The document discusses the interconnected nature of world cultures and the importance of understanding cultures through their relationships and influences on one another. It argues that no culture developed in isolation, as ideas and technologies spread between cultures through trade and travel. To truly understand a culture, one must see it as a synthesis of different cultural influences and traditions, not defined by geographic or political boundaries. Recognizing our common human cultural heritage and studying other cultures without stereotypes can lead to greater international cooperation and alternative perspectives on the world.

1. The Forgotten
Cultural and
Historical Heritage
– the Modern
Alternative

2. Riga is currently the European Capital of Culture. But
what is Europe and what is culture? And what is the
world? What is “big” and what is “small”? What is
important and what is not important?

3. Like the human organism has a network of
blood vessels, the human culture has a network
of ideas. They do not have the beginning or the
end and each link in this chain is important.
THESE IDEAS ARE TRENDS OF THE WORLD CULTURE

4. Culture has a common origin and nobody may
claim to be the inventor of the wheel.

5. Different cultures have equal technologies, yet the
application thereof historically had different intensity.

6. Cultures always have been related through trade,
which facilitated exchange of ideas along with the
exchange of goods.

7. No culture has managed without studying
of “other” cultures.

8. The religious reforms, “heresy” and spiritual
oppositions that affected different cultures are
very similar.

9. Often we acquire in-depth, alternative knowledge of the
world through intermediation of other languages and
cultures.

10. The culture of each separate country is
understandable only as synthesis of different
cultures.

11. Representatives of all cultures have travelled and
made notes of “other” traditions.

12. Unfortunately, often enough the image of the “strange”
emerged as a reflection of the views and stereotypes of the
note-takers. Today we do not have to be angry about such
stereotypes but rather jointly study their different origins.

13. Hence, serious studies are the result of internationals
cooperation.

14. Many globally important ideas have gained
recognition in different civilisations.

15. Spiritual and secular organisations with significant
impact on the global culture processes often enough
were equally important in different civilisations.

16. Architecture and design are also a result of
synthesis of different cultures.

17. In addition to architecture the cultural landscape
heritage is also important.

18. Cultural landscape is often related to national myths,
which in their turn frequently have common literary
inspiration models.

19. Interest in landscape and nature is closely
related to environmental science.