As part of the XNUMXth "Ćirilicom" Festival, a round table on "Culture and models of reconciliation" was held last night in the church of Santa Maria in Punta in Budva's Old Town, which was discussed by prof. PhD Siniša Jelušić, prof. Dr. Aleksandar Jerkov, MSc Bozena Jelušić, Dr. Miša Đurković and Dr. Žika Bujuklić.
University professor at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje and member of the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, prof. PhD Siniša Jelušić pointed out that there are three key concepts in the unusually interesting title: culture, models of reconciliation, but also the implied conflict without which there can be no reconciliation.
"With the concept of culture, we have two important original terms - the very important concept of cult and the concept of cholera (cultivate, shape). In this case, I see them as equals. Here we will see that this concept of cultivation in the original variant is related to agriculture and the shaping of plants, and Cicero gives it a significantly different meaning and according to him it is animicultura, i.e. nurturing the soul or caring for the development of the soul. Culture is thus associated with a very specific concept of personality, and we need to determine where that possible association leads us. Therefore, what she nurtures and cares about is her personality. In this sense, personality is most deeply connected with culture. And now we have those two aspects: shaping the personality in its psychological, in-depth development, and we have the cult dimension, which I associate with logos and meaning. Because I believe, regardless of whether we are religious or not, that the transcendent dimension of personality is unusually important, and this is what Carl Gustav Jung and Viktor Frankl teach us. With Jung, it is well known that we have an individuation process that ends precisely in that transcendent function of the self as the meaning of the path of personality development. One could simply say very roughly that in this concept we are talking about the spiritualization of the instinctive in us. However, when we talk about personality as a culture, we must always have the aspect of the other, because the other is identified with the concept of another, different culture. And personality, therefore, becomes only through another who is different from us and with whom we establish a dialogue starting from the logos dimension. That other, in my opinion, in the sense that it is important for our development, is always different from us, often opposes us, but is actually fundamental for us. In the context of theory, I have in mind Martin Buber, Levinas, Bakhtin, Bibler, and their basic attitude is that only through you does one become self. There is no separation, autistic existence for oneself and culture is always in relation to others. At this year's festival, special attention is paid to Byzantine inspiration, so I also mention the great Saint Maximus the Confessor, who said that we are saved through another, which is essential for our personal, Christian salvation," pointed out Professor Jelušić.
Serbian university professor, theorist and historian of literature, prof. Dr. Aleksandar Jerkov said that the issue of reconciliation modalities is not only a matter of principle, but of a very concrete nature for the citizens of Montenegro today.
As he stated, one part of the cultural program model presented by the "Ćirilica" Festival is based on trying to find an opportunity to start a dialogue in general.
"As you all know very well, there is a form of silence or obscurity that we wanted to get out of with the help of "Cirillic", and it is a model of reconciliation. This means that we should finally come to terms so that we can address each other, and that address is not paper-based and strictly formal, but essential. That it was not given as an empty form of authorizing someone to be whatever they want in the public space, and that it has no consequences because you have one more deputy. So, the culture of dialogue if it wants to bring to reconciliation then it must be substantive, not formally democratic, and it must incorporate an element of understanding of the two different positions that can exist.From a literary perspective, there is a fascinating example at the very beginning and Western European culture is built on the modality of understanding Homer as a great teacher Homer gave us a picture of antiquity as such and at the same time showed us what we need to know about the Achaean man in order to be able to understand him, adopt him and move on that way. And when he wants to show you, Homer gives you a model. Nowhere in Homer will you find that it is fair for the Greeks to destroy Troy. Nowhere will you find the legitimization of a project, nor will you find an assessment that it is a conquest campaign in which some crazy Greeks decided to demolish a city that competes with them. Rather, you will find in 20.000 verses the dramatic struggle of the author with himself in an attempt to understand how people are like that. What literature teaches us is that there is no model that can be imposed on us, because that model would already be a form of violence, but there is a model of immersion in the problem where you do your best, as in a kind of oppression, an African practice, where the whole life you collect symbolic capital and everything you have, and you give everything, and then you have a kind of moral exceptionalism," said Professor Jerkov.
Professor of literature, Božena Jelušić, MSc, assessed that the very topic of the round table implies that we live in an unreconciled, divided and quarreling society, and that it implies that culture is one of the models of reconciliation.
This, as she said, is particularly important if we consider the context, because we live in countries that were formed after the disintegration of a common state, which also meant the disintegration of all its institutions that nurtured culture.
"Now we live in transitional societies that rest on unhealthy relapses of former socialist monopoly practices. And at the same time, we are inheriting the terrible corrupt transitional practices that we have acquired in those thirty years. What particularly intrigues me is the issue of transparency and ownership of the holders and participants of cultural programs and in general the model of reconciliation through culture and the use of culture. I can't help but start from the example of Budva's candidacy for the European Capital of Culture. In the end, we got a completely quarreling city that did not reconcile with culture, and everything was resolved by the meeting of five people, very totalitarian and without inclusion. And in everything, I recognized transitional diseases, which are something that does not allow culture to be a model of reconciliation. First, culture is imposed primarily as a business and something to make money from. Another problem is corruption in culture, which is inevitable because societies are simply corrupt, and institutions are dependent and politically instructed. Then you have the hidden interests and agendas of certain cultural policy holders that completely prevent anything that would be a step forward. There is also insufficient inclusivity, especially when it comes to young, independent creators. I would metaphorically explain the culture of Budva in two ways. Or like one hand that puts out a fire and the other that starts it, or like that Caucasian circle when both mothers separate the child, and the real mother lets the wrong one take it so as not to spoil it. Will Budva culture "disintegrate"? Because I don't see that this possibility of cultural exchange at the level of something that should be the European Capital of Culture has led to reconciliation," said Professor Jelušić.
The director of the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr. Ismet Ovčina, was announced as a participant in the round table. He could not come to the Festival due to legitimate reasons and urgent obligations, but the text he sent during the evening was read by moderator Stanka Rađenović Stanojević from the Budva Public Library. . Dr. Ovčina emphasized that he will always support every initiative and project that contributes to opening, rapprochement and integration.
"Books, libraries and culture are universal values of civilized societies and an invaluable and inexhaustible source of multidisciplinary, intellectual and spiritual development of humanity. In the written documentary heritage, from the very beginnings until today, the being and being of the people, their history, the scope of education, science and culture are recognized. Libraries are a necessary and irreplaceable component of the cultural, educational and informational infrastructure of a society. In addition, they assume an irreplaceable part of the cultural heritage. Libraries as institutions that deal with organizing knowledge and information in mutual communication, cooperation, exchange, coordination and are ideal places for meeting and socializing of different cultures, promoting and exchanging ideas and information. As the director of the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina, I have the obligation to highlight the imperative and mission of our institution. It is, first of all, promoting the idea of living together through culture, which is clearly evidenced by the funds from our collections, which we inherit and jealously preserve and make available to all interested parties. It is surprising how much our seemingly different cultures are in fact a common culture, with all the elements of diversity. We have always shared the same or a similar fate here," wrote Dr. Ovčina. Dr. Miša Đurković, research associate at the Institute for European Studies in Belgrade, pointed out that the story of reconciliation in our region has been current for 20 to 25 years, but the question is whether we have moved forward on that path.
"Philosophically speaking, the question is whether a person is alone at peace with himself. It is the biggest and most common problem and a demanding job that we always approach from scratch. Second, the big thing is how to reconcile with your own wife or husband. In this regard, the Istanbul Convention is one of the things that has seriously divided and divided Western and Eastern Europe today, among other things because it orders the signatory states to ban mediation. Today, there is an explicit order, mainly from the Council of Europe, who are trying to reconcile us, that husband and wife should not reconcile, but as soon as the idea of separation arises, the state should help them in this. When we talk about our reconciliation here, we started with big ideas and in the end we came to the point that we cannot agree on basic things in our own house or city. As you know, the Hague Tribunal is also an institution that was founded to solve the problems of reconciliation, and the question is how many of us have been reconciled by it, because inter-ethnic relations in these areas have not been this bad for a long time. And finally, the issue of the census, which in normal states is an administrative issue, has become a fundamental political issue. Realistically speaking, I'm really against the narrative that sees us all here as people who were wasted and went to war with each other. All civil wars in these areas are always initiated from outside, and so it was with the wars of the nineties. Simply, there are the interests of the great powers to keep us in constant conflict, and on the other hand, there are our real, inherited conflicts. During communism, they were hidden, which may be one way to survive, but when the moment comes to open old wounds. And then, in such dynamic environments of unresolved conflicts, it is often assumed that it can explode whenever it is in the interest of the great powers," said Dr. Đurković.
Dr. Žika Bujuklić, professor of Roman law and legal historian, pointed out that the basis of European culture rests on Roman law.
Apostrophizing the guest appearance of Dr. Bogoljub Šijaković with the topic of Byzantine philosophy at this year's festival, he particularly emphasized the great importance of the heritage of Byzantium, that is, the Roman Empire, and the book "Digest".
"Precisely that magnificent book, in short, represented the basis for the continuation of the cultural story that continues to this day. I always told students, take off the contemporary glasses and put on the glasses from that era. Because when you talk about the West, from the year 486 and further, it is something completely different. It is a disintegrated civilization, a fragmented feudalization of states, peoples, language, culture. And the east, the Roman Empire, continues to live until 1453. And on that border, our culture is located, "We are in fact part of both heritages, and there is that imperial road that leads to Europe. It is a great national shame for the Serbian people and our legal culture that we do not have young people who deal with Byzantine law," said Dr. Bujuklić.
During the evening, texts by Helena Manoli Ovčina and Ibrahim Spahić were read.
As part of the "Ćiricom" Festival, the organizers will host the Polish Nobel laureate Olga Tokarčuk today, and the visit of the famous writer is the most significant literary event in Montenegro this summer.
Translation workshops "Experiences of translating Olga Tokarčuk into world languages" open a two-day program dedicated to the Nobel laureate today at 9 a.m., and will be held in the Church of Santa Maria in Punta in the Old Town, with participants: Pavel Peč, Noami Petneki, Katja Walters, Jana Karpenko, Kristina Godun, Karol Lesman, Jelena Jovićević, Jana Unuk, Milica Markić, Marijana Jelisavčić, Mirjana Frau Gardinovacki. On the same day, at the usual time of 21:XNUMX p.m. on the Square between the churches, there will be a talk about "Transgression in the works of Olga Tokarčuk".
The festival is on the program until September 13, organized by the Budva National Library and the Association of Publishers and Booksellers of Montenegro, with the patronage of the Tourism Organization of the Municipality of Budva.
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