From WEEKLY NEWS 10/00
9 March 2000
The Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society
(ARCS) is celebrating 80 years of humanitarian activity. Celebrations include
a special concert and awards to the Society's most active staff and volunteers.
The first edition of its new magazine, Charity was issued to coincide with
the anniversary, as well as a documentary film. Today, the National Society,
with support from the International Federation, runs a number of programmes,
including visiting nurses who care for some 7,000 poor pensioners who live
alone, and first aid training in schools. The Azerbaijan Red Crescent is
also working in the camps set up in the southern part of the country where
displaced people receive assistance in the form of agricultural programmes,
potable water and psycho-social assistance. A training centre opened this
week in Baku for young displaced women, who will be trained in computer,
business and marketing skills, in order to help them find employment. At
the inauguration, ARCS President Novruzali Aslanov reiterated the National
Society's priority - to support young people. Founded on 10 March
1920, the National Society has 75 district branches and 78,000 volunteers
and members.
WEEKLY NEWS IS PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES
17 Chemin des Crêts, Geneva
Tel: (41 22) 730 4222
Fax: (41 22) 733 0395
E-mail: weeklynews@ifrc.org