Blogging from Baku: Azerbaijani Parliament Gains New Online Presence

Five officials from Azerbaijan’s Parliament created blogs and posted them online in December as part of a good governance initiative.

In cooperation with USAID-funded Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) and the Media Advancement Project, IREX, through the Internet Access and Training Program (IATP), is implementing this professional education project to assist members of Parliament and their staffs in Baku, Shirvan, Imishli, and Sumgait in mastering ICT skills and creating their own blogs. This online presence provides constituents with more information about government activities, creates a closer connection between government and citizens, and increases the level of transparency in government.

IATP volunteer Samir Yahyayev, who had completed IATP training several years ago, taught the Parliament members and their support staff about creating blogs, posting articles, uploading pictures, internet etiquette, and increasing online visitor traffic.  As a result of the training, the Azerbaijani officials’ blogs are appearing online and they can be found at http://kamranramazanov.blogmilli.com, http://mmehdi.blogmilli.com, http://mmfirdovsi.blogmilli.com, http://rafikismayilov.blogmilli.com, and http://vuqarqaracayev.blogmilli.com. IATP is funded by USAID and administered by IREX.