On May 9-10, the Leipzig Centre for the History and Culture of East-Central Europe (GWZO) hosted an international scientific conference on “Within and Beyond Ethnicity: Negotiating Identities in Modern Armenian Diaspora”.

The goal of the conference was to address and explore the following issues: how diasporic identities are being constructed and negotiated within various Armenian communities, how differences between different diasporic communities are interpreted in relation to the intra-communal dynamics as well as to global and local changes and developments, how and under which circumstances ethnic revival occurs in modern Armenian diasporas, and what kind of knowledge and practices are being accumulated and negotiated within and among various diasporic communities, as well as the perceptions of homeland in the Diaspora and among the diasporans who chose to “repatriate”

The conference was attended by scientists and scholars from Armenia, Lebanon, Hungary, Poland, Germany, Estonia, Great Britain, Canada, USA and Brazil.

Photo: Sirarpi Movsisyan

In his opening speech professor Stefan Troebst presented “Armenians in the Economy and Culture of East-Central Europe (15th to 19th Centuries): A Research and Publication Project” which he coordinates together with Doctor Balint Kovacs.

He introduced all the programs and publications that had been implemented since 2008 within the “Armenian program”. During this period they have edited and published books and brochures dedicated to the history of regional Armenian communities, numerous books and collection of articles on modern life of these communities, as well as organized international exhibitions and conferences.

Hakob Matevosyan

Photo: Sirarpi Movsisyan

The organizers of the conference - Hakob Matevosyan (Graduate Centre Humanities and Social Sciences at Leipzig University) and Dr. Vahe Sahakyan (Department of Near Eastern Studies, University of Michigan) presented the methodological peculiarities of the conference –“Armenianness beyond Ethnicity” and key issues and problems arising from this, and strategic approaches which have been discussed at the last session of the conference. They thanked all the partners and the sponsors of the conference.

On May 10, the participants of the conference presented their researches during three sessions, which were followed by “Armenian Diaspora Studies: Challenges and Perspective” round table discussions.

Vahe Sahakyan

Photo: Sirarpi Movsisyan

The first session of the conference – “Negotiating Communal Spaces: Institutions and Politics in Modern Armenian Diaspora” – was dedicated to the impact of government policies and changing conditions on the activity of the Armenian Diaspora with the main focus on the dual nature of diasporic identity, belonging to the host country and citizenship.

During the second session - “Negotiating Belonging: Homeland in Diaspora, Diasporans in “Homeland”  - the participants discussed the perceptions of homeland in Diaspora and among the diasporans who chose to “repatriate” and issues of belonging.

During the last session, the participants discussed diasporal identities and topics related to the connection between “home” and “homeland” and their peculiarities.

The organizers of the conference are planning similar discussions and conferences contributing to the development of Armenian Studies in the future as well, emphasizing the importance of introducing knowledge on Armenian studies and practices to common Diaspora Studies.

Agenda of the Conference

Photo: Sirarpi Movsisyan

The sponsors of the conference are the Leipzig Centre for the History and Culture of East-Central Europe (GWZO), Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan, Research Academy Leipzig (RAL), Leipzig University Center of Area Studies (CAS), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (Bundesministerium für Bildung and Forschung -BMBF).

Sirarpi Movsisyan