MP Anja Arnold: “Asgardia gives everyone the chance to build a mindful community based on values that lead to peaceful and successful coexistence.”
We continue the round of interviews, “Women of Asgardia,” in which they are talking about themselves and their views on the processes that are happening in Asgardia and around it. Now, we are presenting to you a Member of the Parliament of Asgardia, business coach from Austria, Anja Arnold.
- Ms Arnold, how did you grow up, what shaped your path — professionally and personally — to this day?
- Growing up in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) the 30th of September 1989 became, for me and my family, the beginning of something new, which, at that time, no one could grasp or foresee. It began a long journey, which is still not complete today. I am very active with my memories and I am very aware of why I have gone the way I did and still do.
As a GDR child, I have undoubtedly been endowed with a number of valuable qualities through the course of history. We have inherited a sense of community, have always been diligent, and later learned to take responsibility for our decisions and to be flexible. We have learned that certain values in life are not self-evident. I studied cultural sociology, communication science and political science, traveled through Europe, Asia and the USA — I also lived abroad for many years.
And I always appreciated this freedom and I gladly used it with all my heart. Freedom was and became a very defining term in my life. I just know that I am fortunate enough to be able to choose from options my parents never had. Today, it is not a political system that decides my professional path, but only myself. I am prepared to use the opportunities of my freedom every day. Even if that meant for my own way often to be the first in the family. That was not always met with love, and thus the wind was not always in my back.
- How would you describe your professional career in a few words?
- Professionally, I am and have been committed to communication, training of executives and personnel management. Working with and for people has always been a concern to me. To lift the potential of employees, to promote, to develop, to train and then to succeed is the quintessence of my career. My managerial functions have shown me on the agency and company side how important it is to look. Do not accept things as they are. But ask. To show, also, if it is uncomfortable, and to stand for the own opinion and the right of others. That sounds very exciting.
- How does Asgardia fit in this way?
- From the above topics of freedom, eligibility and mindfulness towards people, Asgardia suits me perfectly. The First Space Nation is a project that brings people together across the globe and across nations. No matter what age, race or affiliation — everyone in Asgardia is the same. Everyone is heard, everyone can participate. If you look into the past, women were often not allowed to be part of the development. This is different today: women are active, want to be there, shape, create, show. Asgardia offers a springboard that should not be missed. How often in life will you get the chance to be part of a new nation, to be able to participate, to give free rein to your ideas, and thus help bring a vision into reality? With Asgardia, everyone has the opportunity to create a mindful community that focuses on values that will lead to a peaceful and successful coexistence. Only when people get together can they be successful. The whole is only the sum of its parts. And no woman in the world should believe that she should not or could not be part of Asgardia. Not only does the world need more women in leadership positions, but so does Asgardia.
- You are the mother of two children. How do you reconcile family and work?
- Of course, this involvement also means personal commitment. As a mother of two small children, I know exactly what that means. Families today are no longer the great creations of yesteryear, where it was taken for granted that grandma, grandfather, aunt, uncle and cousins could take care of the children. Mothers nowadays have to work much more, they are managers of the family but at the same time, due to personal goals or often economic pressure, they have to work. Women who have made a career after completing their degree and opting for children late must, for better or for worse, have severe restrictions on their careers. The political and entrepreneurial environment makes it very rare for mothers with children to be able to pursue their previous occupation with the same responsibility. Asgardia wants to and will show that there is another way. Children are part of the society, their education in a loving and protective setting is an important building block for a healthy society. You have to pay a lot of attention. And so are the mothers — who give a lot as working women and bring ideas to the organization, which are otherwise not directly visible. At Asgardia, mothers with children can go on with their careers — adapted to their life situation. And who does not like working when you see what you achieve when you are heard and are part of the whole?
- Mrs Arnold, what do you want for your future in Asgardia?
- For the future, I wish to continue to play a vital role in the growth of Asgardia. In communication, in education, in the community. For a nation that will continue to make a name for itself in the future. And will inspire wonder and participation.
More interviews “Women of Asgardia”
MP Svetlana Pchelnikova: “The ideas of Asgardia are in line with my own dreams”
