My name is Shaban Shayev, I am 27 years old and the chairman of Azerbaijan Red Crescent Youth committee, as well as HIV/AIDS programme coordinator and peer educator.

I was born in Baku and graduated Technical University, transport faculty and received master's degree on specialty transportation engineer. In 2000 I joined Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society as a volunteer. Later on I became youth instructor in one of the local committee’s of Azerbaijan Red Crescent. From 2003 up to now I am the HIV/AIDS project coordinator. In 2004 I was appointed chairman of the recently created Azerbaijan Red Crescent Youth. I have now been in the organization for five years.

When I joined the Red Crescent I had a number of reasons to do so. I wanted to do something to improvement the lives of vulnerable people; to spend my pastime in a more meaningful way, and last but not least find new friends who have the same ideas as I have. Together we can work to stop discrimination and stigma!

I have had my best experiences in the Red Crescent while participating in the HIV/AIDS Peer Education Programme. We promote knowledge regarding the modes of transmission and on how to protect ourselves. And as long as the numbers of young people who receive this specific knowledge as well as the number of people who are simply going to get tested increase, I believe that the seminars and trainings which I carry out can influence others and make a difference.

In the future we also would like to attract people living with HIV/AIDS, who are the most marginalized part of the population, into our seminars and events so they will feel less isolated and get an opportunity to share their thoughts.

In the future of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, I hope that the number of young people in governing bodies and management level will increase, so that youth will take an active part in decision making processes.

I hope that the International Federation will have more well-functioning and strong national societies who will have an opportunity to share their experiences, and that the youth, who are backbone and the future of the Movement will participate at all levels.

Finally, I would like to give the following message to everyone who reads this:

Do your best to help people in need, respect humane dignity and stop discrimination and violence in your society. There are thousands of people in the world who suffer because of different diseases like HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, or natural and manmade disasters. Join to Red Cross/Red Crescent - the biggest network of volunteers and members, who are always ready to assist vulnerable people!