Essay on Internationalism

Internationalism implies a feeling of brotherhood nourished by all people of the world. It is a system of feeling, thought and action designed to promote peaceful co-operation and co-existence. All of us are parts of a single unified society and our needs are inter-dependent.

Distances mean nothing in these days of high-speed. The need for inter-dependence is now more urgent than ever before. Nations depending on one another for co-operation and peaceful understanding. No longer it is for a nation to isolate itself from the rest of the world.

The modern age of science and technology has witnessed an increased unification of the world. The whole world is a family and we are its members. We should translate the feeling of international co-operation into action. Now we are more dependent on one another than ever before.

Out inter-dependence is more clearly discernible in the economic sphere than anywhere else. The strings of economics have tied together different nations of the world into a common market. Not only in the economic field but in the political, ideological and cultural fields also nations have come nearer.

Professor Laski has rightly remarked in this connection: “There are no longer lotus fields where men may linger careless of the life about them. The world is one and indivisible in a sense so compelling that the only question before us is the method by which we represent its unity”.

The same ideology has been given expression in our sacred books like Vedas and Upanishads. In the fifth century, Pandit Vishnu Sharma has pointed out in his famous book, “Panchtantra” that the conception of mine and thine prevails amongst the narrow-minded people; the broad-minded people consider the world as their family.

The broad-minded people look upon the world as a family. In the West, Dante and Kant have supported the claims of Internationalism. With the efforts of Russian Tsar Alexander I the “Holy Alliance” was formed by Russia, Prussia and Austria in 1815 after the defeat of Napoleon.

After the overthrow of Napoleon the four states of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Britain set up the “European Concert” in order to keep away Napoleon and his dynasty from power and to meet occasionally for discussion of matters of common interest and to secure peace in Europe.

At the instance of Tsar of Russia, conferences were called in 1882, 1899 and 1907 at Hague in Holland to promote peace and disarmament. In 1860, League of Peace was formed in order to foster international peace. But all these conferences did not bear fruit because in 1914 the First Great War broke out Aft the First Great War the “League of Nations” was formed in order to prevent war forever and maintain international peace. The “League of Nations” which had it headquarters in Geneva was formed in 1920 at the instance of Mr. Woodrow, Wilson, the then President of America.