Having spent the weekend in Baku, the oil-boom capital of Azerbaijan, it’s easy to realize that this country is coming up. Construction sites are literally everywhere. There is a feeling that Baku is stepping up to become a first class city.
I have a little bit of an issue with this because I live out in the country, where some of the basics are still not available. I see the construction going on it Baku, and I can’t help but think about the fact that many cities and villages in Azerbaijan are still without 24 hour gas or electricity.
To be fair, there is a gap between urban and rural in any (every) country. And I’m sure the issue that I brought up above is much more complicated than I am portraying it to be. Still, as the old adage goes, societies are judged on well they take care of their neediest citizens. I keep this thought in mind as I work here, often with people who don’t have access to many resources, and back in America, where the ‘have-nots’ and ‘don’t-gets’ are left behind in the greater narrative of the country.
But as the wealth of Baku trickles out to the other regions (states, provinces, etc) of Azerbaijan, I wonder what this country will be like.
27 Months in Azerbaijan 