Multiculturalism as a state policy in Azerbaijan

Multiculturalism is a policy aimed at preserving and developing ethnic and cultural values in the country. The main objective of the multicultural state policy is to ensure the preservation and development of the ethnic-cultural values of all communities living in the country and the embracement of those values by the entire society. The Republic of Azerbaijan takes an approach that determines the protection and enhancement of the ethnic-cultural values of all communities living within the borders of Azerbaijan, in particular ethnic minorities, as both the objective and the instrument of its state policy. This research, first of all, examines the definition of this policy around the world and its historical path. In particular, it is suggested that multiculturalism has been elaborated with reference to various concepts, and the Azerbaijani administration employs the concept of culture. In the next section, as an interdisciplinary field, the reflections of multiculturalism in the Azerbaijani literature, press, art, and culture in general are examined. In this section, taking into consideration the conjuncture of the period, the politics of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan established in early 20th Century is discussed to be a de facto multicultural policy. Moreover, the research explores the steps taken by the state to ensure the rights and freedoms of ethnic minorities on the basis of multiculturalism at the official level and within the constitutional framework. In the last chapter, the role of multiculturalism in the 28 years of domestic and foreign policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which regained its independence in 1991 after the dissolution of the USSR, was investigated.