Caucasus: An interview with Bart Woord

After spending several months working with youth activists and civil society in the South Caucasus, International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) Secretary General Bart Woord took time out from a hectic schedule to speak to Global Voices Online about the role new media can play in the region.

With youth activists in both Armenia and Azerbaijan facing increasing intimidation from the authorities, Woord specifically comments on the case of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, two video bloggers recently detained in Baku on what many consider to be politically motivated charges.

The prospects of the two activists avoiding a lengthy jail sentence, he says, look slim.

Bart is 25 years old and lives in Brussels, while rounding up his MA programme in International Relations and International Organizations at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. He has been involved in political work for several years, mostly as International Officer and Vice President of the Jonge Democraten, one of the two Dutch liberal youth organizations. Before, he took up numerous positions and responsibilities in different political and non-political organizations.

As deputy president of the organization, Bart is involved in every facet of the day-to-day work of IFLRY. He is also in charge of the Membership and Communications departments, and is the IFLRY representative for Western Europe as well as Russia, Belarus and Ukraine which he coordinates together with IFLRY VP Jelena Spasovic.

The full audio interview where comments can be left is available on Global Voices Online.