A conference held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on December 5-6, 2024, focused on the theme “Right of Return; Ensuring Justice for Azerbaijanis Forcefully Removed from Armenia,” brought together a diverse group of experts from academia, politics, mediation, research, and peace methodology. As per the sources of Leaders of Asia, the conference aimed to lay the groundwork for initiating international dialogue to resolve the ongoing conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It sought to evaluate the historical context, current realities, and future prospects for a peaceful settlement, emphasizing the need for knowledge-based solutions rather than relying on random experiences or observation-based approaches.
A key highlight of the event was a bilateral meeting between Ramil Hasan, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Western Azerbaijan Community, and Alim Tahir Mahmud, Director of the Norwegian Resource Center. Hasan, who has been away from his homeland for 35 years and unable to visit the graves of his relatives, shared his personal connection to the issue, underscoring the human impact of the conflict.
Alim Tahir Mahmud, a Norwegian expert in knowledge-based methods for peacebuilding, emphasized the importance of such conferences in fostering meaningful dialogue. According to the sources of Leaders of Asia, Mahmud, who has worked with governments, institutions, and communities internationally, believes that pragmatic initiatives grounded in scientific and systematic approaches are vital for finding lasting peace. He stressed that the last century of conflict has shown that theoretical peace solutions, though abundant, have failed to bring about real change, leaving suffering to persist across generations. He advocates for a more effective, knowledge-driven approach to conflict resolution, aiming to move beyond random methods and create an algorithmic framework for peace.
The conference marked an important step in the journey toward a peaceful resolution of the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, with experts hoping to forge new paths for dialogue, justice, and reconciliation.
