The 1st International Youth Forum of Cultural Heritage and Tourism kicked off on February 1 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Youth of 40 age from various countries participate at the forum, lasted 2 days under slogan “Explore, Protect and Promote!” by MIRAS Social Organization in Support of Studying of Cultural Heritage.
The Forum aims at maintaining collaboration perspectives in the direction of protection and study of cultural heritage, tourism and new fields of tourism by gathering youth among the countries, achieving wide application of exchange of new ideas and successful practices. Young scientists and experts from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Georgia, Norway, Tajikistan, Italy, Egypt and Spain discuss global, interdisciplinary and national issues, as well as the problems and prospects on cultural heritage and tourism.
PhD Fariz Khalilli, chairman of the MIRAS Social Organization opening the event said the target of the forum is to deliver the essence of Azerbaijani Youth Day, passed as heritage and founded by national leader Heydar Aliyev, to the whole world, and widely celebrated continuously every year on February 2. He noted that this conception embraced sublime feelings and love called on youth of qualification fields like cultural heirtag and tourism making peoples to recognize and know each other, to be united: “It is good to lean and read and this makes basis of knowledge. Travel does not only strengthen knowledge, but also destroys wrong views. Thus cultural heritage and tourism are not only qualification, but also urgent demands of today, i.e. food, water and air”.
Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Gafar Jabiyev; Professor Gino Mirocle Crisci, rector of University of Calabria in Italy; Andrea Macchia, President of the YOCOCU Association; employee of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Maleyka Huseynova; Arzu Soltan, deputy chairperson of the MIRAS Social Organization; Irakli Ephremidze, founder of the International Tourism Association “Georgia for Friends”; officials of Tajikistan and Egypt embassies, as well as professors Shikar Gasimov, Kubra Aliyeva, head of "Cabaqar" LLC Zeynab Gasimova, director of Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for young people with limited health Rahila Hasratova underscored the event’s significance and congratulated the organizers and participants.
Charity exhibition "We are always with you" of work of art by disabled youth was opened within the forum.
Later there were held speeches and debates in sessions “Explore” and “Protect”. The speakers responded the questions of the forum participants.
The topics of current trends in cultural heritage preservation and promotion in Siberia; the history of Azerbaijani folklore in 1900-1930 year; historical-cultural monuments of Tajikistan; cultural heritage resources of Georgia; traces of culture in Norwegian nature; museums as object of intercultural dialogue and current experiences; preventive experiences in protection of cultural heritage teasures at Topkapi Palace Museum; young conservation scientists and Italian practice of Calabria University in the field of cultural heritage; Egypt people and their folk songs; protection of vernacular architecture in Iran and restoration of historical buildings and each home is one hotel practice; international route forwarded by archaeological tourism project of “Cities of Common Cultural Heritage” embraced four countries (Azerbaijan, Kazakstan, Uzbekistan and Turkey); cultural heritage and community management in Spain; the experience of promotion of the Azerbaijani cultural heritage for foreign students studying in Azerbaijan; local tourist guides as ambassadors of culture and history; the student tourism in northern Cyprus; development of rural tourism in the regions with tourism potential; training courses for inclusive tourist guides in Georgia are widely discussed during the forum.
Abstracts of the forum speeches were published in a book.
It is intended to maintain friendship to stimulate the development of intercultural relations with representatives of various countries and peoples and strengthen integrity among youth, develop rather current collaboration; to arrange training courses on work principles and activity direction for high level implementation of the above-mentioned work by youth and provide teaching of working abilities, to make schedule for the ideas sounded at the forum and realize as project by developing more.
Special attention made to organization and implementation of youth forums in the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on “confirmation of deveopment strategy of Azerbaijani youth in 2015-2025” validates importance of Cultural Heritage andYouth forum for next 10 years.
To strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation among the countries participating at the event and explore other actual problems, it was decided to hold the 2nd International Youth Forum of Cultural Heritage and Tourism in 2016.
In the end joint declaration of the forum participants will be adopted.