Modern Diaspora Research Articles

Echoes of the “Azdarar” Newspaper in Kuwait Concerning the Activities of the Armenian National Committee on the Issue of Recognition of the Armenian Genocide (2014-2017)

Key words: Kuwait, Armenian Genocide, Armenian National Committee, Diaspora, weekly newspaper “Azdarar”, demand The Armenian National Committee stands out for its role and significance among the many Armenian lobbying organizations operating in the modern Diaspora. Promoting the process of international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide is the key activity of the latter. The Armenian National Committee is highly influential in the Armenian communities of the Diaspora. The activities of the Committee are actively covered on the pages of the newspaper “Azdarar” published in Kuwait. Since 1996, the socio-political weekly “Azdarar” has been published at the republican level. The newspaper covers the life of the local Armenian community, publishes news from Armenia and various Diaspora communities, conducts analysis and covers important international events. After the events in Yerevan in 1965 the process of recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide resumed. It entered the modern stage after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Armenia on August 23, 1990. Since 1998, the issue of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide has a permanent place on the foreign policy agenda of the Republic of Armenia. The weekly newspaper “Azdarar” covers the activities of the Armenian National Committee for the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide from the standpoint of national ideology. The newspaper does not consider the advancement of Armenian demands to be a monopoly of Diaspora Armenians and Armenian lobbying structures operating in the Diaspora, but considers it a process reflecting the unity and efforts of all Armenians.

ՍՓՅՈՒՌՔԻ ՊԱՏՄԱԿԱՆԱՑՄԱՆ ԳԻՏԱԿԱՐԳԱՅԻՆ ՈՒ ԳՐԱԿԱՆ ՀՆԱՐԱՎՈՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆՆԵՐԻ ՇՈՒՐՋ / DISCIPLINARY AND LITERARY POSSIBILITIES OF HISTORIFICATION OF THE DIASPORA

The existence of the diaspora depends on the perspectives of its historification. Historification implies choosing the axis of collectivity and proposing narratives from that point of view, within which it will be possible to realize one's own way of existence and create foundations for ensuring continuity. The historification of the diaspora and similar realities can be thought of in two main ways: disciplinization and purely literary experience. The disciplinization of reflections on the diaspora began much later than the emergence of the diaspora itself, and it mainly refers to the Jewish case. The Armenian Diaspora, especially the first generation of the French-Armenian community, presented itself through the prism of literary experience. The study of these two paths is very important to understand the modern diaspora and to determine its relationship with the homeland.

Light in the contemporary churches of the Ukrainian diaspora

Nowadays, the Ukrainian church building has not yet succeeded in establishing its own modern image/type of church, different from the conventional one. One of the significant reasons for this situation is the long break in the design and construction of churches in Ukraine during the 20th century. The Ukrainian diaspora has accumulated considerable experience in the construction of modern churches, which ensures the continuity of the tradition of the church building. The purpose of the research is to explore the still invaluable experience of designing church buildings and the architectural and artistic organisation of their interior in Ukrainian diaspora churches, which is an important foundation for solving the problem of developing the image/appearance of a modern church. The research used general scientific and special methods. Attention is devoted to the research of current issues of developing a light composition in the sacred space of modern diaspora churches. The research analyses several projects by architects of the Ukrainian diaspora in the field of sacred architecture. The research identifies the specific features of the establishment and development of church architecture in the Ukrainian diaspora in terms of the debate over the conventional and modern forms of church buildings and the spatial organisation of the light composition of their sacred space. The research outlines the influence of the local architectural tradition of the church building in North America – Protestant and Catholic churches – and the modernist design culture of the period of functionalism and neo-modernism in architecture on the architectonics of Ukrainian churches in the diaspora and the organisation of the light environment of their interior space. For the first time, the features and regularities of the organisation of the light environment of the most famous Greek Catholic churches of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada and the United States, built in the second half of the 20th century, are explored. The influence of natural light on the architectonics of churches and the specific features of visual perception of their internal object environment and on the development of the appropriate mood imbued with mysticism and sacred atmosphere of the interiors of churches is determined. The experience of diaspora architects is explored and analysed, which has not been understudied but will be essential for use in the practice of Ukrainian architects in designing modern churches while preserving national identity and church-building traditions

The Restoration of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia After Exile

The Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia played an important role in the life of the Armenians of Cilicia. The history of the Catholicosate is divided into two historical periods: “Cilician” and “Diasporian”. This article focuses on the “Diasporian” period of one of the Hierarchical Sees of the Armenian Church in the 1920s–1930s. The historiography of Armenia has never given serious attention to the investigation of the History of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, particularly with respect to the issue of the forced exile of the Catholicosate and the process of its diasporization in the 1920s–1930s. This article focuses on those issues, analyzing the process of diasporization of the Cilician See, its reconstruction under the new circumstances, and its establishment in Antelias (Lebanon). Not all refugees or migrants create a diaspora community, in fact, the most likely result of both voluntary and forced dispersions is assimilation into the host country’s culture. From the analytical perspective of Diaspora Studies, refugees or migrants transform their dispersion into a diaspora only when they insist on sustaining a community and maintaining a national identity. Theorists of modern Diaspora Studies suggest several factors under which dispersed people become an organized diaspora. For this, the role of national institutions is very important, for instance, spiritual-religious organizations. Thus, it is a very acute problem to understand the process of diasporization of a Church organization and its role in the reconstruction of Armenian communities. Different kinds of forced or voluntary migrations are still very common and active in the modern world. Thus, the case discussed in the present article could be useful for understanding many similar processes and historical examples. This research is based on archival documents (including those from the National Archive of Armenia and archival documents of the Catholicosate of Cilicia), the official journal of the Holy See of Cilicia, and existing studies connected to the subject. The analysis of these sources utilizes a comparative-historical methodology. Analyzing the collected data and using the mentioned research method the following problems are discussed and summarized in the article: the forced migration of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia and the process of the reconstruction of it under new circumstances; Antelias as a new spiritual and religious center of the Diaspora after the Armenian Genocide; the role of the Cilician See in the process of the diasporization of Armenian refugees in Syria-Lebanon; the activities of the Catholicosate in their attempts to preserve the national identity of Armenian communities in the Near East after the Genocide.

Comparing Diaspora Policies of Turkey and Azerbaijan: “Are Common Diaspora Policies Possible?”

The term diaspora is used to describe social groups that have migrated from their homeland, and preserved and maintained their home country’s culture. In the 1990s, with the acceleration of communication, transportation, and the ease of displacement, migration movements in the world increased and modern diasporas developed transnational relations in their country of residence. Modern diasporas have attracted sending states’ attention over time and have led states to develop various policies for institution building, political participation, lobbying, and civil and social rights. This article reveals the similarities and differences in Turkey and Azerbaijan’s diaspora policies from a historical perspective and examines the kinds of activities and policies these two states currently have in the context of the Turkish world. The possibility of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (Turkey) and the State Committee on Work with Diaspora (Azerbaijan) developing common diaspora policies is also discussed. The study’s data is collected using the document analysis method, which includes a literature review and an examination of reports from the public institutions mentioned, in order to discuss the possibility of the two countries to producing a common diaspora policy.

A Diaspora Management Framework for the 21st Century

Modern diasporas have played vital roles in driving trade, investment, and ties between their countries of origin (COO) and countries of residence (COR). In this paper, we develop a multi- level theoretical framework that helps countries engage with their diasporas in a mutually beneficial relationship. It also explains how COR policies can affect this relationship. We use institutional theory and social identity theory to explain how this constantly evolving framework can be created and maintained, and how it relates to the diaspora’s motivations and activities vis- a-vis the COO and the COR. The framework helps analyze and explain the setting up and maintaining of a diaspora management process in a dynamic setting that is constantly in a state of flux. It can be an important tool for COO and COR governments in leveraging the diaspora as a strategic asset that can help provide a competitive advantage in attracting global talent.

Conceptualising the term diaspora: the theoretical-methodological aspects

The following article characterizes the principal approaches and definitions of the term ‘Diaspora’. Diaspora appears on the basis of ethnic groups that reside outside of their “titular” states. It is characterized by a multiple identity; ethno-cultural ties to both its country of residence and to the country of origin; the presence of social institutes that provide the maintenance, development, and functioning of the Diaspora. Diaspora organizations (cultural associations, church parishes) are such institutes. The Diaspora is institutionalized through the collective activity of its members. Only those groups that deliberately maintain their ties and strengthen their relations with the motherland are considered Diasporas and members of Diasporas. The diaspora is a complex and heterogeneous phenomenon. Beside the activists that make up its “face”, it also consists of passive “mute” members that provide its mass character. The diaspora is a sum of representatives of different generations, whose relation to the country of origin may vary (citizenship, possession of language, knowledge of culture, traditions, social activity, length of participation, etc.). The diaspora consists of both those that continuously reside in, have the citizenship of the country of destination, and of those that are staying there temporarily (labor migrants, students). This diversity is the source of the Diaspora’s renewal and development. Modern science counts numerous typings of modern Diasporas. The use of various criteria gave rich material for characterizing and classifying Diasporas, for the creation of a more complete picture of their existence and functioning.

Bayeh, Jumana – Oleinikova, Olga (eds.): Democracy, Diaspora, Territory: Europe and Cross-Border Politics

This volume offers a profoundly new interpretation of the impact of modern diasporas on democracy, challenging the orthodox understanding that ties these two concepts to a bounded form of territory. Considering democracy and diaspora through a deterritorialised lens, it takes the post-Euromaidan Ukraine as a central case study to show how modern diasporas are actively involved in shaping democracy from a distance, and through their political activity are becoming increasingly democratised themselves. An examination of how power-sharing democracies function beyond the territorial state, Democracy, Diaspora, Territory: Europe and Cross-Border Politics compels us to reassess what we mean by democracy and diaspora today, and why we need to focus on the deterritorialised dimensions of these phenomena if we are to adequately address the crises confronting numerous democracies. As such, it will appeal to scholars of sociology and politics with interests in migration and diaspora, political theory, citizenship and democracy.

Diasporas and Armed Conflicts: beyond Being “Third Party”

The article discusses an essential dimension of modern diaspora research related to the functional status of diasporas in contemporary armed conflicts. The conventional point of view is that diasporas can only act as the “third party” of the conflict by either contributing to the deepening of the contradictions between the opposing parties or acting as an intermediary between them. In theoretical terms, the author relies on the concept of “new” or network wars (netwars) and tries to demonstrate that there are the prerequisites for more active involvement of diasporas in armed conflicts at the structural level of modern world political processes. To identify the structural requirements for such participation, the author turns to the analysis of two cases. The first case is the emergence and functioning of the 1st Polish Corps in 1917-1918 in Russia, which was formed when the Polish population of Russia was separated from their territory of origin as a result of the First World War. An analysis of the documents shows that the leadership of the corps quite clearly evaded political subordination to the Russian authorities and retained only military subordination, implying that the task of this unit was to participate in the restoration of Polish statehood. The second case is the genesis and evolution of the “Secret Army” of General Wang Pao in Laos in 1960-1974. This unit played an essential role in the Civil War in Laos, as it managed to restrain the onslaught of the superior forces of the Patet Lao Front and troops from North Vietnam. Such long-term participation in hostilities was made possible thanks to US special services' logistical and technical support. The two case studies allow us to conclude that there were armed units in previous historical periods with a clear diaspora component: they made a significant contribution to the overall dynamics of the confrontation between major parties to the conflict. This experience helps analyze contemporary conflicts with the diaspora component, especially in the context of the gradual erosion of power resources in world politics. The participation of diasporas in armed conflicts outside the “third party” framework is associated with the achievement of several conditions, both internal and external ones.

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ROLE OF MODERN DIASPORA IN THE CONTEXT OF MIGRATION PROCESSES

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ROLE OF MODERN DIASPORA IN THE CONTEXT OF MIGRATION PROCESSES   Pavel Sychev post-graduate student of Voronezh Institute of Economics and social management, Russia, Voronezh   ABSTRACT In the contex

ТРАНСГРАНИЧНАЯ МИГРАЦИЯ И ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ ДИАСПОР : КИТАЙЦЫ ВО ФРАНЦИИ

The prerequisites and stages of formation of the modern Chinese diaspora in France are considered as part of the global process of development of cross-border migration and its transition to a new quality - the formation of diasporas. The ties of diaspora with China and their perception in the French society are characterized. The dual attitude towards China in France is emphasized: fear of its foreign economic expansion, on the one hand, and assessment of the prospects of economic relations, on the other hand. The composition and characteristics of the Chinese diaspora are analyzed. The prerequisites for the business success of the Chinese are revealed, and contradictory attitudes to them in French society are stated: «a model minority (mêdel minority)» in public opinion and «racism of resentment» in the «collective unconscious».

Українська діаспора в Канаді: історіографічний огляд

Introduction. Historiographical research of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada remains one of the crucial tasks of researchers of national history. This task became particularly relevant with the declaration of independence of Ukraine in 1991 and the completion of the main institutionalization of the diaspora. Purpose. The article aims to systematize available historiographical knowledge of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, accrued by scholars of the diaspora itself, as well as Ukrainian, Western and Russian researchers.  Results. The holistic picture of the Ukrainian diaspora includes politica, legal, institutional socio-economic, cultural, and religious aspects. A comprehensive analysis of historiography allows us to affirm that overall successful preservation by the diaspora in Canada its national identity is complicated by the growth of globalization. The peculiarity of studying the history of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada during the pre-state period was the dominance of the works of foreign Ukrainians and the formation of the Western historiography of the problem. At the same time scientists of the diaspora, researchers in Ukraine, historians of Russia, and the Western World were studying the history of the Ukrainian community in Canada. Overall, diaspora studies that were published in the state period can be divided into those devoted directly to the diaspora in Canada and reveal questions of its genesis and originality, and studies that analyze the Ukrainian diaspora in general. However, little attention has been paid to this topic for the last two decades. Originality. The concept of the diaspora as an institutionalized ethnonational community itself has been clarified. The conclusion on the fundamental development of the history of the Ukrainian diaspora in the 1890s - early 2000s was substantiated. Conclusion. A review of the available scientific literature testifies to the deep and multifaceted development of the history of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada. The scientists found out the main stages and trends of its evolution which include institutional strengthening of the diaspora and preservation of Ukrainians’ Canadian national identity. Naturally, the holistic picture of the Ukrainian diaspora was reproduced by national and foreign researchers mainly in the period between the 1890s and 1990s. At the same time, the modern diaspora continues to change dynamically, and thus requires comprehensive study. Among the promising areas of study of the problem are regional specifics of the diaspora, everyday life of Ukrainians in Canada, the transformation of their mentality, and biographical research.

Diasporas in the modern world: the evolution of phenomena and concepts

The article analyzes scientific views, the concept of "diaspora", classification of diasporas, modern and classical diasporas, a description of existing scientific views as an object of a transnational community. The conclusion is made about the absence of a single generally accepted definition of the concept of “diaspora”, which is necessary both theoretically and practically. n the conclusion, the author's views on improving research on the history of diasporas are presented.

Diaspora and Transnationalism: the Changing Contours of Ethnonational Identity of Indian Diaspora

Abstract Diasporic communities have historically maintained—either actively or passively—their ethnonational identities, be it in the case of classical diasporas such as the Jews or Armenians or the case of more modern diasporas such as the Indians or other South Asians. However, the ethnonational identities of diasporic communities have strengthened significantly in recent times as a result of the global forces such as the Internet that created and recreated the existing and newer ways of transnationalism and ethnonationalism. The study of the Indian diaspora is inherent because of the fact that these global forces have drastically changed the ethnonational identity of Indians in the diaspora. There are a plethora of factors that played an important role in this process of transformation. This article tries to examine two of the most significant factors that strengthened the ethnonational identity, such as the dynamic changes in the Indian government policy towards diaspora and the role of the Internet that facilitates the youth to play a prominent role in this neo-diaspora.

Introduction: The Various Aspects and Meanings of the Modern Diaspora

Introduction: The Various Aspects and Meanings of the Modern Diaspora

Transatlantic Threads of meaning: West African textile entrepreneurship in Salvador da Bahia, 1770–1870

ABSTRACT This article details the factors that enabled the creation and maintenance of a transatlantic trade in West African textiles (panos da costa). At the end of the eighteenth century, the transformation of slave and textile trading routes in the Bight of Benin, the granting of trading privileges as compensation for enslaved and freed African mariners who labored aboard slaving ships, and the emergence of a commercial infrastructure in Bahia based on a network of African and Afro-Brazilian shopkeepers and mobile vendors who provisioned Salvador’s residents collectively generated this uniquely African commodity exchange. Through the purposeful circulation and consumption of West African textiles, enslaved and freed Africans in the city forged communal and cultural ties and inscribed their bodies with new meanings and social identities through dress, making these imported material goods a crucial site of black intellectual production in the early modern diaspora.

“Our Cinderella North” – The Modern Diaspora’s long reach into Australia’s tropical zones

Modernism in tropical in Australia is testimony to the tenacity and optimism of individuals and communities in the vast, “empty north” of the continent, but also reflects a young nation’s strategic and commercial need to develop and make viable this region in the years following WWII. As practitioners, academics and public servants, the Modern Diaspora, introduced and promoted Modernism as a climate responsive solution to building in the tropics. The result is work that is inventive, frequently of modest material means and expressive of its tropical circumstances.

Tropical Architecture, South of Cancer in the Modern Diaspora

Getting back to the point of “Tropical architecture,” architecture in the humid tropics is collaboration with nature to establish a new order in which human beings may live in harmony with their surroundings. As publications at the time concentrated on French and British colonies, to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the Modern Movement diaspora, it is essential to revisit, analyse, and document the important heritage built south of the Tropic of Cancer, where the debate took place and architectonic models were reproduced, and in many cases subjected to metamorphoses stemming from their antipodal geography. Notable for the modernity of its social, urban, and architectonic programs, and also its formally and technologically sustained research, the modern architecture of these latitudes below the tropics constitutes a distinctive heritage.

ЗАРУБІЖНА УКРАЇНІКА ПРО ДІЯЛЬНІСТЬ ГРЕКО-КАТОЛИЦЬКОЇ ЦЕРКВИ В ПЕРІОД ЗАХІДНО-УКРАЇНСЬКОЇ НАРОДНОЇ РЕСПУБЛІКИ

У статті висвітлюється відображення зарубіжною українікою діяльності Греко-католицької церкви (ГКЦ) в суспільно-політичних подіях 1917–1921 рр. на західно-українських землях. Здійснюється спроба висвітлити позиції активних діячів ЗУНР та УНР щодо фактору релігії в умовах революції. Виділено особливе місце дослідженням ролі греко-католицького духовенства в партійно-політичній системі та зовнішній політиці ЗУНР. Розглядаються напрацювання сучасних діаспорних дослідників на рахунок етноконфесійних процесів. Враховуються матеріали, які ознайомлюють з місцем ГКЦ у соціально-економічному та культурному вимірі ЗУНР.

The role of digital/online resources in the Jewish Diaspora communities

Globalization, in its earlier stages, was expected to erode national and ethnic identities. In contrast, ethnicity and ethnic affiliations persisted, growing socially and politically. This paper examines the role of the globalizing new communications technologies on this process, focusing on Diasporas. The study of trans-state networks based on ethnic solidarity, connections and affinities in the framework of social and political science is quite recent. Following a clarification of the distinction between classical and modern Diasporas we analyse a particular case study, that of the Jewish Diaspora. This diaspora was an early adopter of computer-based communications and the Internet for a wide range of purposes. Early events are described including the diffusion of the Internet to Israel, the planning of a Global Jewish Information Network, Israel 2020 macro scenarios for Israel and the Jewish People and the decision on Jewish Peoplehood through communication technologies. A survey of historical systems (Responsa, BBS, and Usenet) follows by a description of the Jewish population and the wide variety of Jewish Web based activities today. These include the Institutional landscape; Jewish media — press, radio, video and blogs; the impact on Jewish religious observance; Jewish genealogy; Online dating; Social networks; Jewish education; Online learning; Jewish Studies and Digital Humanities; Jewish memory. Judaica Europeana supports the activities previously described by aggregating and facilitating the access and the re-use of Jewish digital culture. Europeana is the leading global digital library for cultural heritage as well as a lively eco-system for relevant stakeholders.