This post is part of our special coverage Caucasus Conflict Voices. As part of the BBC Superpower Season, the BBC's Azeri service approached Global Voices Online's Caucasus editor to participate in its own reflection on the power of the Internet. Locked into a bitter stalemate over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, BBC Azeri were specifically interested in how new and social media could bring the two warring sides together. What follows is part two of the series, originally published yesterday in Azerbaijani, translated or using the original texts in English. It followed one already republished in English on Global Voices Online yesterday. The third and final part will appear tomorrow. The BBC Superpower season is in March. In these programs we discussed the power of Internet and the way it affects the lives of people. The Internet has brought big changes to the lives of people starting from personal relations to business contacts. New media has opened up a new way not only for journalists. It has also inspired an audience and civil society towards free thought and social activism. The wide use of social media has changed cultural and political values throughout the world. People are willing to communicate, participate and share their thoughts. This new online project prepared by the Azeri service of the BBC within this Internet season is called Facebook diary. Every day the participants of this project will follow social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and share their observations with readers of this site. The first part of our Facebook diary is called Social media and conflict resolution. As an observation, the main purpose of using Facebook is about the opportunities offered to users of social media as well as using it as a think-tank platform. What opportunity does social media offer to peace activists from Armenia and Azerbaijan? Can new media tools change the current situation? What are the negative effects of social media in the light of nationalists using new media for an attack on the “enemy”? Answers to these questions will be given by diarists writing on “Social media and conflict resolution” – Arzu Qeybullayeva from Azerbaijan and Onnik Krikorian from Armenia. Negative Moments While we talk of Facebook as an opportunity shared by all, there are unfortunately also times when it can become a war zone. I would like to share with you a discussion that took place on my wall, several weeks ago, regarding a link I posted on an incident that took place in Yerevan. After posting this on my wall, I received a sad face smiley from Edgar, an Armenian friend of mine, who then sent me a link to the video from that incident. However, it didn't take long before a young Azerbaijani boy posted this: “İ don't want both nations’ freedom.. good for us bad for them….main thing is our freedom…” Edgar responded: Araz jan, you seem to be a young guy with kind eyes and friendly smile. My advice to you: try to overcome the hatred in your heart, never treat things which have human dimension as purely political. Don't forget that democracy is an absolute category, which doesn't recognize any nationalities or borders. After all, the more democratic regimes we have in the region the less possible is the war here. The human history doesn't remember any case of war between two democratic countries. Araz replied: First of all don't say me “jan”…İ'm not your friend…Second yeah I have friendly smile but it is only for my nation–TURKS…I will never smile to you country and nation…I hate Armenia and all armenians….and now I only want to kill all of armenians which killed my citizens in Karabagh and even killed women and children in one night (Khojali)…why killed?? for friiendship?))You are such nation which can't live and make war as a human…In history turks didn't kill women and children in war…only you nation and fascist soldiers did it….Don't advice me about democracy and friendship…After the freedom of Karabagh and İravan,killing of minumum 30000 armenian soldiers, and then if İ have time İ will think about it….democracy and firendship… After that, the conversation didn't lead anywhere and I tried explaining to Araz that another war wont change anything and nor would such negative attitudeseither. Perhaps, he is too young to see it the way I do, but I hope his mindset does change and that there are more real as well as virtual friendships on Facebook to share positive messages rather than ones full of hatred. Onnik Krikorian is the Caucasus regional editor of Global Voices Online as well as a freelance journalist and photojournalist based in Yerevan, Armenia.
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Armenia-Azerbaijan: BBC Azeri Facebook Diary II
2026-11-15 05:26:42 · Cedar Herald Index
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