FreedomTeam Interview: Anna Ayvazyan In Focus

Meet Ms. Anna Ayvazyan, who since October 2015 has been working in the Moscow office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation as an Assistant to the Project Director. 
 

1. Please share a few words about yourself?

My name is Anna Ayvazyan. I am Armenian by origin but I grew up in Kazakhstan and then came back to Armenia and received my first degree there, at the Russian- Armenian University. Then I studied at the LSE in London for my Master’s degree in European Studies: Ideas and Identities. Currently, I am a PhD candidate at the Institute of Europe, Moscow. I have a diverse experience working as a journalist, as an intern at a peacebuilding organisation, as a coordinator of educational programmes, and as a researcher.

In October 2015 I joined the Moscow office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation as an assistant to the Director. 

2. What have been your first impressions so far from your position in FNF?

I have a feeling that I am surrounded by friends I have known for a long time. The schedule is quite busy but interesting as well. It feels exciting to be able to contribute to the Foundation’s work.

3. What is most interesting and challenging about your new position in FNF?

The most interesting part is to combine an academic career with my work at the Foundation. The Foundation gives me an opportunity to be closer to real life, to meet people and to discuss political events. This is a very special experience for a researcher which allows one to have a more down-to earth approach.

4. Given your background so far, what and how would you contribute to the mission of the FNF and the pursuit of Freedom?

I expect that my work at the Foundation will further contribute to my attempts to be a connecting link between Russia and the CIS countries on the one hand, as well as the European countries on the other hand. I strongly believe in peace and mutually beneficial relations between Russia and the EU, and Germany in particular, especially during this difficult period of growing misunderstanding between each other.

5. Why is the promotion of Freedom important to you?

I think that freedom is not something people are always aware of, it’s something that is taken for granted. I believe it can be learnt and that each one of us needs to know their rights and should be able to protect them. More than that, freedom can be interpreted differently and it is only in dialogue that a consensus is reached. Thus, promoting freedom for me means also being able to establish this dialogue among people from diverse backgrounds on a common normative basis.

6. What does the “F” of FNF mean to you?

It means future, because the future is about freedom, a growing freedom of opportunities, options to choose from, as well as a growing awareness of political rights. 

7. What is your message of freedom?

I think this is the section where everyone quotes someone famous. So, I would like to quote Immanuel Kant. Firstly, because he is a German philosopher, and secondly, because his idea of perpetual peace lies in the heart of the European project. The quote refers to humans as moral beings, which is, I think, central to discussions about freedom, since freedom is also strongly connected to morality. And it is a beautiful one, so here it is: ‘Two things awe me most, the starry sky above me and the moral law within me.’

You can meet the other members of the Freedom Team in East and Southeast Europe, featured in this interview series, here: