Zaur Akbar
Pronouns: He/Him
Organisations: Youth Club Public Union; Defense Line; Musavat Youth Organisation; Rights First Organisation
Country of Origin: Azerbaijan
Profile
Zaur Akbar is a peacebuilder from Azerbaijan. He said that nothing can stand in his way of achieving his mission. He is a founder of Youth Club Public Union and Defense Line and has served as chief deputy of Musavat Youth Organisation for four years. He said this experience provided him with a deeper understanding of activism and peacebuilding. He said that he was inspired to establish his own organisation—Youth Club Public Union—after coming home from the U.S. in 2007 from his fellowship programme. Now it is mostly operated by students, which is why Zaur continues there as a senior consultant. He is also a trainer in leadership, organisational design strategy and team building.
His other NGO, Defense Line, was established in 2020 and aims to create an environment of democracy in Azerbaijan while fostering a culture of transparency and accountability with its government. Defense Line documents human rights violations and prepares regular reports about such situations, which are used by the independent media as a reliable source. Zaur said that Defense Line is crucial in terms of the importance of the NGO sector, because it fills the gap in human rights protection. He also said that individuals who believe their rights are being violated typically turn to the organisation, as it stands as the sole NGO actively involved in this particular field. Despite limited resources, he said that the organisation’s projects wield significant impact.
Story
Zaur Akbar said he is guided by hope and courage. He strives to end conflicts and achieve peace without succumbing to hate or blame. He said he has a keen awareness of preventing the transfer of conflict to the next generation. He prioritises the involvement of young people and is thus dedicated to teaching and training them as peacebuilders in order to avoid perpetuating destabilisation by intergenerational conflict. His organisation, Defense Line, is non-political and non-religious and is involved in monitoring and documenting human rights violations in Azerbaijan. They also provide legal, financial and psychological assistance for people facing human rights violations. Zaur said he recognises the impact of passing stereotypes and certain ideas on to the youth, making it harder to combat and eliminate these biases. He also stresses the significance of young, independent leaders as crucial civil society representatives in the peacebuilding process that encompasses all societal groups. In Zaur’s view, achieving peace requires a multilateral approach as well as teamwork with active participation from various parties, including youth, politicians, activists and minorities. Defense Line actively lobbies for legislative reform in the field of human rights, hoping to raise awareness of human rights in Azerbaijan by disseminating their reports. Zaur said that for peace to be realised, everyone must share an interest in its accomplishment. He said people need to understand the transformative power of their sacrifices for democratisation and liberal values, especially in a society preoccupied with daily needs and often detached from political involvement. Zaur said that it is equally important to uphold family values and peacebuilding values, as he believes these are the fundamental principles of the country, despite the population’s low political involvement.
‘I count myself as one of the missionaries to take my country towards progressive change.’
Zaur said he acknowledges the prevalent apolitical stance in Azerbaijan and refrains from blaming individuals for such an attitude; he recognises their lack of hope for change or alternative options. However, he still points out the importance of community-based work. He said that it is the backbone of any meaningful change and that without it, it is impossible to engage in the peacebuilding process. ‘Opposition parties have criticised the government, but they did not present any alternative ways which would be in line with community needs,’ Zaur said.
Despite facing challenges, including government opposition, Zaur said he remains undeterred in his mission to reach his goal – building lasting peace. Difficulties and obstacles are inevitable, and so Zaur adapts to the reality of an undemocratic environment – ‘I took on a special mission for the democratisation of Azerbaijan, I should be ready to face a lot of obstacles and challenges.’
Published in 2025