Baki Tbilisi Qars Dəmiryolu Xəttinin Azərbaycan Və Regionun Geoiqtisadiyyatina Təsiri (The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Rail Road and Its Geopolitical Implications Azerbaijan and This Region)

Social work in Azerbaijan: Achievements and challenges of the profession

“…Due to its oil and gas resources, starting in the late 1890s Azerbaijan had a booming industry compromising about 200 private oil and gas companies with the majority owned by locals (Essad Bey, 1931). The owners of these companies, oil billionaires, promoted philanthropic activities through organized efforts such as Jemiyyety-Xeyriyye (the Charity Society), Nashri Maarif, Saadat, or individual efforts (Suleymanov, 2002). Oil barons and other rich people established shelters for homeless and poor people.…”

“…Oil barons and other rich people established shelters for homeless and poor people. The Jemiyyeti-Xeyriyye played the main role in coordinating services and distributing financial resources to maintain these shelters, child institutions, and other philanthropic activities (Suleymanov, 2002). Women also founded several organizations -the Women's Defense Organizations in 1902 to protect survivors of domestic violence; the Muslim Social Democratic Group (Hummat) in 1904 to raise more gender-specific demands such as maternity leave for women, time on the job for nursing unweaned children, and medical care for all workers.…”

“…Community and individual-level philanthropy were officially abolished as an unnecessary and bourgeois effort by communists after the Red Army took over Azerbaijan in April of 1920. During Soviet times, from 1921 to 1991, activities of this sort by individuals were suppressed by the communists (Suleymanov, 2002). After 'demolishing' the first Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1920, which was established in 1918 right after the collapse of Russian Empire, the Soviet Union opened a new chapter in the development of the social welfare system in Azerbaijan.…”