I have just launched a modest “crowdsourcing” effort to raise $4,250 in 60 days (after 48 hours and after a few more donations clear, I will have met 25%) to return to photographing along the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline route this winter to build on my niche of expertise on what is considered the biggest strategic victory for the West in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War. Hailed as “the contract of the century” when the deal was signed in 1994 and initially backed only by the U.S. and Azerbaijani government (whose profits are estimated at $64 million/day), it was the first pipeline to deliver crude from the former Soviet Union to the West while completely bypassing Russia as well as Iran in this case, despite the intense lobbying effort of the world’s major oil companies for a more direct route through Iran.

With the support of a grant from National Geographic last year, I was granted access to areas of the country and the pipeline route never seen before like the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli offshore oil fields that not even CNN visited on a recent trip to Azerbaijan focusing on the countries oil assets. This year, I have returned to Azerbaijan with a Fulbright grant as I am hoping to travel along the route again this winter, through Georgia and Turkey as well. Here is my project page:

http://www.emphas.is/web/guest/discoverprojects?projectID=342

Even a very small donation of $10 is very much welcome and appreciated (as is more, of course) – this is the beauty of crowdsourcing. Also please consider reposting as well, would be very helpful for the larger goal of my project: raising awareness of issues along the pipeline routes. Thank you very much, in advance, for your support!

Very warm regards from Baku,

Amanda
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www.amandarivkin.com