The Centre for Scientific Research of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth (YPAN), the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies of the University of Cyprus, the Office of the Representative of the Armenian Religious Group and the Office of the Representative of the Latino Religious Group are organising a press conference on the establishment of the Cyprus Oral Tradition Archive for the Armenian and Latino Religious Groups (KARMELA).
The press conference will take place in the hall of the Ministry of National Economy (Central Building, Corner of Kimonos and Thucydides), on Friday, February 24, 2023, at 11 am:30 and during the conference the research project KARMELA will be presented by Marilena Karyolaimou, scientific coordinator of the research project, Professor of Linguistics at the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies of the University of Cyprus. The event will be addressed by Vartkes Makhtesian, Representative of the Armenian Religious Group in the House of Representatives, Antonella Mantovani, Representative of the Latino Religious Group in the House of Representatives, Fotis Fotiou, Commissioner of the Presidency and Prodromos Prodromou, Minister of Education, Sports and Youth.
Information about the research project
The research project KARMELA aims to collect audiovisual material from members of the Armenian and Latin community of Cyprus, in the form of individual interviews. The ultimate aim is to create an Oral Tradition Archive that will record the experiences and experiences of the Armenians and Latins of Cyprus over the last century, cultural elements, religious and other traditions, as well as evidence of linguistic specificities and multilingual practices.
The research effort to create an Oral Tradition Archive for the Armenians and Latins of Cyprus is in line with the priority given in recent years to the digitization of various aspects of the intangible cultural heritage of a place in order to preserve it from oblivion and/or to make it more widely known. The creation of electronic archival resources has the advantage of allowing resources to be added and the type of material deposited to be expanded. Electronic Archives thus become repositories of testimonies, experiences and knowledge in relation to these communities. In addition, especially when they focus on small or less visible communities, they are an indication of a democratic society that recognizes and accepts their historical presence and their contribution over time to the construction of modern society.
The proposal to create an Oral Tradition Archive for the Armenians and Latins of Cyprus complements the Oral Tradition Archive for the Maronite community that is being established with the financial support of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth under the scientific supervision of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth.
