Roerich Pact: Respect for culture that inspires Dr. Pallanti

Nikolaj Konstantinovich Rorerich

Born in St. Petersburg and deceased in the Himachal Pradesh region of India, where he served as president for two months, Nikolaj Konstantinovich Roerich was a Russian painter, anthropologist, diplomat, archaeologist, poet, set designer, and costume designer. His artistic career began thanks to the encouragement of artist Michail O. Mikeshine, and throughout his life, he became an academician of the Russian Academy of Fine Arts. He was nominated for the position of Minister of Fine Arts but declined the high office.

Anticipating significant changes in his homeland in the early 20th century, Roerich moved to the United States in 1920. There, he founded the Master Institute of United Arts, Corona Mundi (International Art Center), and the Cor Ardens Society (International Society of Artists). Later, he traveled to India in 1923 and established the Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute. During his lifetime, Roerich produced around 7,000 paintings and 1,200 written works. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1929 and 1935 for his efforts toward global peace through art and culture and for protecting art during times of war.

A marble plaque commemorating Nikolai Roerich's stay in Florence in 1906 can be found on street number 4 at Lungarno Acciaioli in Florence.

Roerich's Banner of Peace and its Connection to Psychiatry

The Third International Conference dedicated to the Roerich Pact in November 1933 marked a turning point leading to the approval of the pact later known as the "Roerich Pact." As an international treaty for cultural protection, the pact committed nations to respect museums, universities, cathedrals, and libraries in times of war and peace, as was also done for hospitals. While hospitals displayed the Red Cross flag in wartime, cultural institutions would display the "Banner of Peace," also known as the "Red Cross of Culture."

Roerich's Banner of Peace consists of three magenta-colored spheres inscribed in a circle of the same color on a white background. The three spheres respectively represent Art, Science and Religion, all being surrounded by the circle of totality that embraces the three most refined and enlightened expressions of human activity.

The Roerich Pact and the Banner of Peace represent a crucial message of peace and respect for cultural institutions. This message is particularly relevant today, at a time when mental health and well-being have become increasingly significant issues in our society.

The holistic approach to psychiatry adopted by Dr. Stefano Pallanti's Istituto di Neuroscienze serves as an example of how addressing mental well-being involves not only reducing symptoms but primarily taking care of the person as a whole. Thus, mental health becomes a matter of overall well-being, encompassing physical, mental, and social aspects.

Like the Roerich Pact and the Banner of Peace, Dr. Pallanti's method is rooted in values of solidarity and cultural respect. Instead of focusing solely on treating patient symptoms, he considers the person holistically, including their personal history and cultural background. This enables him to provide integrated and personalized care that addresses the specific needs of each person.

Furthermore, similar to the Roerich Pact and the Banner of Peace, Dr. Pallanti's method places the promotion of peace and solidarity at its core. Dr. Pallanti not only aims to alleviate patient suffering but also improve their long-term quality of life. This way, mental well-being can become a crucial element contributing to peace and the overall well-being of communities and society.

The Importance of Individual Cultural and Ethnic Background in Psychiatric Care

It is well-known that cultural, linguistic, ethnic, sexual identity, values, and environmental differences can influence how individuals communicate their symptoms and difficulties. Dr. Pallanti knows from his experience that the minimum therapeutic dosage of medications differs among ethnic groups, as do coping methods.

Effectively treating patients with diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, Dr. Pallanti's translational scientific approach ― the Pallanti Method ― transcends these differences.

Dr. Pallanti pursues an applied precision medicine program to assess subjective and objective symptomatology to obtain a diagnosis and possible differential diagnosis. He then establishes personalized treatment goals, taking into account cultural and ethnic differences ― while not being influenced by them.