AZERBAIJAN: Social economic innovation in the Greater Caucasus region

Field of Studies: International Development, Community Development, International Economics/Relations/Politics, Rural/Agricultural Development
Language: English, Russian or Turkish (desired)
Number of Participants: 2

Scheduled time of the internship: July to September 2013

Sheki is a city in north-western Azerbaijan with 63,000 inhabitants. The city is surrounded by the white peaks of the Greater Caucasus. Sheki is known for its mineral springs and its small silk industry attracting national and international tourists.

The “Uluchay” Social Economic Innovation Center is a local grassroots organization addressing social, economic and human rights issues. Uluchay’s mission is to support the socio-economic development of Azerbaijan’s regions outside of the capital. Its priority areas are: civil society development, public sector reform, economic development & youth empowerment. In this context, it works with internally displaced people, media, farm workers as well as local governments and private-sector businesses.

Interns will support the development of the NGO by bringing in new ideas. They will first assess the local situation in order to suggest new areas of involvement. Developing new projects with the staff members will be at the centre of the internship. These should especially focus on the field of socio-economic development. The GLEN-participants will also offer workshops on important skills for setting up new businesses and for improving the quality of services.

For this internship, GLEN-participants need the ability to work in an unstructured work-environment. They should have experience in working with grassroots organizations. Project planning and project management skills are an important asset. Interns need research (community mapping and needs assessment), data collection and analysis skills. Finally, the cohabitation of several cultural groups in Sheki requires intercultural competences.

The scheduled time for the internship is 3 months between July and September 2013. Training and seminars prior to the internship will be held in English.

The tandem will be formed by an Estonian participant and a German/Swiss participant.

Proposed by: Ilyas Safarli (Executive Director, Uluchay)

Number of the internship: 5000300601