Periodic Reporting for period 2 - NEGOTIA (Negotiating Religion: Coptic Orthodox diaspora communities. Shifting identities, needs, and relations from Egypt to Europe and back)
Período documentado: 2022-07-01 hasta 2023-06-30
• The issue(s) at the centre of NEGOTIA:
NEGOTIA aimed to analyse the Coptic Orthodox diaspora communities in Europe with specific regard to three key aspects: identities, needs, and relations, to reconstruct the theoretical-practical framework of religious mediation.
Its first goal was to examine the origins and the history of these communities, their cultural heritage, and the peculiarities of their religion, but above all the dynamics of deconstruction and reconstitution of the material, emotional, and relational dimensions experienced by such communities in the pathways from their homeland to abroad and back. Its final goal was to define the research field of religious mediation through an integrated, methodological approach to Copts, who are a peculiar case study to conceptualise this topic, which has never been systematically studied before.
NEGOTIA focused on three case studies: the Church of San Giorgio Megalomartire in Rome, Italy, which was established as an independent diocese in 1996; the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center (COCC) in Cairo, Egypt, and, more generally, Copts in Egypt; and the Church of St. Petrus, der letzte Märtyrer in Hamburg, Germany, as one of the member churches of Northern Germany Coptic Communities.
The analysis of modern Copts is a relatively new field of study. Research into Coptic communities in the diaspora has only just begun, and religious mediation is a concept that has still to be explored both in terms of theoretical definition and practice. Furthermore, no interdisciplinary research can be found, considering identity, needs, and relations as guiding criteria of analysis for the reconstruction of the historical-biographical and discursive-relational profile of the Coptic communities within the contemporary public sphere.
NEGOTIA aimed to fill the gap in the studies on Coptic diaspora communities in Europe, to create an innovative and original research field, and to provide an integrated, methodological approach, that can be adapted to the analysis of any religious community in the public sphere.
• The relevance of NEGOTIA for society:
The analysis of the Coptic diaspora communities in Europe is a highly relevant topic to find new ways to understand and manage the increasing cultural and religious diversity of the European countries. This topic has become a core, strategic objective of the European Union over the last twenty years.
Thanks to the approach that NEGOTIA has developed, it is possible to analyse how religious communities, particularly minorities, negotiate their place in contemporary societies. This offers an opportunity to shed new light on the relationships between states and religious communities in Europe.
• The objectives of NEGOTIA:
Therefore, the specific scientific objectives of the NEGOTIA project were:
- To reconstruct the concept of identity which characterises the Coptic Orthodox communities in Europe.
- To detect the needs emerging among these communities.
- To analyse the relations between the Coptic Orthodox communities and the central and local bodies of the European states, and to examine the dynamics characterising such relations and their nature.
The analysis of Copts in Egypt added a transnational comparative focus to NEGOTIA.
NEGOTIA aimed to analyse the Coptic Orthodox diaspora communities in Europe with specific regard to three key aspects: identities, needs, and relations, to reconstruct the theoretical-practical framework of religious mediation.
Its first goal was to examine the origins and the history of these communities, their cultural heritage, and the peculiarities of their religion, but above all the dynamics of deconstruction and reconstitution of the material, emotional, and relational dimensions experienced by such communities in the pathways from their homeland to abroad and back. Its final goal was to define the research field of religious mediation through an integrated, methodological approach to Copts, who are a peculiar case study to conceptualise this topic, which has never been systematically studied before.
NEGOTIA focused on three case studies: the Church of San Giorgio Megalomartire in Rome, Italy, which was established as an independent diocese in 1996; the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center (COCC) in Cairo, Egypt, and, more generally, Copts in Egypt; and the Church of St. Petrus, der letzte Märtyrer in Hamburg, Germany, as one of the member churches of Northern Germany Coptic Communities.
The analysis of modern Copts is a relatively new field of study. Research into Coptic communities in the diaspora has only just begun, and religious mediation is a concept that has still to be explored both in terms of theoretical definition and practice. Furthermore, no interdisciplinary research can be found, considering identity, needs, and relations as guiding criteria of analysis for the reconstruction of the historical-biographical and discursive-relational profile of the Coptic communities within the contemporary public sphere.
NEGOTIA aimed to fill the gap in the studies on Coptic diaspora communities in Europe, to create an innovative and original research field, and to provide an integrated, methodological approach, that can be adapted to the analysis of any religious community in the public sphere.
• The relevance of NEGOTIA for society:
The analysis of the Coptic diaspora communities in Europe is a highly relevant topic to find new ways to understand and manage the increasing cultural and religious diversity of the European countries. This topic has become a core, strategic objective of the European Union over the last twenty years.
Thanks to the approach that NEGOTIA has developed, it is possible to analyse how religious communities, particularly minorities, negotiate their place in contemporary societies. This offers an opportunity to shed new light on the relationships between states and religious communities in Europe.
• The objectives of NEGOTIA:
Therefore, the specific scientific objectives of the NEGOTIA project were:
- To reconstruct the concept of identity which characterises the Coptic Orthodox communities in Europe.
- To detect the needs emerging among these communities.
- To analyse the relations between the Coptic Orthodox communities and the central and local bodies of the European states, and to examine the dynamics characterising such relations and their nature.
The analysis of Copts in Egypt added a transnational comparative focus to NEGOTIA.
The work performed during the NEGOTIA project covered three main scientific areas:
a) The acquisition of data, context information, and specific notions regarding the historical, political, geographical, cultural, and religious background of Egypt.
b) The acquisition of data, context information, and specific notions regarding each of the three case studies (Church of San Giorgio, COCC, and Church of St. Petrus/Coptic Communities of Northern Germany) examined by the NEGOTIA project.
c) The acquisition of specific notions regarding the theoretical framework of each of the three key aspects (identity, needs, and relations) taken into consideration by NEGOTIA.
These research activities were accompanied by training, teaching, dissemination, and communication activities to different audiences (for more details on research results in publications and dissemination activities as well as the full list of conferences, please visit the NEGOTIA website: https://www.negotia-project.eu/).
The project management spanned all 36 months of NEGOTIA. The action concluded on February 16th, 2024.
a) The acquisition of data, context information, and specific notions regarding the historical, political, geographical, cultural, and religious background of Egypt.
b) The acquisition of data, context information, and specific notions regarding each of the three case studies (Church of San Giorgio, COCC, and Church of St. Petrus/Coptic Communities of Northern Germany) examined by the NEGOTIA project.
c) The acquisition of specific notions regarding the theoretical framework of each of the three key aspects (identity, needs, and relations) taken into consideration by NEGOTIA.
These research activities were accompanied by training, teaching, dissemination, and communication activities to different audiences (for more details on research results in publications and dissemination activities as well as the full list of conferences, please visit the NEGOTIA website: https://www.negotia-project.eu/).
The project management spanned all 36 months of NEGOTIA. The action concluded on February 16th, 2024.
The work carried out during the project has achieved relevant scientific results. These results have contributed to moving beyond the state of the art outlined by the NEGOTIA project and to developing its starting assumptions on three levels:
1. The definition of the main elements characterising Coptic identity as portrayed in the public narratives of the Coptic Church and across communities and at the individual level among their members.
2. The definition of the macro-categories to classify needs and the identification of specific needs of Coptic communities inside and outside Egypt.
3. The reconstruction of the typologies of relations between Copts and the states where they live, particularly the three states where the case studies of NEGOTIA are located.
On the first point, Coptic identity appears to be composed of various elements, each of them related to a broader network of concepts, which are developed by the Coptic Church, and shared by its members to varying degrees, to reach specific purposes such as its survival.
On the second point, various macro-categories of needs emerge. Matching data and sources reveals that, for example, “recognition” encompasses a wide range of issues spanning different fields, both internal and external to Coptic communities. Having their own place of worship appears to be a fundamental requirement for all Coptic communities among their specific needs.
On the third point, the hypothesis that relations are an aspect strictly linked to the previous two aspects (identity and needs) and these aspects are related to and influence each other has been confirmed. Indeed, one of the main innovations of the NEGOTIA project is the idea that “integration” and “inclusion” are mainly a relational matter.
The work carried out during the project has also confirmed the theoretical and methodological innovation capacity of the NEGOTIA approach to Copts and the concept of “religious community”. At the same time, it has reinforced the original hypothesis that developing the framework of religious mediation can address relevant societal needs at the regional level and bring important benefits to society as well as contribute to European policy objectives and strategies.
The dissemination and communication activities implemented during the NEGOTIA project were suitable to reach the stakeholders (policymakers, civil society, etc.) of the project by creating awareness about its impact.
1. The definition of the main elements characterising Coptic identity as portrayed in the public narratives of the Coptic Church and across communities and at the individual level among their members.
2. The definition of the macro-categories to classify needs and the identification of specific needs of Coptic communities inside and outside Egypt.
3. The reconstruction of the typologies of relations between Copts and the states where they live, particularly the three states where the case studies of NEGOTIA are located.
On the first point, Coptic identity appears to be composed of various elements, each of them related to a broader network of concepts, which are developed by the Coptic Church, and shared by its members to varying degrees, to reach specific purposes such as its survival.
On the second point, various macro-categories of needs emerge. Matching data and sources reveals that, for example, “recognition” encompasses a wide range of issues spanning different fields, both internal and external to Coptic communities. Having their own place of worship appears to be a fundamental requirement for all Coptic communities among their specific needs.
On the third point, the hypothesis that relations are an aspect strictly linked to the previous two aspects (identity and needs) and these aspects are related to and influence each other has been confirmed. Indeed, one of the main innovations of the NEGOTIA project is the idea that “integration” and “inclusion” are mainly a relational matter.
The work carried out during the project has also confirmed the theoretical and methodological innovation capacity of the NEGOTIA approach to Copts and the concept of “religious community”. At the same time, it has reinforced the original hypothesis that developing the framework of religious mediation can address relevant societal needs at the regional level and bring important benefits to society as well as contribute to European policy objectives and strategies.
The dissemination and communication activities implemented during the NEGOTIA project were suitable to reach the stakeholders (policymakers, civil society, etc.) of the project by creating awareness about its impact.