When confronting our “today” as a time knot that tetters our “yesterday” to our “tomorrow,” it’s best to confront its features, accepting them as they are. We might not be fond of these features in today’s climate, but we have all been gifted a suitable power, one that enables us to rouse humanity in every man. In this way and by employing conscience, will, decisiveness, goodness, empathy, knowledge, ideation, and belief in ourselves, we will be able to transform bad into good and good into better. Each time we circumvent the symptoms plaguing the present moment, each time we passivize the function of our senses and become numb to the overall social ambience where we shoot the episodes of our lives is nothing other than siloing in airless chambers. We’ve decided to open our doors and windows. This is why we exist.

We are all part of the universe we live in. It rests on select natural and social opposites, an eternal duality of occurrences, particular antithetic states, principles, ideas, concepts, and habits. This “antagonism” is evident in many antonyms: good – bad, love – hate, joy – sadness, peace – war, day – night, light – dark, fortune – misfortune, health – sickness, life – death, compassion – mercilessness, wealth – poverty, comedy – tragedy, position – opposition, etc. We should never draw a rigid line between two opposites confronting us. If we simply accept some as a byproductof the dominance natural forces exercise on the world and render human influence futile, then good faith should be a guiding force for our aspirations towards certain states and conditions. With these beliefs, we follow the rhythm of our hearts in an effort to shine a light where darkness has taken over, to get a smile out of those who are sad, to lend a hand to the sick, the wounded, and the poor, to gift happiness to those who are unhappy, to share love with victims of evil… Each successful step in our fight to paint a prettier picture of the everyday is additional motivation to continue.

Many have asked me why I do what I do. Every “why” has one or a few “because.” My answer is: because my (our) dream must correspond with and restart forgotten dreams that have been intercepted, unfinished, or far to distant from reality. This dream resuscitation will undoubtedly usher in hope, faith, freedom. People have the right to dream, and my driving force is to build a two-way bridge between my (our) and their dream…

because it’s more than necessary to transform each “me,” “you,” and “him” into “us,” and then find the hidden “you” and “them…”

because we must acknowledge that each person is one bead on a country’s necklace. That necklace is most beautiful when brimming with beads of every size and color.

because the country mirrors every dance performed in it. The more dances, the more intricate the frame…

and finally, because I cannot and will not run from myself. Even if I could do that, I would quickly lose my way, leaving myself stranded without my inner compass leading me through space and time. Essentially, I would not be who I am.

We can’t raise walls around us and isolate ourselves. We mustn’t be a remote island cordoned off by large coasts. Today, when the world is on its knees following severe challenges, we must acknowledge that these challenges aren’t “someone’s,” but ours to confront, as well. It helps us understand that our country is a significant part of the world and we are also responsible for acting in accordance with the global movement for finding solutions to the threats to peace, and the climate, health, economic, and energy crises. However, we should not walk this journey alone, but keep the principles of joint potential at hand. Firstly, we need internal unity to rid our society of illnesses and then build friendships, collaboration, and understanding through additional engagement at a regional, continental, and global level. As we firmly believe in this ideal, we unrelentingly support efforts and initiatives that underpin this belief.

Art, literature, theater, music, film and other creative arts are a few of the pillars of a nation’s ID. Treating the arts as they deserve involves zealous support for individual and joint creative efforts to craft original “products” that are paramount when reflecting our cultural milieu as an added value to a country’s total cultural treasure. Self-expression by way of colors, words, notes, takes, and retorts and movements on stagedo not just constitute an effort to create permanent value that is essential for national and social interest, but granting the creative act full freedom. All these aspects place culture and arts on the list of spheres demanding interest and support from our foundation.

I was young yesterday, I’m an adult today, and I will be in my twilight years tomorrow. Time and life resemble a bubbling river quickly flowing in one direction. This is why the focus of our society should be on all contributing individuals, regardless of their respective age groups. Yet, children and young people should still be our absolute priorities. What we mustn’t do is spout empty rhetoric that leads to creating form without substance. Experience suggests the phrase “they are our future” is often relegated to a threadbare expression, not bearing much weight. Instead, we should say “we should invest in their future.” A considerable part of our past and future activities has been, is, and will be to protect the interests of younger generations and their introduction to positive social flow.

Humans can be more humane. Foes can become friends. Two monologues can become a dialogue, and two open arms can become a greeting, a pact, a collaboration. With this, we will help our education save face, bring knowledge back to servingscience, restore nature to its natural state, give our environment life, democratize democracy, organize new assignments in business, new successes in sports, new achievements in civil society. We don’t need much to achieve this. All we need is a rebirth of human values and a burial for ego and division.

One proverb says “the hand that gives, gathers,” while another says “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.“Bearing the second proverb in mind, we can logically answer why the “Zaev – One Society for All” Foundation publicly discloses its donations. Our answer is somewhat simple –transparency and accountability are our obligations, and besides the primary aim of every donation or humanitarian aid, we are driven by the belief that we might encourage charity in each citizen or community.

One of my (our) most important dreams is a healthy society with healthy healthcare and healthy people. Despite the existence of several prerequisites that will enable us to realize this dream, one of the most essential is the improvement of healthcare by way of modernizing the technical capacity of each segment and level of public health, from the primary, through the secondary, to the tertiary health promotion and disease prevention. If there’s one hallmark of our first year operating the “Zaev – One Society for All” Foundation, it would be donating modern equipment to several public healthcare institutions in the country. By consistently carrying out the postulates in our program for raising public health awareness, we are obliged to continue this mission because human life and the nation’s health are priceless.