Rima Ghazinyan (M.A)

The Armenian Quarter and peacebuilding and reconciliation process around the Holy city since 1990s

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Personal Information:

Rima Ghazinyan
Rima.ghazinyan@uni-jena.de

Research interests related to diaspora:

  • Armenian Diaspora
  • Intercultural Dialogue
  • Religious Education in the Diaspora

Provisional working title of the doctoral project: The Armenian Quarter and peacebuilding and reconciliation process around the Holy city since 1990s.

Abstract:

Armenian Community of Jerusalem is one of the oldest Christian communities. Its presence in the Holy City dates more than 1600 years and is strongly tied with the adoption of Christianity in 301.  Armenian monks and pilgrims were among the first to settle in Jerusalem and founded churches and monasteries. The separation of the Armenian Church from the Greek Church after the Council of Chalcedon in the 5th century reaffirmed the distinct ethno-religious nature of the Armenian people.

Armenians own 14% of the territory of the Old City of Jerusalem. Moreover, the Armenian Patriarchate is a part of the Status Quo, a historical document that regulates the rights and responsibilities of Christian Churches in Jerusalem.

During their long-lasting history in Jerusalem, Armenians created a significant cultural, religious, and economic heritage, becoming an important constituent of Jerusalem. Diplomatic skills and education, the ability to negotiate and communicate with people of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, became important means that ensured the safe presence of Armenians in the Holy City and guaranteed their rights and property.

However, the Arab-Israeli conflict and further events created a number of hardships that negatively impacted the Armenian Community of Jerusalem. 

Taking into consideration the above-stated, the aim of the dissertation is to investigate the possible role of diplomacy and religious education in identity creation and reconciliation efforts of the Armenian Community of Jerusalem from the 1990s till now.

Keywords:  Armenian Community, reconciliation, religious education, diplomacy, Jerusalem

Project period: 07/2024-06/2027