The meeting is part of the "Learning is Trendy" series, promoted by the My Step Foundation, an initiative aimed at spreading knowledge and culture through meetings with international scholars and experts.
During the conference, Coppola did not limit himself to retracing the history of the Armenian community in Bari — linked in particular to the settlement of Nor Arax, established in the 1920s to welcome refugees who had survived the Genocide — but also took the opportunity to present the guidelines of a theory he is developing, called the "New Armenian Quantum Politics Theory," also known as the "Knot Theory of Armenity": a theoretical framework that interweaves political reflection, Armenian cultural identity and new interpretive paradigms, representing an original development of his long-standing course of study on the history of the Armenian diaspora in Italy.In making the event possible, the Consulate expressed thanks to the Armenian sculptor Vighen Avetis and to Dr. Talin Topalakian, executive deputy director of the My Step Foundation, who organized the meeting. The conference was held under the patronage of Mrs. Anna Hakobyan, wife of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.
The My Step Foundation itself, promoter of the series of meetings, also wanted to recount the day through its own channels, highlighting the extraordinary public turnout: the hall that hosted the meeting filled with over 150 people, who came to listen with great interest to the speaker. In his address, presented by the Foundation as that of an Italian-Armenian journalist, cultural commentator, researcher and lecturer, Coppola retraced the history of the formation of the Armenian community in Italy — and in particular in Bari — dwelling on the Italian-Armenian cultural ties, the legacy of the Armenian community in Bari, and the figure of Hrand Nazariantz, as well as on the importance of cultural memory as the foundation of authentic public diplomacy.
The meeting closed with a lively round of questions from the audience, interested in exploring further the history of the Armenian community in Italy, the prospects for developing Italian-Armenian relations, international experiences in safeguarding Armenian cultural heritage, and the role of the diaspora in the contemporary world. The ensuing discussion, according to the Foundation, turned the conference into a rich and highly participatory moment of exchange.
The Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Armenia in Bari wished to publicly express its congratulations to the professor for this recognition of his intellectual work, underscoring the value of the bond that, once again, unites Bari and Armenia in a cultural and diplomatic dialogue now a century old.
Carlo Coppola
