Azerbaijan's First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva has become a nominee for honorary title 'The Great Woman of 21st Century'. This important title has already been awarded to a number of prominent women such as Queen of England Elizabeth II, the current United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Mother Teresa who won fame worldwide for good deeds. First Lady of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and UNESCO and ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mehriban Aliyev was nominated for this international title most recently, that is, in late July, AzerTAj state news agency reported.
Art Director of International Niagara Festival and Professor of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto Atis Bankas, Professor of the Moscow Conservatory and co-chair of Silk Way Niagara Festival Nina Kogan, chief conductor of the chamber orchestra Silk Way and chairman of the committee Silk Way Ismail Hajiyev and Chief Manager of the International Niagara Festival Virginia Mainprice appealed to the President of the American Biographical Institute Mr. Evans with this request. All of them are members of the Canada-based International Center of Universal Human Values named after Azerbaijani scholar and orientalist Aida Imanguliyeva.
To ground their nomination, the authors of appeal to the American Biographical Institute presented broad activities by Mrs. Aliyeva aimed at developing cultural wealth of her country, as well as bringing closer cultures of East and West and promoting spiritual and creative integration. Charitable foundation 'Friends of Azerbaijani Culture' established by Mrs. Aliyeva targets these goals by organizing festivals, exhibitions, concerts and other events related to culture. First Lady has proposed to establish the Mugam Center. Mugam is a traditional classical form of Azerbaijani folk music.
Tremendous work is done in the fields of education, health and sports at the initiative of Mrs. Mehriban.
President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation pays a special attention to children and their problems. The Foundations's charity program includes reconstruction and modernization of orphanages in Azerbaijan, opening schools, providing treatment to children suffering from diabetes and other serious diseases. Special care is taken for the old people's homes on the most advanced medical level.
The message emphasizes activities of the Azerbaijani First Lady at the international level: "Mrs. Aliyeva was the initiator of the Days of Azerbaijani mugam in Niagara, which became an exciting event in the cultural life of North America, as well as the creation of the organizational structure of the festival committee Niagara Silk Road." Regarding Mrs. Aliyeva's role in promoting music and culture of all countries, located on the ancient Silk Road, she was awarded the highest award of Niagara festival "Rose of Peace", an ancient symbol of man, holding the noble mission for the convergence and integration of world cultures and civilizations ..."
Further, the message addressed to the President of the American Biographical Institute mentions concrete facts being evidence of the participation of the UNESCO and ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Mehriban Aliyeva, in the preservation of world heritage. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation headed by Mrs. Aliyeva has allocated funds for the reconstruction of the individual and very valuable fragments of the Strasbourg Cathedral in France, the Catholic Church of St. Mary in Baku, which was done under the Memorandum signed between the Foundation and the Catholic community in Rome. The Foundation finances the reconstruction of religious monuments across the country under the "Azerbaijan - the Address of Tolerance" project.
Those who appealed to the American Biographical Institute to award the honorary title to the First Lady also include Lord Geri Borrou, Mayor of the City of Niagara, where bust of Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev was built in a gallery last year and which served as cultural bridge between Canada and Azerbaijan.
Indefatigable work of this truly great woman is worthy of world recognition!