Against the backdrop of a mass exodus of religious minorities from the Middle East, there is an urgency to empower youth from the communities left behind to find opportunities for professional development and income generation through the preservation of their heritage.

With the breakdown in social relations caused by intense minority related forms of targeting in Iraq, Syria and Egypt, this project endeavours to contribute to social cohesion through the positive power of heritage repertoires (food, music and dance in particular).

In Syria and Iraq, ongoing war has separated religious minorities across borders, creating a desperate need for preserving heritage that has become scattered across different geographic areas. While in Egypt and Iraq, there is an official national endorsement of the importance of protecting heritage, the policy predominantly focuses on tangible forms and does not cover the minorities on the extreme margin (such as the Kakeyîs in Iraq, or Coptic Apostolic in Egypt). This project is unique in its adaptation of participatory development and digital archiving methods, which we will seek to leverage further funding post-2025 from international development aid as well as from diaspora communities.

This project will also focus on safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of religious, ethnic and linguistic minorities in Syria, Iraq and Egypt via capacity building in collection & digitization & dissemination skills targeting local youth.

Egypt
Working with Refcemi, the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Coptic Apostolic Church, and a Coptic development NGO, the project trained over 50 young heritage gatherers to document traditions such as celebrations, tattoos, food, songs, and pilgrimages. Their efforts reached wide audiences through the Mirathna Fi Torathna Facebook page, which grew to 16,000 followers and featured viral videos with hundreds of thousands of views.

Find out more:

• MEPCCC: Egypt
• The Revival of Coptic Heritage

Iraq
In Iraq, the project partnered with heritage gatherers and the University of Duhok to preserve the traditions of nine communities: Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Kakeyîs, Sabean Mandaeans, Shabak, Syriac Orthodox, Turkmen, and Yazidis. This work led to the Handbook of Iraqi People’s Heritage, an interactive e book featuring contributions from 60 gatherers and enriched with videos, recordings, and photographs that showcase Iraq’s diverse cultural heritage.

Find out more:

• MEPCCC: Iraq

Syria
Through collaboration the Syriac Orthodox Church, and Refcemi, the project trained 24 young heritage gatherers to revive Syriac Christian traditions and oral histories. They organised 179 community sessions, engaged 1,393 participants directly, and reached thousands more through social media and local events.

Find out more:

• MEPCCC: Syria
• Tartous, Coast, and Valley Group مجموعة طرطوس والساحل والوادي

Website: creid.ac