It’s no surprise that diaspora communities achieve greater success in education, career, and quality of life than they would have access to in their country of origin.
While we are accustomed to seeing our fellow diasporans excel in business, medicine, law, engineering, and more recently, media and film, we are significantly less accustomed to seeing ourselves as academics, politicians, diplomats, and advocates. The lack of our presence and/or interest in these areas has contributed to the co-opting of our stories, histories, and causes by others.
However, it is through these seemingly unpopular paths that we as a diaspora have the opportunity to influence change, both locally and globally- starting with issues pertaining to our country of origin.
A prime example of this in action is that of the Indian diaspora in the United States. The Indian diaspora in the United States is a highly organized diaspora with over 346 Indian associations spanning the nation, and several areas of interest such as culture, careers, and causes.
In the advocacy realm, the most highly-acclaimed success of Indian-American advocacy is the signing of the US-India Agreement for civil nuclear cooperation in 2008. The Indian-American community led the advocacy efforts and took several steps inside and out of government, leading to the final signature of the 2008 agreement, and convincing lawmakers that India is a trusted partner.
There are several other communities with similar impacts and models that have proven to be successful over time such as that of the Armenian diaspora and the Lebanese diaspora (see ANCA and IDC). Despite the significant number of Copts in the United States- estimated at 500,000 Copts and 250 Coptic Churches- we have yet to see a Coptic organization or association that follows and innovates on these models. The only organization that is somewhat similar is the international development organization Coptic Orphans. Coptic Orphans outpaces any other Coptic lay-organization in terms of size, impact, and financial success, thus creating a unique diaspora organizational model and proving that we have the power to change the world— but only if we work together.
A diaspora survey commissioned by Coptic Orphans, and implemented by George Washington University in 2015, reveals much needed data on the Coptic diaspora globally. Most importantly, the survey reveals that “the Coptic diaspora is more capable and more interested in contributing to development in Egypt than its current activities suggest.” This indicates that our capabilities, resources, and interests are underutilized and underdeveloped in the diaspora.
Coptic Voice believes it’s time we forge our own narrative, one that builds on our past and builds for our future. Join us in cooperation with the Religious Freedom Institute in Washington D.C. on November 22, 2019- November 24, 2019 for an intensive three-day Identity and Leadership Summit. The summit will address the importance of diaspora advocacy, the increased restrictions on the freedom of religion and belief globally with a focus on Egypt, and provide you with the tools to effectively analyze policy issues and engage your local communities. The 2019 Identity and Leadership Summit will provide the space to reflect on issues of Coptic identity with local Coptic leaders from the area who have used their identity to create change globally.
Please visit www.copticvoiceus.com to sign up for our newsletter and receive application dates and terms directly to your email.
Bibliography
DAVID CARMENT, ARIANE SADJED, 2017, Diaspora as Cultures of Cooperation: Global and Local Perspectives, Palgrave Macmillan.
