Anahit Karapetyan: Combining national dance and politics … / Multimedia

Anahit Karapetyan was 24 years old when she was nominated in Vanadzor community council in 2016. 8 out of 32 members of Vanadzor City Council are women. Anahit is one of the youngest in the Council of Elders. Active social activities led her to politics.

She has been working at Yerevan State Institute of Cinema and Theater since 2014 and has been working at the Smart Center of the Children of Armenia Fund, the Head of Gayane IOM Youth Forum, author and performer of numerous public initiatives, dancing for nearly 10 years in Horovel Song-Dance Ensemble, member of UNESCO International Dance Council since 2015, now studies at the Department of Tourism Management at the RA State Academy of Management.

“For a political activist, it was important to solve the problems, and for that purpose there was a necessity for another platform. I received a proposal from the “Lusavor-Hayastan” Bright Armenia party and decided to run, “describes Anahit the path from the public activist to politics.
Vanadzor is a “closed city”, that is, the residents themselves are enclosed in themselves and they hear little, but when a person appears who is ready to listen to them, they  immediately raise a lot of problems. The overwhelming majority of them, like in the whole country, are social.

What we have managed to do in this period is very small, but it is important that the carriage has moved from place, for example, in salaries. I am happy to state that 2019 has entered without a salary debt at the council meeting, Vanadzor mayor also recorded this, and I have my little contribution to this.

The issue of paid parking was also a major issue in Vanadzor. The premises that were rented by the tenants were mismanaged and for many years they had illegally collected money from citizens. Anahit has decided to deal with the issue with her colleagues. Working group investigated the problem. As a result, the parking lot in Vanadzor Hayk Square is no longer charged. Studies are continuing in other city parking lots.

Anahit Karapetyan not only loudly voices the problem, but also follows it, offers solutions. Dedicated to the cause, optimistic ideas, firm. Friends often joke that she “is not enough for Vanadzor”.

“It is difficult, but who has said that should be easy? I have chosen my path. That was what I wanted and could do. As you cannot close the path of the river, the same is with the way you are to achieve your goals, “says Anahit Karapetyan.

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