Global experts call for revival of ancestral culture to tackle modern challenges

By Dawda Baldeh

At the World Public Assembly, scholars and specialists from across the globe gathered to explore how ancestral culture can help address growing social fragmentation and identity loss in an increasingly globalised world.

The roundtable, themed “Ancestral Culture: Family–Kin–People–Human Race,” brought together psychologists, philosophers, genealogists, and academics from countries including Russia, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Spain, and Belarus.

Opening the discussion, Larisa Dokuchaeva, Doctor of Philosophy and Integrative Psychology, and President of the Family XXI Century Foundation, said: “Ancestral culture is not archaic, it is a living force that forms a personality, its moral core and its ability to resist chaos.”

Speakers highlighted the role of family and kinship in shaping identity and social cohesion. Viktor Makarov, Vice-President of the World Council for Psychotherapy, spoke on the family’s psychotherapeutic mission, while Bulgarian psychologist Stoyana Natseva stressed the power of acceptance in achieving inner peace.

Genealogist Elena Leontieva noted the unique challenges faced by foster children living in “two cultures,” and Belarusian expert Alexei Biletsky added: “Genealogy is not just a science, it is reconciliation and restoration of the living memory of generations.”

Participants agreed that ancestral culture serves as a bridge between generations and civilizations. A resolution from the round table warned: “By losing it, humanity risks losing itself. Having saved it, it will gain a chance for a harmonious future.”

The event concluded with interactive activities including a live “Family Tree” exhibition, a game titled “Kin – the Link of Generations,” and a symbolic “Round Dance of the Kin.”

 By Dawda Baldeh At the World Public Assembly, scholars and specialists from across the globe gathered to explore how ancestral culture can help address growing social fragmentation and identity loss in an increasingly globalised world. The roundtable, themed “Ancestral Culture: Family–Kin–People–Human Race,” brought together psychologists, philosophers, genealogists, and academics from countries including Russia, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, The Fatu Network