A New Way to Check Out Baku, Ctd.

The Baku White City project is certainly interesting and flashy, and the website is pretty impressive.  Gaudy, almost.  And while that sort of development is going on, it’s important to maintain a perspective about what is going on underneath.  Arzu has put it well:

Recently, I was approached by a young man from Azerbaijan at one of the conferences I was attending and asked what is the reason for me talking of Azerbaijan the way I usually do. Well, I hope you read this post dear F. (didn’t feel disclosing your full name as I thought it might not be appropriate) because this is precisely why I speak of Azerbaijan the way I do. Because good life isn’t just about pretty streets, renovated buildings (which I consider good initiative just not as important like say improving the situation with freedom of expression, human rights, and what not), uber expensive boutique shops and 5 star hotels built across the city.

I speak of Azerbaijan this way, because I would very much like to see that moment I shortly was overtaken by, exist for real. I want this country to be fair and just to its people. Its economy be transparent and distributed fairly (rather than used by certain individuals for their personal purposes or stacked away in some foreign banks or simply not accessible to the country en masse). Because I simply want truth and no more hidden reality.

It’s tough to maintain a positive outlook on a country when such contrasting views of the society rise up in opposition to each other.  Whereas one aspect is impressive, with shiny buildings and new development, the reality that most people have to live with is one that strikes at core values of freedom, expression, and dreaming big.  It’s not hard to see what is more important.