The second Global Dialogue Conference, titled "Bridge Between the Past and the Future", dedicated to the 33rd anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, took place in the US state of Illinois, AzVision.az reports via the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan.

The committee pointed out that the event was held at Harper College, one of the leading higher education institutions in the country.

The conference was attended by leaders of Azerbaijani diaspora organizations operating in various states and members of the Azerbaijan-America Alliance of Organizations, members of the Azerbaijani community, employees of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, the Embassy of Azerbaijan in the US, the Turkish Consulate General in Chicago, professors from leading universities, political analysts, and journalists.

The event was preceded by playing the national anthems of Azerbaijan and the US, and a minute of silence was observed in memory of the Khojaly genocide victims.

Co-chairs of the Azerbaijan Center of Midwest America (ACMA), Farid Mammadov and Mehriban Mammadova, provided detailed information about the genocide. They noted that every year the US society is systematically informed about this horrific crime.

Head of the department at the State Committee on Work with Diaspora Salhat Abbasova, emphasized that the Khojaly genocide is a bloody page in history and spoke about the active participation of Azerbaijanis worldwide in the "Justice for Khojaly" campaign and the work done to restore international justice.

The Consul General of Türkiye in Chicago Tahir Bora Atatanir, First Secretary of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Washington Farid Zeynalov, and member of the Azerbaijan-America Alliance of Organizations, Professor Ali Asgarov from the University of North Carolina, widely informed the audience about the genocide, stressing the importance of punishing those responsible legally and calling for accountability at the international level.

Malik Ayub Sumbal, a geopolitical analyst based in China, observed historical facts concerning the Khojaly genocide and conducted a discussion regarding the foreign media's portrayal of the tragedy's atrocities. The author of the book "Tovuz to Karabakh: A Comprehensive Analysis of War in South-Caucasus" discussed the conflict's history with the conference attendees.

Stefan Mark, Associate Professor at the National Defense University in the US, described the massacre carried out by Armenia in Khojaly as one of the most unimaginable and inconceivable atrocities in the modern world.

President of the Azerbaijani American Youth Association, the Secretary General of the Alliance of Azerbaijani American Organizations Nabat Eminova highlighted the significant role of joint efforts of Azerbaijanis in restoring justice. Our young compatriot, Fatima Asgar, took an active role in providing more detailed information about the genocide to the event participants.

As part of the conference, a panel discussion was held, moderated by Azerbaijani student Aghadadash Balagdashov, who is studying in the US. The event was memorable for the numerous historical facts shared and a deep analysis of the genocide. Brazilian journalist Fabiana Mendes, who visited the liberated historic lands of Azerbaijan, spoke about what she saw in Karabakh and expressed her horror at the consequences of the vandalism committed on ancient Azerbaijani lands. She also drew attention to the deaths of Azerbaijani journalists as a result of a mine explosion.

US journalist Kelvin Dark, a political commentator for BBC, CNN, and Al Jazeera, actively participated in the discussions, shared his visit to Karabakh, and thanked the State Committee for Work with Diaspora for organizing the visit. He emphasized the large-scale reconstruction works underway in the region and mentioned that there remains a mine danger in the liberated territories.

Several video clips and documentaries were shown at the conference, including a video of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev's meeting with the residents of Khojaly, a film about the Khojaly genocide prepared as part of the History of Azerbaijan project by the ELTV media group and the Azerbaijan Center for Culture and Arts "Vatan" a video with testimonies from genocide witnesses, and other video materials that told about the restoration works in the historic lands of Azerbaijan. These materials were watched with great interest.

In the cultural part of the conference, Agil Huseynov performed the "Bayati-Shiraz" on the tar, while pianist Gunay Alasgarova, residing in Illinois, performed "Memories," a composition of her own.

To note, for the second consecutive year, the Azerbaijani Center for the US Midwest States, with the support of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, has organized a conference where scientific and historical discussions are held.

On the night of February 25–26, 1992, the Khojaly genocide—one of the most horrific crimes against humanity in the past century—was carried out by Armenia with extreme brutality against Azerbaijani civilians.

On this solemn anniversary, the Azerbaijani people remember with deep sorrow the 613 victims of this atrocity, including 106 women, 70 elderly people, and 63 children, whose lives were taken in a single night.

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