Year of creation: 2010
Domain(s):

- oral traditions and expressions
- performing arts
- social practices, rituals and festive events

Safeguarding measures:

- identification, documentation, research (including inventory-making)
- preservation, protection
- promotion, enhancement
- transmission, (non-)formal education
- revitalization

Main countries where active:

Azerbaijan

Objectives:
The general objectives of the Ashiq Shamshir Public Union is the collection, research, study, publication, protection, promotion of Azerbaijani Ashiq Art and its transmission to the future generation.
Activities:
The Public Union has been involved in the following projects and events related to the safeguarding, promotion and transmission of intangible cultural heritage of Azerbaijan.

Projects:
1. The Public Union has started the implementation of a project named "Promotion of Nearly Forgotten Fork Art Genres" in March 2010. The project was sponsored by the Council on State Support to NGOs. The samples of the forgotten folk art genres, especially the family-domestic folk plays were gathered, filmed and the educational materials were prepared aiming promotion of these folk arts.
2. In June 2012, the Public Union has started the execution of the project of "Masterworks – Come to Read the Alphabet of Our National Values Together". The objective of the project is to outline the importance of the masterworks in the education of the young generation and to provide information to the young generation in this regard.
3. In October 2012, the Public Union has started the execution of a project named: The National Wealth of the Modern Azerbaijan - Ashiq Art" and has launched a scientific-research program at Caucasian University on 24 October 2012.
4. In April 2014, Dede Gorgud's Da, the Public Union has organized Saz workshops in Baku and Ganja for protection of the old Azerbaijani music instrument of Saz.

Events
1. The Public Union has organized and hosted a seminar for “Uzeyir Hajibayli and the Ashiq Art" in December 2010. The lecturers presented their works on subjects like the importance of folk arts in the Uzeyir Hacibayli's works and the role of Uzeyir Hajibayli in development of Ashiq Art.
2. In collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Public Union organized the
"Ashiq Competitions between the Young Ashiqs of the Country - a Tribute to Ashiq Shamshir'' on 22 December 2010. 77 young Ashiqs from 33 districts throughout the country performed their works on this occasion.
3. The Public Union organized and hosted an event on 2 February 2011 named the “Role of young Ashiqs in Development of Ashiq Arts". The objective of the event was the safeguarding of traditions and folk arts and also emphasizing on the importance of continuation of all actions undertaken in line with this issue.
4. In collaboration with the Folklore Institute, the Public Union organized the scientific-practical conference on Folk Art of Azerbaijan in the Context of European Civilization on 21 December 2011.
5. On 24 March 24 2012, the Public Union has organized a concert program for the Azerbaijani people in Mainz, Germany within Novruz festival programme.
6. In collaboration with the Council on State Support to NGO, the Public Union implemented a project- conference on "Ashiq-Ozan, the Symbol of United Culture of Azerbaijan- Turkey" in June 2013. The objective of the conference was to contribute to cultural integration between the nations.
7. In collaboration with the Folklore Institute, the Public Union organized an international scientific conference on “The Historical Development Path of Ashiq Art and Ashiq Shamshir's Era" on 7 December 2013. The objective of the event was to investigate the role of the outstanding representative of Ashiq - Ozan Art of 20th century, Ashiq Shamshir in this art and its investigation from scientific and theoretical points of view.

Commemoration events
1. In collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Public Union organized “The
Master Ashiqs are in People's Hearts" as a tribute to the master Ashiqs on 29 June 2011 which was a concert program of Azerbaijani Ashiqs.
2. In collaboration with the Institute of Eurasia International Investigations, the Public Union organized an event dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Master Poet Ashiq Gurbani in June 2012.
3. The Public Union organized an event on 21 December 2012 on the occasion of the 130th anniversary of Hoseyn Javid, an outstanding poet and drama writer. The winners of essay competition on “Hoseyn Javid and the Azerbaijan Literature” held between the students were declared on the event.
4. In collaboration with the Shahriyar" Society, the Public Union has organized an event dedicated to the master Ashiqs of the Republic of AzerbaiJan at House of Nations in Moscow on 3 June 2013.
5. In collaboration with the Baku State University, the Public Union organized an event dedicated to the 105th anniversary of Mir Jalal Pashayev, the outstanding scholar and writer, in December 2013.

Awards
The Public Union took part in a book festival on 28 May 2011. Ashiq Shamshir' Cultural Center Public Union was selected as the winner of the Outstanding Cultural Institution for the year 2010 at the 11th Book Festival. The prize was awarded to the Public Union for its role in development of cultural values, its efforts in line with the promotion of Ashiq art and its support provided to the field of culture.

The Public Union has participated in numerous international conferences, festivals and cultural events. It has as well supported many publications on Ashiq Shamshir.

Cooperation:
The Public Union has established close relationships with folk experts, musicologists, poets, masters and performers of Ashiq Shamshir as well as with other persons involved or interested in the field of art.

Year of creation: 2010
Domain(s):

- oral traditions and expressions
- performing arts
- social practices, rituals and festive events
- traditional craftsmanship

Safeguarding measures:

- identification, documentation, research (including inventory-making)
- preservation, protection
- promotion, enhancement
- transmission, (non-)formal education
- revitalization

Main countries where active:

Azerbaijan

Objectives:
The purpose of the Azerbaijani Carpetmakers' Union is the safeguarding of the Azerbaijani national carpetmaking and handicrafts, their development and popularization in the world.
The Union helps to learn and form the public opinion about carpet-making art, legal rug products, and it also helps the stimulating of the raising of the creative work mastery of the physical persons, popularization of quality and special signs of our national culture and handicrafts to determine various examples of carpets and also helps theirs popularization and demonstation in Azerbaijan and the world. The NGO collaborates with local and international organizations of carpet-making art, including museums and also with legal and physical persons, as well as the state agencies.
The Unity organizes different trainings and workshops, round tables and meetings, exhibitions, charitable fundraising, conferences, other cultural and other mass measures; dissiminates information about purposes and activities, publishes print materials.
Activities:
In 2009-2010, the Azerbaijani Carpetmakers' Union participated in developing the nomination file of Azerbaijani carpetweaving for the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
For preservation of a variety of the Azerbaijan carpet, weaver's communities together with the Association «The World of carpet» and Azerbaijani Carpetmakers' Union collect information about local features of carpets, popularisation of products of local weavers through exhibitions-sales, organising trainings. So, in August 2009, in Baku, the Azerbaijani Carpetmakers' Union uniting all carpet communities of the country and the Association «World of Carpet» organised the round table which was devoted to problems of activization of manufacture of pileless carpets in Azerbaijan. The Carpetmakers' Union organises regular trainings in technique of pileless carpets at the the Museum of the Azerbaijan carpet.
Communities of carpet weavers demonstrate the works at various exhibitions. So, in 2009 the national competition-festival of carpets in various zones of the country was organised. In 2009, works of national weavers were shown in one of the Days of the Azerbaijan culture in Basel.
Besides, the following national laws were adopted: in 1998 the Law on import-export of cultural objects, in 2003 - the Law about folklore, in 2007 - ratification of the Convention of UNESCO on Protection of intangible Cultural heritage.
In 1983, 1988, and 2003, three international symposiums of the Azerbaijan carpet were organised in Azerbaijan. The first two ones were passed under the aegis of UNESCO. In 2007 4th symposium devoted to the 100 anniversary of Ljatif Kerimov took place in UNESCO headquarters in Paris where the exhibition of artists works also was organised.
Among large publications of carpet protection for last decade: Roya Tagieva «The Azerbaijan carpet» 1999, presentation of which has taken place in 2000 in Louvre Museum, Azadi-Kerimov-Tsollinger «The Azerbaijan Caucasian carpets» 2001, and the two-volume book «The Azerbaijan carpet» 2006, devoted to L.Kerimov and Materials of 4th symposium about the Azerbaijan carpet.
Many last projects have been connected with efforts on revival of carpet art. Among of them:
• CD issues: 2004 - «The Virtual Museum of the Azerbaijan carpet and applied art» (UNESCO grant),
2005 - «Technologies of the Azerbaijan carpet»,
2006 - «The Azerbaijan carpets» (with financial assistance of the Moscow bureau of UNESCO);
• in 2008 was spent the exhibition of carpets «Azerbaijan – the country of fires and carpets» from a collection of the Kiev art museum of Boqdan and Barbarians Hanenko and the catalogue of the publication «The Azerbaijan carpet»;
• In 2009 Republican festival and an exhibition of modern carpets from various regions of the country;
• In July 2009 in Baku – exhibition «Dream of the master: a new life of ancient patterns» in which works of modern weavers have been exposed.
In 14th of September, 2009 has been spent the round table and a master class "Not varying values of varying time" with the assistance of carpet – wavers, artists on carpets, collectors and businessmen, and also fans of carpet art. It has been shown a collection of clothes with use of carpet patterns of young designer Minary Kulieva, works of the master on embroidery art with use of a carpet thread of Shahla Askerova, etc.
On 17th of November, 2009, on the day of birth of the great artist on carpets, masters, scientific Ljatif Kerimov has been opened the exhibition of professionals and masters is national-applied art "The art Bridge, the leader from the past in the future".
On 18th of May, 2010 has opened the exhibition of tapestries "Tapestries: yesterday and today", where have exposed the works of masters of Non-governmental organisation.
On 10th of May, 2010 has been opened the exhibition of the Union's member Mr.Eldar Mikailzade “Dedication to geniuses".
In February, 2011 has been opened the exhibition of felt products, a member of NGO Rauf Abdulgasanogly devoted to Hodzhali tragedy.
In March, 2011 has been opened the exhibition of masters on national-applied art was devoted to a holiday of Novruz.
Since 2010 the Carpetmakers' Union has started to carry on negotiations with similar international communities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, in Russian Federations and in Islamic Republic of Iran. Result of negotiations was the opening of an exhibition of masters of people-applied art of Uzbekistan which has been opened together with "Fund-Forum of culture and art of Uzbekistan", Associations of Antiquaries of Uzbekistan "Meros" which will proceed in the autumn opening of an exhibition of the Azerbaijan masters in Tashkent, also opening of an exhibition of carpets on the basis of pictures of the National artist of Azerbaijan and Russia Tahir Salahov. Last exhibition has been shown for the first time in 2010 in Moscow, in the Museum Center of History of Musical Art named after M.Glinka, and also in 2011 which was organized by UNESCO in Paris.
Cooperation:
The Carpetmakers' Union plays the main role of creating intangible cultural variety of the local communities, groups and various persons. In this way the Union supports to enrich cultural variety, protect non-material cultural heritage especially among young generation. It carries out monitorings for the learning cause and effect in the material and technical direction, prepare the activity program in the direction of restoration of the technologies defining on the basis of getting results of the sensible and forgotten kinds of the carpet-making art.
In 2010 in Guba, Khachmaz, Gusar, Shabran, Siyazan the Union carried out the survey about modern situation of the carpet-making art, in 2011 in the result of analysis of the surveys compile the plan of monitoring and in Guba unity have been organized the exhibition from the works of the carpet-makers and masters of applied art.
In 2010 there were surveys about carpet-making art in the west zone of Azerbaijan.
The same problem is connect with various kinds of art embroideries. It is about the propaganda the ancient kinds and names of embroideries art among the young generation. Once in a month the Union organize the meetings with craftsmans in the various handicrafts of people-applied art and investigate their problems. Carrying out the work among different adults (9-17, 18-28) the Union learns their interests to various kinds of applied art and organize different groups.