International understanding

EDU 01
KNOWLEDGE AND CURRICULUM:
PHILOSOPHICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVES
ASSIGNMENT: INTERNATIONAL
UNDERSTANDING
Submitted by,
Vismaya M D
Roll no 50
Social Science

INTRODUCTION
National integration and international understanding is very essential for the
mutual understanding and development of faith and cooperation among the
different nations. Due to the progress of science and technology the world has
been facing threat from different powerful nations and as such tolerance has
become very necessary. It is very essential for the man kind that the mutual
understanding and cooperation should be increased. If there is cooperation
different nations are developed, the world will be able to live with dignity and it
will be beneficial for the mankind. Education play an important role in
mobilizing faith and trust among different nations and also increase
international understanding.
The concept “international understanding” or „internationalism‟ is regarded as
an idea of very recent origin and it has drawn the attention of all the people of
the earth. This is the most important new tendency and powerful feeling that
has emerged out of the consequences of the two World Wars. We are living in
an age of “space travel” and “nuclear energy”. New discoveries and inventions
have made the different countries of the world to shrink and become a global
village. In fact, development of science and technology has reduced the
boundaries of the world. No country can be absolutely autonomous and can act
on its own. Each and every nation is dependent on other nations for trade,
economic needs, educational development, food, health, scientific and
technological development, and new inventions and discoveries. For these
reasons, all the progressive countries of the world are trying their best to bring
the world closer together, that is, to create a “world society”. Therefore, we
must learn to live together by developing constructive cooperation among the
countries. This is the alternative to save the world and humanity from total
destruction. We should also know that though the world is separated by the
oceans, there is a need for people to act together for world goodwill. This is
because war, riots, earthquakes, floods, droughts, and tsunami which occur in
one part of the world affect people all over the world. In the words of Prof.
K.G. Saiyidain “We can no more isolate ourselves from what is happening in
the world around us than we can isolate ourselves in our homes when virulent
epidemic is raging in our neighborhood”

International understanding
International understanding or internationalism or inter-cultural understanding
refers to the development of that insight and attitude in the individuals who, rising
above their own selfish and narrow interests, find out the really valuable items in
all other cultures, besides their own. Acquisition of knowledge, understanding and
feeling about world nations, world cultures, world societies, world arts, world
poems, and world‟s natural resources is said to be world mindedness or
international understanding. In short, international understanding means, a sense of
world citizenship. Such a sense emphasizes that all human beings are members of
the world family. Thus, internationalism is the feeling that the individual is not
only a member of his country, but also a citizen of the world. Internationalism
indicates love, sympathy and cooperation among all the people of the world. Dr. S.
Radhakrishnan says, “The greatness of a nation is to be measured not by its
material power and wealth but by the inter-cultural relationship of its people.
Internationalism is essential for us not to live apart but to live together,
understanding one another‟s fears and anxieties, aspirations and thoughts. We must
work for the racial harmony. We may be German, we may be American, we may
be Russian, but we are essentially human beings. Let us learn to live in a world
community”.
According to Atmananda Mishra “international understanding refers to friendship
and harmony amongst different nations of the world and also includes cooperation
amongst them- each on maintaining its identity and sovereignty as usual.
Internationalism inspires the people of the world to live together in peace with one
another as good neighbors, to take effective measures for bridging the gaps created
by issues and to develop friendly relations among nations, international
understanding is the ability to critically and objectively observe and appraise the
conduct the people everywhere and thus make valid judgments leading to healthy
interaction. To do this, one must be able to detach oneself from one‟s own
particular cultural and national prejudices and to view people of all nationalities,
culture and races as equally important.
Moreover, international cooperation is needed for aiding the developing countries
for their economic programs. The economy of affluences in a country is untenable
when you find another country struggling had at the subsistence level. Moral and

humanitarian justice requires that we should aspire to maintain peace and
prosperity for all men in the world irrespective of nationality, creed or race.
NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING
History of the past reveals that all nations have molded and shaped their
educational system in such a way as to teach their children, “my country right or
wrong” or “my country is at the top of all other countries”. This type of education
creates in the children a sense of narrow nationalism. Narrowism became one of
the causes of the two World Wars, which not only crushed human rights and civil
rights of citizens but also made the whole humanity to suffer unbelievable miseries
and cruelties. Hence, all the leaders of the world firmly realize the need and
importance of better understanding and friendship in all the nations of the world.
We need international understanding because modern scientific means of rapid
communication have removed the barriers of time and space. So, the entire world
has become one indivisible unit and there is interdependence among various
nations for socio-economic reasons. As a result, a famine is now a world famine, a
war is a world war, an earthquake is a world earthquake and a tsunami is a world
tsunami.
Needs for international understanding in the modern scientific and technological
world:
1. To ensure world peace.
2. To prevent World Wars.
3. To promote human welfare.
4. To promote mutual understanding and interdependence.
5. To strengthen faith in democratic principles.
6. To maintain one‟s sovereignty.
7. To promote international trade and commerce.
8. To promote economic and scientific development.

9. To create a helping tendency among the nations at the time of emergencies.
10. To transmit and promote cultures.
11. To remove narrow mindedness and create world citizenships.
12. To eradicate poverty and unemployment.
PRINCIPLES OF INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING
The general conference of UNESCO held in 1974 recommended the following
guiding principles of international understanding:
International dimension: An international dimension and a global perspective in
education at all levels and in all its forms.
Respect for all people: Understanding and respect for all people, their cultures,
civilizations, values and ways of life including domestic ethnic cultures and
cultures of other nations. Awareness of interdependence: Awareness of the
increasing global interdependence between people and nations.
Communication: Ability to communicate with others.
Rights and duties: Awareness not only of the rights, but also of the duties
incumbent upon individuals, social groups and nations towards each other.
Necessity: Understanding the necessity for international understanding, solidarity
and cooperation.
All-round participation: Readiness of the individual to participate in solving the
problems of his community, his country and the world at large
BARRIERS IN DEVELOPING INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING
There are many problems, which retard the progress of a country towards
international understanding such as the following:
1. Secrecy about the nuclear strength of nations.
2. Inequality of countries in size, resources, income, scientific and technological
progress.

3. Racial prejudice is one of the strongest barriers in developing inter-nationalism.
4. Lack of national solidarity due to the existence of regionalism, communalism,
casteism, politicalism and lingualism.
5. Narrowness owing to illiteracy, ignorance, poverty and internal problems
ROLE OF EDUCATION IN PROMOTING EDUCATION
Education plays an important role in promoting the international understanding.
According to UNESCO „the wide diffusion of culture and education for humanity,
for justice and liberty and peace are indispensable to the dignity of man and
constitute a sacred duty which all the nations must fulfill in a spirit of mutual
assistance and concern‟. Since war and hatred are associated with the mind, it is in
the mind that associated with the mind, it is in the mind that the defenses of peace
are to be build, In other words through education the necessary knowledge,
understanding, attitude and critical thinking should be developed so that each
individual will grow with better understanding and appreciation about the cultures
and nations alien to him. Education is a term which is used in a wide sense here to
include formal and non formal agencies. The seeds of world citizenship can be
sown in classrooms through mass-media, audio visual aids and cultural programs.
Educational factors promoting world peace and international understanding:
1. Adequate knowledge and understanding of the cultures of other countries
will contributes to better, understanding and appreciation of the social,
political and cultural aspects of other nation.
2. Application of knowledge of other countries and culture in the social life of
one‟s own country will help to develop internationalism.
3. Critical thinking can guard against rumors, superstitions, fears, prejudices
etc. Students may be trained to them about the pros and cons of every
questions and arrive decisions objectively.
4. Positive attitudes regarding the ultimate goodness of man and sympathy for
other people may be developed
5. Narrow patriotism should be avoided and broad human outlook should be
developed.
6. Students should be prepared to sacrifice for making. They should be trained
to share the sorrows and sufferings of other nations.

GOALS OF EDUCATION FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING
1. To enable the students to feel that the world functions for the merits of
humanity and other living and non-living organisms.
2. To enable them to understand how people live in other countries and their
cultures, natural resources, scientific and technological development.
3. To enable students to feel that they are responsible for world peace.
4. To inculcate the sense of „oneness‟ and “one land” in the students.
5. To realize the fact that every country is to be dependent on other nations for
trade and commerce, and economic prosperity.
6. To develop the helping tendency among the students at the time of natural
calamities like drought, tsunami, flood or fire.
7. To shut narrowism in the students and teach them to discharge their duties
and responsibilities as world citizens.
8. To make them to realize the necessity of internationalism as a powerful way
to protect the nations from wars and foreign aggression.
9. To enable students to discern that no scientific and technological
development will take place in the absence of internationalism.
10. To enable students to understand that internationalism uplifts the
economically and socially backward countries
Role of curriculum in promoting internationalism
To develop the feeling of internationalism curriculum should be properly
organized. As curriculum forms the basis of education it should not contain
anything that may develop children. The curriculum should include the culture
and language of different nations. It should also include the subjects like world
history, and geography. The following points should be borne in mind when the
curriculum is constructed:

1. Whatever literature is included it should include the best literature of other
nations also
2. Science and technology should be taught from an international stand point.
Pupils must be made to feel that the inventions and discoveries of ways.
3. Curriculum in history should promote internationalism. It should not be a
chronology of wars between nations. Through the study of history the pupils
should be made to understand the different cultures of the world. Pupils
should understand how great men had contributed to the welfare of
humanity, surmounting national barriers. It should also make clear the
fundamental unity among the human beings.
4. Geography should familiarize pupils with the different nations. It can make
them understand the mutual dependence of nations for agricultural products
and natural resources.
The re-designed curriculum should enable the students:
1. To learn that the earth is the home of man and other living things.
2. To acquire knowledge about the world we live in—its people, their
similarities, and differences, the variety of their modes of life, and its reasons.
3. To inculcate respect for all the major religions of the world.
4. To learn how to promote better understanding of the interdependence of the
people of the world.
5. To know something about the strength of mankind to replace conflict with
cooperation.
6. To discern all international welfare programmes and higher achievements of
all nations in all fields of human activity.
7. To learn language, literature, music, and art creations of all the nations of the
world.
According to K.G.Saiyidain, it is the special function of science and geography
teaching to demonstrate and to elucidate this fact of interdependence and to
show that reasonable standards of life cannot be established or maintained in
the world unless there is a national pooling of resources and that problems like

those of health, nutrition an agriculture can only be solved on an international
level.
To promote internationalism among students, different programs can be
conducted as co-curricular activities. Co-curricular activities can play an
important role in developing international understanding. The following co-
curricular activities should be organized in educational institutions:
1. Celebrate international days like W.H.O day, human rights day etc
2. Encourage students to make companionship with children of other countries
as pen friends.
3. Develop a habit of reading international news from newspapers and
periodicals.
4. Encourage students to attend suitable radio programs and television
programs.
5. Celebrate birth anniversaries of great men of all nations irrespective of
religious, political and racial barriers so children may develop a positive
attitude towards the culture and nation which produced them.
6. Hold debates on problems of international importance or concern.
7. Organize exhibitions and fairs of toys on social and cultural lives of different
countries of the world.
8. Inspire and encourage students to participate in international competitions.
9. Arrange talks by persons coming from foreign countries on various aspects
and issues.
10.Arrange students exchange programs.
Role of teacher in bringing about international understanding among children
Teacher should always a guide and role model to most of the students. They will
follow their teacher to become like them. The role of the teacher is very important
in developing international under-standing. He is the creator of the future world.
The success of this noble task depends on his ideals, faiths, understanding, and
sense of duty, tolerance and dedication. Teacher‟s mental attitude should reflect the
spirit of internationalism. Teacher should have faith in and value of enthusiasm for
the value of international understanding. They have to give ideas about the man
kind and humanity to students and also encourage them to keep the feeling of

internationalism. They should also make pupils to practice the concept of
democracy and internationalism by organizing the co-curricular activities. Teacher
should be trained and oriented „in the values and ideals of international
understanding and in acquiring the necessary skills and appropriate methods of
educating students in international understanding. Therefore, the teacher should
inspire his students with a sense of international goodwill by trying to develop the
sense of internationalism by organizing various activities. In this regard
international get-togethers and conferences maybe organized. The teacher is called
the ambassador of international understanding. He develops the attitudes favorable
to internationalism among his students.
Faith in world society: The teacher should himself have faith and enthusiasm in
the world society and the value of international understanding and cooperation.
Only then he will be able to infuse international spirit in the minds of his students.
Link the subjects at international level: The teacher should emphasise not
merely the contents of the various school subjects. But he should try to link the
subject at the international level to develop the spirit of world fraternity and
cooperation among the students.
Conditioning pupils’ mind for international spirit: The teacher should condition
the pupils‟ mind for international spirit. “War begins in the minds of men”. So, the
teacher should be more concerned with the healthy development of his pupil‟s
body and mind to enable him to appreciate the unity of mankind. In short,
according to the prevailing conditions, students should be trained to develop
international spirit.
Inculcate internationalism through motivation: The teacher can motivate the
students in his direction by preparing them through the medium of various
activities from the emotional point of view towards international understanding. He
should also encourage them to make pen friends and celebrate important
international days.
Effective teaching: The teacher should promote the sense of international
understanding in the children through his effective teaching. He should kindle the
interest of the pupils to know more about other lands and their people and create an

emotional background by teaching subjects like history, geography, civics,
political science and economics.
News bulletins and albums: The teacher should encourage students to prepare
news bulletins and albums having the cultural heritage of different countries.
World record news board: The teacher should take steps to place a news board in
the school to write world records and achievements which develop the interests of
the students in learning about foreign countries.
Thus, teachers can play an important role in promoting international
understanding. In the words of Leonard S. Kenworthy “A world minded teacher is
an integrated individual, skilled in the art and science of human relations, and
conscious of the wide variety of behavior patterns in the world to which we may
have to adjust-clear in his mind about the goals of education for international
understanding”
ROLE OF UNESCO IN INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING
The role of UNESCO is spreading Internationalism is notable. UNESCO is one of
the specialized agencies of the United Nations. It is an outcome of the enlightened
leadership and efforts of a group of scientists, artists, thinkers, educationists and
men of culture belonging to more than three dozen nations. After the two global
wars, it was seriously thought by eminent leaders of the world that the need of the
time was to develop goodwill and cooperation among the different nations of the
world. To establish peace in the world, an international organization like the
United Nations Organization was established.
Aims of UNESCO
The purpose of the organization is to contribute to peace and security by promoting
collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture in order to
further universal respect for justice, for the role of law and for human rights and
fundamental freedom which are affirmed for the people of the world, without
distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the character of the United
Nations”. The main purpose of this organization is found in its preamble as „Since
wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defense of peace
must be constructed.‟

Functions of UNESCO
UNESCO strives for world peace by doing the following activities:
1. It tries to remove fear and disbelief in the nations by promoting fellow-feeling
and goodwill among the various countries of the world.
2. It tries to get rid of illiteracy and ignorance from the backward nations of the
world and promote internationalism
3. It brings culture, art, science and literature of one country within reach of other
countries.
4. It gives financial aid to research scholars to promote their work and improve
teaching facilities in backward countries.
5. It undertakes useful project technology in different countries of the world.
6. It translates classical literature and organizes art exhibitions.
7. It organizes study circles to know the needs of other nations and establishes an
international university to discuss their common problems.
8. It organizes an international exchange of the teachers, students, scientists and
thinkers among various countries which enable them to discuss individual and
common problems and find out solutions for them.
9. It provides financial aid for opening schools in poor and backward countries.
Such an activity reduces the gap between the developed and the undeveloped
countries.
10. It advises nations about the scrutiny and the preparation of books, re-
organization of curriculum and promoting translation of higher standard books for
the use of those who need translations with an international outlook.
11. It organizes exhibitions of periodicals, magazines, books and art creations on
an international scale, to promote international understanding.

CONCLUSION
Education is a powerful instrument which can be used as a peerless device to make
our children internationally alert. The curriculum should be reconstructed and it
should include various activities so that education brings about change in ideas and
feelings of the pupil and they can inculcate international outlook in them. In fact,
education is the root cause of all inventions and discoveries which shrinks the
world into one land. It prepares the people of different countries to forget all their
differences and live amicably. It also enables people to accept the same God with
several names. Today, the whole world has become one land, one family.
Therefore, the study of international understanding is more important than any
other problem which we face in the present world.
REFERENCE
www.researchgate.com
www.slideshare.net
www.indiastudychannel.com
https://egyankosh.ac.in
Sure success series
www.tandfonline.com

International understanding

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