Scientific meeting on the occasion of 150 years of Žabljak and 30 years of the ecological state of Montenegro
The scientific gathering, organized on the occasion of 150 years of Žabljak as an urban settlement and 30 years of passing the declaration on declaring Montenegro an ecological state, started yesterday in Žabljak, with the participation of numerous experts from various fields.
Topics from the conference are based on cultural, anthropogeographical, ecological, tourism and sociological problems and perspectives.
The scientific meeting takes place in sessions, and the welcoming words were sent by the Rector of the University of Montenegro, full prof. Vladimir Božović, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy full prof. Tatjana Novović, PhD and the State Secretary for Tourism Ivana Đurović, MBA.
Full prof. Vladimir Božović, PhD, opening the meeting, used Spinoza's phrase "God or nature" and his position that these two categories are the same being.
“Relying on Spinoza but also beyond him, issues of ecology and environmental protection are essentially ethical issues. The problems that have arisen through the relentless destruction of nature have a spiritual or moral root. In Montenegro, a nominally ecological state, God has given himself to us in the purest way through a wonderfully beautiful country that we are relentlessly destroying at a pace and intensity above the world average", Božović said.
The people of Durmitor, he says, see the nature of Durmitor as a boon that is not only theirs but also universal. "At the same time, they perfectly understand the stated attitudes that are in their spiritual code and cultural heritage. I know the commitment of the people of this area to protect nature from various attacks, stronger and more vulgar. Therefore, they need help, scientific, professional, collegial and human, which is exactly this gathering", said Božović.
For a long time, says Božović, as a civilization, we were tragically trapped by the anthropocentric image of the world in which nature suffered, but also life on the now wounded and tortured planet. It is necessary, he argues, to restore primarily ethical, in order to establish an environmental standard. "
“Today, in some superficiality, the dilemma of economics or ecology arises. I think that with the advancement of technology but also the growing awareness of nature protection, this separating can be transformed into warm and connecting. We must establish an approach that, unlike the previous one, in which ecology proposed and economy decided, now economy proposes and ecology decides. Only in this way do we arrive at the fullness of the meaning of the concept we popularly call sustainable development. That is why there are great chances to return to some trampled ethical-ecological values, which is an exceptional opportunity for Žabljak, which is celebrating 150 years of its creation, a city in which Montenegro was declared an Ecological State 30 years ago", said full prof. Vladimir Božović, PhD.
The organizers of this scientific conference are the Ministry of Ecology and Spatial Planning, the University of Montenegro, the Municipality of Žabljak, LUTREX and the Tourist Organization of Zabljak.