Education and International Understanding

Education and 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 aspirations and thoughts that are what we are expected to do. We must not claim a racial extermination, enslavement 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 prejudices 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 everybody. Critical thinking and clear outlook towards the different issues of the world's basic needs for effective international understanding. UNESCO and Promotion of International Understanding The promotion of international understanding and peace through school education has from the outset been one of the UNESCO's basic aims and UNESCO's General Conference at each of its sessions has adopted resolutions to this end. The broad concerns that have determined the education for international understanding so far have generally remained unchanged and because of the co-operative effort of the member countries of the UNESCO significant progress has been achieved in implementing education for international understanding by creating network of institutions. The Report to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century, "Learning the Treasure Within", has placed the concern for education for international understanding in the context of the Information Age, the world is entering now. Learning to Live Together has been made one of the four pillars of lifelong education. Learning to live together is to be achieved by developing an understanding of other people and an appreciation of interdependence in a spirit of respect for the values of pluralism, mutual understanding and peace. Dr. Karan Singh one of the members of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century has suggested a holistic education philosophy for the twenty-first century, which can be universally used for developing curriculum for education for international understanding. These principles which can be used for education for a global society are: 1. That the planet we inhabit and of which we are all citizens is a single, living, pulsating entity and that the differences of race and religion, nationality and ideology, economic and social status must be viewed in the broader context of global unity. 2. That the ecology of the Earth has to be preserved from mindless destruction and ruthless exploitation, and enriched for the welfare of generations of yet unborn; and that there should be a more equitable consumption pattern based on limits to growth, not unbridled consumerism. 3. That hatred and bigotry, fundamentalism and fanaticism, and greed and jealousy, whether among individuals, groups or nations, are corrosive emotions which must be overcome as we move into the next century; and that love and compassion, caring and charity, and friendship and co-operation are the elements that have to be encouraged as we transit into our new global awareness. 4. That the world's religions must no longer war against each other for supremacy but co-operate for the welfare of the human race, and that through a continuing and creative interfaith dialogue, the golden thread of spiritual aspirations that binds them together must be strengthened; 5. That holistic education must acknowledge the multiple dimensions of the human personality - physical, intellectual, aesthetic, emotional and spiritual - thus moving towards the perennial dream of an integrated individual living on a harmonious planet. Education for International Understanding in the Curriculum The educational concerns of any country are rooted in its philosophical thinking and get manifested in the curriculum, textbooks and the teaching-learning process. As the responsibility for transaction of the curriculum to the learners is that of the teacher, there is an intimate relationship between the curriculum of teacher education and the curriculum of learners whom teachers teach. Therefore, teacher education programmes in India both at the pre-service and in-service levels have been responsive to the cause of promotion of international understanding. The international understanding is achieved indirectly through teaching learning of school subjects such as history, geography, economics and political science. It is through the methodology of teaching these subjects prospective teachers get to understand them and to understand others through better understanding of the world. There is obviously no way of understanding the world without understanding the relationship between human beings and their environment. Areas which can develop international understanding 1 United nations, its organs and special agencies 2. North- South Dialogue, new international economic order and south-south cooperation. 3. Globalization and its different dimensions 4. Concept of Human Rights. 5. International Terrorism as a threat to humanity. 6. Environmentalism, Green politics and Green Peace. School of Education Pondicherry University Assignment submitted to: Dr Sreekala (Assistant professor School of education) Submitted by: ALTAF AHMAD DAR Subject: Philosophical and Sociological Foundation of Education References: 1. A. N. Maheshwari, ‘Education for International Understanding in Teacher Education Programme in India’ http://anmaheshwari.net/eiu.htm 2. www.2dix.com 3. Goldstein, J.S, International Relations, New Delhi: Pearson Educations, 2010 . 4. Baylis and Smith, ‘Globalization of international politics’, New Delhi: Oxford university press,210