During the first quarter, all tasks specified in the project
implementation plan were completed. The project plan
envisions WP1 and WP2-related activities to be achieved
during Q1. Within WP1 Project Management, a Steering
Committee was formed, and a project website was designed and
will soon be active. Plans for activating academic and
non-academic stakeholders were also developed. Kick-off
meetings were held, and interim quarterly meetings were
prepared to discuss progress. The theoretical research
within WP2 “Return to Ethnology Reconsidered", which lasts
until the 6th month of project implementation, has been
initiated. We plan important theoretical papers to be
submitted to prestigious journals. An article with the
theoretical part (analysis) affiliated with SICHWEB has
already been published in the prestigious international
journal “International Journal of Intangible Heritage” (by
Jelena Ćuković and Miloš Milenković). The results of the
initial theoretical discussions have already been presented
at the leading international conference Living Uncertainty,
16th Congress of Société Internationale d’Ethnologie et de
Folklore (SIEF), held on June 7-10, 2023, in Brno, Czech
Republic: “Return to ethnology as a prerequisite for
heritage diplomacy – insights from the Western Balkans" by
Branko Banović (Institute of Ethnography, Serbian Academy of
Sciences and Arts); Marko Milenković (Institute of Social
Sciences); Miloš Milenković, Marko Pišev and Jelena Ćuković
(Faculty of Philosophy). The conference program can be found
at the following link: https://www.siefhome.org/downloads/congresses/sief2023/sief2023programme.pdf.

An abstract has also been accepted for presentation at
the UACES (University Association for Contemporary European
Studies) 2023 annual conference on 11 September 2023
(virtual panel): “Heritage Diplomacy: Towards Mitigating
Bilateral Identity Disputes In The Western Balkans Within
the EU Accession Framework Through Inclusive Intangible
Culture Research and Safeguarding” (Milenković, Miloš;
Pišev, Marko; Ćuković, Jelena; Banović, Branko; Milenković,
Marko). The 16th IACM (International Association for
Comparative Mythology) Conference “Mythologies of Violence:
War in Heaven, War on Earth” will take place in Tulsk,
Ireland (August, 21-25). The members of the SICHWEB
project’s research team submitted two abstracts for the 16th
IACM Conference, and both abstracts were accepted Branko
Banović and Miloš Milenković will present the topic:
“Anthropological analysis of the use of Saint Basil of
Ostrog cult in Montenegro’s contemporary political life”.
Jelena Ćuković submitted an abstract with the topic “Battle
for Jadar: Mythological narratives of war in ecological
activism.”

Time: Monday, 11/Sept/2023:10:00 – 11:30     Platform: Zoom
Moderator: Doris Malaj, Institute for European Studies, University of Tirana

Conference Agenda         Presentations

Place: Tulsk, Ireland Time: August 21-25 2023.

Branko Banović and Miloš Milenković:
“ANTHROPOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF SAINT BASIL OF OSTROG CULT IN MONTENEGRO’S CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL LIFE”

Jelena Ćuković:
“BATTLE FOR JADAR: MYTHOLOGICAL WAR NARRATIVES IN ECOLOGICAL ACTIVISM”

The Sixteenth Annual International Conference on Comparative Mythology, titled “Mythologies of Violence: War in Heaven, War on Earth," was organized by the International Association for Comparative Mythology (IACM) and the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre.
During the panel titled “Mythology around the World," Branko Banović and Miloš Milenković presented the results of their research: “Anthropological Analysis of the Use of the Saint Basil of Ostrog Cult in Montenegro’s Contemporary Political Life." This ethnographic study analyzes the shift of processions from religious to political contexts and explores the utilization of the Saint Basil of Ostrog cult in the political campaign for the 2020 Parliamentary elections.
In the panel “Mythology and Modernity," Jelena Ćuković presented the results of her research, titled “Battle for Jadar: Mythological War Narratives in Ecological Activism." This ethnographic study discusses questions about the use of mythological elements in environmental activism, with a special focus on historical and mythological narratives of local national bravery in mobilizing the community in the struggle against Rio Tinto.
From the perspective of applied anthropology, both studies also investigate the impact of various approaches to Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) preservation in overcoming identity challenges across the Western Balkans. This exploration created additional opportunities to discuss the mission and results of the SICHWEB project during the presentations and subsequent conversations. Both presentations were delivered online.
The International Association for Comparative Mythology (IACM) is an organization with a mission that includes researching the various forms that mythologies have taken in history and prehistory, studying the origin and spread of mythologies among all human populations, and comparing extinct and current mythologies to discover their peculiarities and origins.

Place: Brno, Czech Republic Time: June 7-11 2023.

Branko Banović, Miloš Milenković, Marko Pišev, Jelena Ćuković, Marko Milenković: „RETURN TO ETHNOLOGY AS A PREREQUISITE FOR HERITAGE DIPLOMACY – INSIGHTS FROM THE WESTERN BALKANS“

The 16th International SIEF Congress took place in Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic. There were 998 delegates in attendance, with 97 panels convened and 669 papers presented. The theme of the 16th SIEF2023 was “Living Uncertainty," with the primary objective of initiating a debate on uncertainty in ethnology, folklore, and related fields. This encompassed both the uncertainty of everyday life and epistemological uncertainty.
“Return to Ethnology as a Prerequisite for Heritage Diplomacy – Insights from the Western Balkans" is, in fact, an integral part of the theoretical and methodological framework of the SICHWEB project. Its co-authors included Miloš Milenković, Marko Pišev, Jelena Ćuković (Faculty of Philosophy Belgrade – Department of Ethnology and Anthropology), Marko Milenković (Institute of Social Sciences Belgrade), and Branko Banović (Institute of Ethnography SASA). Branko Banović, on behalf of the project team, presented the research results during the panel titled “Living Heritage as a Source of Resilience in Times of Uncertainty." The panel garnered significant attendance, and the topic sparked a lively discussion regarding the place and role of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in the reconciliation process. This marked the first presentation of the SICHWEB project at an international scientific congress, and based on the received comments, it garnered the attention of the scientific community. This provides a solid foundation for further international scientific cooperation in our research field.
The International Society for Ethnology and Folklore (SIEF) is a multidisciplinary organization focused on the fields of ethnology and folklore, encompassing their various subdisciplines within the broader realm of anthropological and cultural-historical disciplines. SIEF organizes biennial international congresses in odd-numbered years in collaboration with local organizers at academic institutions across Europe. This collaboration involves jointly appointing a scientific committee responsible for defining the theme, drafting the call, determining the format, outlining the program, inviting keynote speakers, and selecting panels.