International conference “ZAVNOBiH and AVNOJ 80 years after: Historical Reflections and Contemporary Understanding” Successfully Finalized

On Friday, the extensive program of the International Conference “ZAVNOBiH and AVNOJ 80 years after: Historical Reflections and Contemporary Understanding” was officially finalized with the holding of the last panel “Yugonostalgia, Yugofuturism, Art.”

Prof. Dr. Belma Buljubašić from the Faculty of Political Sciences UNSA, Dr. Tijana Matijević from the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory from Belgrade and Sarajevo writer Saša Džino with moderator Prof. Dr. Sarina Bakić problematized the existence of the concepts of Yugonostalgia and Yugofuturism and the presence and use of these concepts in the domain of art and literature.

At the beginning of his presentation, Prof. Buljubašić emphasized the ambivalence of the notion of nostalgia, trying to answer the question of whether it can have a certain positive and affirmative political potential in today's context. With reference to his novel “Yugoslavia 2080,” writer Saša Džino notes that today the memory of Yugoslavia is culturalized, which allows it to be conceptualized in different ways, as is the case with the aforementioned novel, which in real social and political circumstances would not were possible. The historical distance towards Yugoslavia is certainly important in this regard, as stressed by dr. Tijana Matijević. And while the Yugonostalgic moments of the generations that experienced - or were socialized in Yugoslavia are exclusively passivating memories of youth, such narratives that spread to younger generations led to Yugoslavia being viewed from a new angle. Opening the debate on the role of affective and emotional aspects, it was concluded that their dimension in today's understanding can be equally positive and negative, which is why the approach to the past must not be reduced exclusively to them without historical facts and archival work, nor, on the other hand, should they can leave it to the right in the political sense.

We remind you that the academic part of the Conference included three thematic panels, and the exhibition “The Poster as a Medium for Establishing Social and Political Order” in cooperation with the History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the screening of the film “The Labudović Dossier: Unaligned” was also held.

In the past three weeks, the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Sarajevo was a kind of improvised gallery space and showed the understanding of the academic domain as a place of networking of science, art, scientifically based interpretation and constructive discussion about historically relevant social events and their significance for reflection and understanding of recent social political images.

Special thanks for the successful implementation of the Conference go to the organizing committee, all panelists, male and female students and all other visitors who recognized the importance of this event, as well as to BH Telecom, the Federal Ministry of Education and Science, the City of Sarajevo and the Municipality of Centar, who provided the necessary financial support in the implementation of the Conference.