“Democracy Learning” (DL) public association is a national non-governmental organization aiming at assisting in strengthening of democratic values and principles.

DL was founded on the 1st of December, 2005, by IFES Azerbaijan’s Regional Coordinators. The main goal of the DL is to continue IFES’ mission to strengthen democracy in Azerbaijan. IFES’ regional team have three years of experience working on civil society and democracy programs mostly funded by USAID, and this experience and resources are key factors providing ideas and expertise for future programs. The DL took over the regional information centers in Ganja, Mingechevir, Barda, Sumgayit, Baku and Ismayili.

CIVIC/ VOTER EDUCATION
The Regional Centers support a network of 37 secondary schools whose children lead and organize volunteer Student Action Committees (SACs). The Centers are also a coordination point for young volunteers and local NGOs who have been involved in voter education.

LOCAL SELF-GOVERNANCE
The Centers work closely with municipalities to support their cooperation with citizens, neighborhood committees and schools. The DL staff has provided trainings on strategic planning, public participation, budgeting, and grant proposal writing.

ELECTIONS
The Centers have worked with Constituency and Precinct Election Commissions to provide training on election procedure. During past elections the DL staff has coordinated large groups of youth volunteers and partner NGOs in raising public awareness.

Team
The DL team has extensive experience and contacts in working in the regions especially with schools, Local Executive Authorities, municipalities, NGOs, and election commissions. They have worked primarily on USAID funded projects, and provided expertise to other projects funded by the Asian Development Bank, the British Government, Norwegian Government, OSCE, Eurasia Foundation, and the Council of Europe.

Volunteers
The DL works with many volunteers including secondary school teachers, neighborhood committees, youth NGOs and IFES volunteers in the Regional Information Centers.

Regional Information Resource Centers
DL has Regional Information Centers in Ganja, Barda, Mingechevir, Ismayli, and Sumgait regions of Azerbaijan. Each Center has been provided with computer, internet access and library with the support of IFES Azerbaijan. The Centers provide free services for citizens and civil society organizations.