build up the skills necessary for a study abroad participant. I’m so excited for them, but also nervous at the same time. As in Azerbaijan, it can be very hard for young women to get parental permission to go abroad. Even after they pass the entire rigorous application process, many times parents refuse to allow their children to go. I am just hoping that this year all of the parents will allow their children to achieve their full potential.

Finally, next week on Tuesday morning, Farid and I will have our interview for his spouse visa at the US Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. This is the last step in the visa process. For those of you who don’t know how hard it is to immigrate to the US, I hope that you will find this enlightening. Our process of application started last August. In order to get just a wedding certificate, we had to collect papers from the US that required an Apostille (like an international notary which makes a legal document of one country recognized in another country as also being legal.) Our wedding date required a one month advance notice, and we had to have current visas, passports, and registration ID cards. After the wedding, then we could take our marriage certificate, and apply with the US embassy for an immigrant visa. This process involved a stack of government forms, lots of translated and notarized documents, and another trip to the capitol. After the initial application, I was reviewed for a criminal background check (yes, me) then we were invited to an interview. However, the interview date had to be pushed back in order to obtain all the legal documents necessary for the interview. We had to acquire a police certificate from every place Farid has ever lived which stated he has no record of any kind; he had to pass a full physical done by an embassy approved physician (which was only located in the capitol city), and had to of course have all his documents translated and notarized in English. In addition to this, we had yet another stack of government forms to fill out to prove that I’m a legal resident of the US, and that I meet the income requirements for applying to sponsor my husband as an immigrant. As a Peace Corps volunteer, we don’t receive a salary, but rather a monthly stipend for housing, food, transportation and other minimal costs. Let’s just say I used to make more in one month than I do in a whole year as a PCV. So no, I do not meet the income requirements. Which means I had to have my parents verify that my home of record is with them, and have them apply their income toward mine in order to supplement mine in sponsoring Farid. With all this complete, we still now have to travel outside of Azerbaijan (as the closest IMMIGRANT visa office is in Georgia) in order to conduct an interview. We’ve been told that the interview could be anywhere from a few minutes to a couple hours depending on your paperwork and their feelings about Farid and my relationship. Needless to say, this process can take a lot out of one. I sometimes feel like a nervous wreck trying to jump through all the hoops necessary just to stay with my husband. There is one thing I can say for sure, the process is so complicated that a couple must really love each other and want to be together to endure and survive something like this. I’m very thankful that Farid has been so patient and supportive while I’ve been going crazy… It’s nice to have someone to balance me out. We will have a final answer by Tuesday as to what comes next. It could be one of three answers. “YES, come back and get your visa tomorrow.” “No, you have been denied.” Or finally… “You need to come back again with _____.” (Fill in whatever documentation or items that they ask for.) So for those of you who know me, I’m in anxiety mode right now, just checking over everything a hundred times, trying to get my marriage certificate translated with my name spelled correctly for the umpteenth time (the most common mistakes are Vatkins, or reversing the A and E in my first name.) We now have less than 89 hours till his interview. So if you’re reading this any time before then, just pray for us, think good thoughts, send good vibrations, or good wishes to us. I’ll let you all know as soon as I have any news (good or bad) regarding his visa.

I know, I know, I know… I really am horrible at updating a blog. Honestly, sometimes I don’t even know how to describe my experiences here. During our pre-service training, one of our staff members described the Peace Corps experience like a roller coaster. Some days are a struggle to get up, but when you’re at the top, nothing can be more exciting. Other days, it’s a frightening fall down hill, and you feel like you’re going to crash when you hit the bottom. Right now, it’s a bit of both for me. I feel like I’m in the final climb uphill, but at the same time falling towards the last crash. I’m going to make a birthday resolution this year. I’m hoping to start updating my blog once a week now that the end of my service is slowly creeping nearer. So I do hope that you will stick with me a bit longer.

They say you can never go home again...

Again, I have neglected my duty of keeping people up to date with my adventures in the land of fire. So, I will do my best not to make this the worlds longest blog entry, but alas, I have much ground to cover. So where to begin?

I am currently home in America for the very first time in 2 years, 3 months and 5 days. I am spending 30 days visiting with family, friends, and taking care of business that needed to be done. Needless to say, now that my body is down to a size 11 from a size 18, I needed all new clothes. I must say, walmart looks pretty good when your options are few and far between at the local bazaar in Ganja. I've managed to eat terriyaki, Thai, pho, Mexican, Italian, and traditional good ol' unhealthy American food since I've been home. And it all tastes even better than I've been imagining. I've driven a car for the first time in almost two and a half years. I washed laundry in a washer, and then dried it in a dryer. I've had countless hot showers that don't require me to heat the water before hand. When I got cold, I turned on the heat. I've even enjoyed helping out around the house. Vacuuming seems so much more fun when you haven't been able to do it for so long. Seeing so many people has been a great joy. But sadly, it is true what they say. You can never go home again.

Since I have extended my service, I had worried that coming home for a month would make me not look forward to coming back to Azerbaijan. Many volunteers say that it's hard to find motivation once you go home and then come back. I, on the other hand, have found it more of an inspiration than anything else ever could have been. This chance to come home has been good, but it has made me appreciate the things that I do miss about Azerbaijan.

First and foremost, I miss my Azerbaijani husband. He is kind, honest, sweet, hard working, has a great sense of humor, and always knows how to make the bad days into good ones. On September 21st, we were married at the ZAGS office in Baku, Azerbaijan. That day is by far, the happiest and most incredible day of my life. It was the highlight of my Peace Corps experience, and I feel honored to have found my soul mate on the other side of the world while trying to find myself. We will be doing a larger wedding ceremony at the end of November, but this one was even more wonderful than I could have ever imagined. With the dates for my extension of service leave already set, and the ministry setting our wedding date, my hands were tied. I had to leave only 2 weeks after our wedding. Not really how we had imagined our first month of marriage to be... apart. However, having higher speed Internet connection does have a bit of an advantage, but nothing can substitute for being by his side.

Second, I miss the pace of life in Azerbaijan. I miss making my own schedule. I miss not having to worry about time. In Azerbaijan, I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful community. My host organization is run by the most amazing and wonderful boss I've ever had in my entire life. He is kind, patient, open to new ideas, optimistic, and always works to keep his volunteers and staff happy. So I am fortunate enough to be able to make my own schedule. I don't have a set time to come into the office. I come in whatever time I finish my housework or morning errands, and then I stay until my planning, classes, clubs or activities are complete for the day. Then I go home. And every day is a joy. I actually look forward to going to work. How many people can say that about their job? I miss that life in Azerbaijan is at a more leisurely pace. I miss that schedules are lose, and that people just go with the flow. It's harder to come back to America when everything runs by the clock all the time. It can be inescapably stifling at times.

Third, I miss the people. I miss their open minded, positive attitudes. I miss the optimistic youth who are constantly striving to make a better world for themselves and their families. I miss how the people sincerely care about your answer when they ask "how are you?" The culture can be so much more intimate. Which at first, can be frightening, and feel intrusive. But in reality, I have more best friends in Azerbaijan than I do now in America. My friends, host family, and students all genuinely are a big part of my life. They are what carries me through the rough days. They are my Azerbaijani family. And I miss them.

Finally, I miss my job. It gives me a sense of purpose in this world like nothing I could ever describe. I love being a Peace Corps Volunteer. The lack of money and material possessions are nothing when compared to the rewards I receive in return. This summer, I saw the graduation of more than 60 students from three consecutive 8 week programs for my annual Youth Civic Leadership Academy. Then, I took not just one group, but two groups of students to a summer Leadership Camp. I got to know them, what they dream of, what their passions are, and what gives them so much strength and determination. It was the highlight of my year. I worked along side of three of the most amazing Azerbaijanis I've ever met. One of which I married the following week, and the other two were standing right by our side as if they were blood related family. My job is closely tied to my heart. I cannot separate it because it is what gives me so much joy. Being a Peace Corps Volunteer may be difficult at times, but there are a million moments of joy for each moment of frustration.

It is true, you can never go home again... my physical home is no longer where my heart lies. Azerbaijan has captured it deeply, and I am looking forward to returning. I don't know what my third year in the Peace Corps will bring, but if the first two years are any indication, the adventure is far from over.

A Table for Tyrants

Re-Print from The New York Times article from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/opinion/11havel.html?_r=1

By VACLAV HAVEL (president of the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2003, and leading figure in Human Rights)
Published: May 10, 2009

IMAGINE an election where the results are largely preordained and a number of candidates are widely recognized as unqualified. Any supposedly democratic ballot conducted in this way would be considered a farce. Yet tomorrow the United Nations General Assembly will engage in just such an “election” when it votes to fill the vacancies on the 47-member Human Rights Council.
Only 20 countries are running for 18 open seats. The seats are divided among the world’s five geographic regions and three of the five regions have presented the same number of candidates as there are seats, thus ensuring there is no opportunity to choose the best proponents of human rights each region has to offer.

Governments seem to have forgotten the commitment made only three short years ago to create an organization able to protect victims and confront human rights abuses wherever they occur.

An essential precondition was better membership. The council’s precursor, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, was folded in 2006 mainly because it had, for too long, allowed gross violators of human rights like Sudan and Zimbabwe to block action on their own abuses.
The council was supposed to be different. For the first time, countries agreed to take human rights records into account when voting for the council’s members, and those member-states that failed to, in the words of the founding resolution, “uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights” would find themselves up for review and their seats endangered. For victims of human rights abuses and advocates for human rights worldwide, the reforms offered the hope of a credible and effective body.

Now, it seems, principle has given way to expediency. Governments have resumed trading votes for membership in various other United Nations bodies, putting political considerations ahead of human rights. The absence of competition suggests that states that care about human rights simply don’t care enough. Latin America, a region of flourishing democracies, has allowed Cuba to bid to renew its membership. Asian countries have unconditionally endorsed the five candidates running for their region’s five seats — among them, China and Saudi Arabia.
In past years, Western countries encouraged rights-respecting states from other regions to compete for election. This year, they have ceded the high ground by presenting a non-competitive slate for the council elections. New Zealand withdrew when the United States declared its candidacy, leaving just three countries — Belgium, Norway and the United States — running for three seats.

Even where competition is guaranteed, it is minimal. In the Eastern Europe region — which under the United Nations’ rules includes all countries behind the former Iron Curtain, including my own, the Czech Republic — the countries running for re-election are Azerbaijan and Russia, whose human rights records oscillate from questionable to despicable. Only Hungary has stepped forward to compete for the region’s two seats. The reluctance of Eastern European states to reclaim leadership from human rights abusers does not inspire confidence.
Like the citizens of Azerbaijan, China, Cuba, Russia and Saudi Arabia, I know what it is like to live in a country where the state controls public discourse, suppresses opposition and severely curtails freedom of expression. It is thus doubly dismaying for me to see the willingness of democracies in Latin America and Asia to sit by and watch the council further lose its credibility and respect.

Activists and journalists in Azerbaijan and Cuba have already appealed to the international community not to elect their nations to the Human Rights Council. States committed to human rights and the integrity of the council cannot remain indifferent. Countries must express solidarity with the victims of human rights abuses and reclaim the council by simply refusing to vote for human rights abusers in this shamefully uncontested election.

(Personal comments to follow in coming blog)

Staying in Azerbaijan

My dear readers, as I’m sure you are aware, the work I have been doing here for the past 22 months has been both beneficial to the people I’m working with, as well as a life altering event for me. I have had many ups and downs, but every moment is one that has taught me something about either Azerbaijan or myself. Through my time in the Peace Corps, I have been able to experience some of the most remarkable events of my life. I am fortunate enough to have accomplished some of the major goals I had set out for myself prior to my departure. My time in the Peace Corps has allowed me to tailor the experience to the needs of my community, and my own interests. It is not often that one can wake up looking forward to her job each day. Simply put, I love being a Peace Corps volunteer; so much so, in fact that I am not quite ready to leave yet.

I have finally found my niche here, and have started a few projects that deserve some more time to make them just right. I won’t be able to do them justice if I don’t stay longer here in Azerbaijan. My level of language has finally reached the point where I can communicate about most subjects on at least a basic level. I’ve developed several friendships and important relationships that deserve more time and care to foster, and I am hoping that my time here will help those to continue growing. It is with great pleasure that I announce to you that I have been approved for a third year as a Peace Corps volunteer. This is truly an honor and a privilege for me. I know that this will be hard for my family and friends, but Peace Corps has given me the opportunity to fulfill my personal and career goals through an extension of my service. Please trust that this is something I need to do for myself at this point in time.

I will stay in ganja, and I will stay with the Ganja Education Information Center. Nothing changes other than the date of my return. I will be staying for an additional year… which will bring me back to the US in October of 2010. For those of you that may be sad that I won’t be back for good this Fall, please take heart in the fact that I will have a one month vacation time to come home for a visit sometime between September and November. You will be able to see me this year, but I won’t be back permanently till the next. It is a fair compromise, and I hope that I will have your understanding and support as I embark on my third year in country.

Over the next year, I have decided to start drafting my first attempt at a non-fiction novel about life in Azerbaijan as a Peace Corps volunteer. I am also hoping to see more of the country, as I have been heavily devoted to staying in my rayon and its surrounding areas. I believe that it is both my duty and obligation to have a thorough knowledge of life outside of my city… what kind of volunteer would I be if I left Azerbaijan without seeing half the country? These personal goals are something that only more time will help me to accomplish. Please look forward to more frequent updates, more personal stories, and more cultural information over the coming year. I hope that as my loyal readers, you will enjoy what lies ahead. So, as the great Dumbledore said… and now we shall pursue that flighty temptress, adventure!