Abstract
The international conference dealt with the negotiation of ethnic or respectively cultural borders in the Balkans. The contributions addressed the roots of the origin and the formation of ethnic and cultural groups in the region and their interrelationships.
The study primarily focused on the effects of social and political changes at the turn of the millennium, which led to a redefinition of ethnic boundaries and a promotion of various political interests and intentions (revitalization processes in the region). Finally, the conference addressed the issue how to maintain these ethnic boundaries in the situation of migration.
Scholars from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the USA took part in the conference. Key speakers included David Pettigrew, PhD, Southern Connecticut State University and doc.
Vladimir Penčev, PhD., Department of Ethnology and Folklore with BAV Ethnographic Museum, Department of Ethnology and Balkanic SPE in Blagoevgrad. 23 contributions were presented. The conference had an interesting supporting program: there was an exhibition of paintings and photos by Markéta Slavková: Images of Fieldwork in Bosnia, and by Siniša Skenderija: Life in Bosnia; live music was performed by Petry T & Tanita Yankov; there was also a tasting of Balkan specialties.