Isabella Sargsyan

Isabella Sargsyan is human rights and development specialist with 20 years of experience. Her specialization includes theory and practice of human rights, FoRB, conflict transformation, qualitative research and analysis. In 2016-2018 she was a member of the OSCE/ODIHR Panel of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief. The role of the Panel is to provide advice, guidance and recommendations to ODIHR, and through ODIHR to OSCE participating States, on matters pertaining to the freedom of religion or belief for all. Her work experience includes FoRB training provision to governments, civil society and religious groups in various OSCE countries. In 2017 for the work in the area of human rights she was awarded Freedom Defender Award. Isabella is Country Consultant for Armenia with European Endowment for Democracy (EED) and gender focal point for Global Partnership for Prevention of Armed Conflicts (GPPAC).

Her spheres of professional interest include issues of religion, ethnicity, identity, culture and nation-states; methodology of transformative change and critical thinking; history and legacy of the 20th Century; social movements and civic engagement. Isabella holds an MSc degree in Sociology and Human Rights from London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA/MA in Theology from Yerevan State University.

Isabella Sargsyan is CSO DePo Expert