4.7 Education for International Understanding

            International understanding means to have amiable attitude to all. As an individual becomes a friend and tolerable to all people of different culture, language, custom etc. of his country, so an individual needs to be with the people and colure of all over the world. In this sense international understanding means to be the 'world citizen' as Oliver Goldsmith says, 'Internationalism is a feeling that the individual is not a member of his state, but a citizen of the world.' It means to be philanthropic or to have sense of brotherhood is the main feature of being the citizen of the universe which requires mutual love, sympathy and co-operation among the people of the world.

            The world history records the fact that lack of international understanding has led the world into two devastating world wars. Such wars have taught the world to come above the narrow bonds of nationalism by having decent international understanding. The two global wars, with their terribly devastating results, have at least established the fact that the narrow bonds of sordid and aggressive nationalism must be smashed through and an unwilled unheeded federation of mankind should be brought into being for fostering human relations on the plane of love, pity and sympathy.

            Thus, the more the world is shrinking, the more there is possibility of tensions which ultimately necessitates the concept of international understanding. The concept as 'my country, right or wrong thought my country is at the top of all other countries' has already rendered irrelevant. Rather the principle of international understanding regards the whole world as a single nation. A former Deputy Director General of UNESCO, Dr. Walter HC Lewis clarifies international understanding as, 'the ability of observe critically and objectively and appraise the conduct of men everywhere to each other irrespective of the nationality or culture to which they belong. To do this, one must be able to observe all nationalistic, cultures and races as equally important verities of human beings inhabiting this earth.' In fact, to have decent international understanding it is necessary to cast away the superior feeling in terms of race, skin color, culture, geography etc. The concept of one world one nation is not a new concept. It was philosopher Pierre Dubois who had already proposed the concept of single nation six centuries ago. UNO and its social organ have been functioning for international understanding. UNESCO which was organized on 4th November 1946 emphasizes on education to develop international understanding. The statue of UNESCO says, 'since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defense of peace must be constructed.' Moreover, commission of Intellectual Cooperation 1926), International Bureau of Education (1925) and International Labor Organization (ILO) have been organized to work by enhancing international understanding.

4.7.1    Role of Education for International Understanding

            Education is the most effective tool which the world gains international understanding. Nobody can disregard education in this sense. The leaders of the world believe that educating the mind of people can stop wars and tensions of the world. UNESCO emphasizes to bring peace in the world through education. Education can import the sense of peace in human mind by making them know its values and important. Bertrand Russel regards educations one of the major forces through which it is possible to develop the feeling of internationalism. International understanding is a must in this atomic world because if two countries of this world engage in war; it not only gives adverse effect to them but also the world world.

            In this sense also the value of international understanding goes on developing day by day. That is why the more the people of the world remain uneducated, the more they become less conscious to international understanding which consequently hampers to create world remain uneducated, the more they become less conscious to international understanding which consequently hampers to create world pressure against them who attempt to bring crisis in the world. Education will help to bring international understanding in the world as follows:

Ø  By teaching about the values and importance of world peace in this atomic world and global village.

Ø  By teaching to have prejudice toward the people and culture of different place and types and making them realize to respect others.

Ø  By teaching about the UN and its duties and responsibilities.

Ø  By teaching about the human rights, sovereignty of the nation and by enabling the people to create pressure peace t the people who are violating the norms of human rights and invading other countries' sovereignty.

Ø  By teaching that human pain and misery are universal, so are human values.