What do you mean by International Understanding?

‘One World or None’ is a challenging statement to the humanity. In the twenty first century, with the development of the supersonic means of communication and transportation, all the countries of the World have come closer to each other.

Consequently no country can remain all of from other countries, because whatever is happening in one country inevitably has its impact felt in other countries as well.

The World has already tasted the consequence of mistrust and misunderstanding among countries in two World Wars in the past.

However there are several problems of global concern like Pollution, Poverty, Unemployment, Terrorism and Proliferation of nuclear armaments to be tackled through mutual understanding and co-operation. The outbreak of a third World War may eclipse the survival of the Human and animal species from the face of the World.

So International peace and mutual understanding is the need of the hour. The International Organizations like UNO and UNESCO are doing their best to promote brotherhood, peaceful Co-existence among the people of the Globe.

What is International Understanding?

According to Oliver Goldsmith “International Understanding is a feeling that the individual is not only a member of his State, but a member of the World”.

According to Dr. Walter H.C. Lewis “International Understanding is the ability to observe critically and objectively and appraise the conduct of man everywhere to each other, irrespective of the nationality of culture to which they may belong. To do this one must be able to detach oneself from one’s own particular cultural and national prejudices and to observe men of all nationalities, cultures and races as equally important varieties of human being inhabiting this earth.”

In the words of Dr. Radhakrishnan, “The world once divided by Oceans and continent is united physically today but there are still suspicions and misunderstandings. It is essential for us not to live apart but to live together. Understanding one another fears and anxieties aspiritions and thoughts that are what we are expected to do. We must not claim a racial extermination, enslvement or segregation but work for racial harmony. We may be German, we may be American, we may be Russian but we are essentially human beings. Let us not overlook fundamental fact that let us learn to live in a World Community.”

The following two important aspects are necessary for the creation of International Understanding among the people of different nations.

1. Respect to each other’s Culture:

Understanding of the various cultures and countries with their conditions and problems is essential for international understanding. This can be promoted if every national and international problems and issues can be situated in right prospective.

National arrogance and traditional bias or prejudice against any country or countries go against the spirit of internationalism. Dr Radhakrishnan has therefore remarked, “If human race is to survive. We have to subordinate national pride to international feeling.

2. Love to humanity:

To love others is an innate good nature of the human beings. “Live and let others to live” is the fundamental principle of peaceful co-existence which is also the basic foundation of international understanding. No body and no nation should think itself superior to others.

No discrimination against anybody or any nation on the basis of caste, creed and colour etc. should be developed in the people. Adequate knowledge and understanding of the cultures of different countries should be given to every body. Critical thinking and clear outlook towards the different issues of the world’s basic needs for effective international understanding.