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Perspective
Can International Culture be Developed by
Friendship?
by TA Ramesh
 Of
all the relationships only friendship transcends all barriers
obstructing freedom of an individual. The development of international
culture is going on based on friendship in the modern world. Certainly
friendship develops human culture that has been advocating the promotion
of best thoughts, words and deeds among individuals leading to the
creation or inventions of good, beautiful and beneficial things for
humankind. These worthy individuals are like the friend Jeremy Taylor
expressed in his essay, The Choice of Friends who will be helpful
in private and useful in the public. Naturally worthy friends, who are
as a team able to achieve miracles in many fields, are capable of making
the world of differences, disparities, diversities into One Human World.
Friendship and Friends
Friendship is next to love only in human nature and whose value is
esteemed by anyone. A friend is a natural brother or sister though not
by blood relationship and may become a lover too if possible. Friendship
is a natural relationship that may become a blood relationship too if
circumstance permits. Committed to be friends, unity becomes strong
whether they work for a good cause or a bad cause. Ideally an
individual, who is physically, intellectually and materially strong can
become a friend to a person and who happens to be helpful and very
useful in deeds at the needed times, becomes a real friend. Because of
good friendships, benefits to human society or the world are many and
hence welcomed by all. Not only the individuals but also for the nations
the views on friendship and its value and benefits hold good.
Unity towards One World
United Nations Organization is a friendly international forum created by
the friendly nations of the world mainly to stop wars and maintain
peace, provide peace, security, freedom and rights for all and promote
economic, social and cultural developments in various nations of the
world after World War II. Even after the creation of UNO, cold war
between the communist Russia and the capitalist America went on
unabatedly for more than four decades. In that time the two
economically, militarily and technologically advanced Super Powers
signed defense treaty alliances with their friendly nations around the
world and divided the world into two, controlled by those two power
blocs. Other friendly nations consolidated themselves into Non-Aligned
nations supporting either of the two Super Powers based on justice under
the aegis of the UNO during the times of international crises over
important matters concerning all as a whole.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union due to the failure of socialistic
dictatorship as a result of lack of morality and the success of
capitalistic democracy in the countries of the other bloc as a result of
sincerity of approach, the whole world breathed a big sigh of relief
anticipating peace and developments everywhere. In the changed world
scenario, the sudden blow of terrorism on humanity paved the way for new
alignment of nations on the basis of friendship for the unanimous fight
against terrorism and for cooperation and coordination towards
developments in various fields giving the hope to humanity of its
cherished dream of One Human World a new direction at last by their new
kind of International Culture.
Benefits and Bad Effects of Friendships
Benefits and bad effects were experienced by the friendly countries of
the Super Powers, whose policies blew hot and cold in their developments
for good or bad. Japan, South Korea, Singapore, France and West Germany
were benefited and progressed under the umbrella of America. North
Vietnam, North Korea and East European countries suffered bad effects
due to imposition of communism or socialism under the dictatorship rules
supported by Russia and China. Japan became an economic giant in the
East. France and other western countries recovered from World War II
wreckages, and progressed and prospered assisted and helped by the USA.
Vietnam and East European countries remained poor suppressed by
totalitarian regimes whose leaders acted as masters under the guise of
comrades directed by their big brother, USSR. Only after the collapse of
the Soviet Union because of its wrong policies, the erstwhile States of
USSR and East European Satellite States got relief from the hug of the
bear and became independent nations to look after their matters by
themselves. So, it is better to remain alone than in the company of bad
friends. The knowledge of history is the best friend, philosopher and
guide much more and better than the company of imposing friends with
full of promises only.
International Culture
Friendship is the main plank upon which International Culture develops
and thrives in the world. Based on the position, needs and interests
friendship starts between nations leading to signing of treaties for
defense, cooperation, coordination and coexistence towards the over all
developments benefiting all as time goes on. In this way in the course
of time friendship of this nature has developed International Culture, a
best way of the world for the benefit, well being, unity and oneness of
the world. Perfect example in this regard is the formation of the
European Union that has developed as a result of International Culture
paving the way for its extension from the West to the East, which is
turning into reality leading slowly to the formation of the World Union
or One Human World in the future though a most cherished dream or a
Utopia most desired by the humanistic intellectuals of the world since a
long time.
Globalization
In a matter of fact manner only international business has been the link
among nations of the world promoted by mutual profit motivation which is
the beginning of the international culture based on friendship. After
the political ideology of communism and its corollary, socialism
expected to boost the socio-economic developments of the nations met
with total failure, the door of capitalistic democracy has opened wide
for many nations to embark their efforts on many fields in the new
direction with hope and confidence seeing the success story in the
developed democratic nations of the world. So, democratization and
liberalization of economy have begun everywhere today.
Liberalization leading to globalization of economy has integrated many
nations with the world (free) trade. As a result the necessity of
opening road and rail links between nations has broken the barriers
among them across the globe between South and North from North Korea to
Siberia in Russia via China and Mongolia and between East and West from
Singapore to Istanbul via Myanmar, India and Pakistan after the
conference of the South East Asian Countries on multilateralism in the
fight against terrorism led by USA besides development of trade and
tourism among them. These are indeed encouraging message of
International Culture on the basis of friendship.
Past and Present Friendships
Even in the past historically famous silk route and spice route between
Europe and China, and Europe and India were laid by Marco Polo, Vasco Da
Gama, etc. Also, Pallava Kings of South India had established cultural
ties with South East Asian countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, etc.
Further through pilgrims like Fahien and Hieun Tsang from China,
Buddhism had spread to China, Japan and so on. So, through trade,
culture and other ways friendship was well established between East and
West in the past and by sea routes due to friendly relations transport
of goods, travel of people and exchange of ideas on religion,
philosophy, literature, astronomy, astrology, medicine, mathematics,
geography and culture were wonderfully going on between East and West.
Later European powers under the guise of promoting foreign trade
colonized many nations in the world. A few decades before the end of
20th century those colonial powers gave independence to many nations.
However, they formed friendly ties with those nations as Common Wealth
countries to cooperate and coordinate with them for developmental
activities in various fields. Likewise exchange of goods, ideas and men
for the spread of religions and cultures have changed the world to the
present status.
World wars had disrupted peace and friendly ties of many nations and
divided the world into blocs. After the cold war the world trend has
turned in favor of cooperation, coordination and peaceful coexistence
paving the way for developments in many fields on the basis of
friendship in pursuance of the policy of economic globalization. Now as
terrorism is doing havocs to many nations in the world, all peace
loving, civilized nations have joined together to fight against
terrorism and put an end to it once and for all so that peace, security
and progress can be assured for all.
Effects of Globalization
Naturally the principles such as cooperation, coordination, coexistence,
non-aggression and non-interference in the internal affairs of other
nations of the Foreign Policy of many nations on the basis of friendship
has become the International Culture for the promotion of peace,
stability, developments and progress in the world. Wars, war
preparedness and defense expenses have become an unnecessary burden on
the economic development of many nations.
Though globalization of economy is helping much the entrepreneurs, large
scale manufacturers and monopolists on the one hand but not helping
small scale entrepreneurs, small business men and professionals on the
other hand, it has opened the door of the wide world market to try one’s
efforts in the opportunities available in many ways to enrich oneself
and the world; and so, it seems the imbalance in this activity can be
rectified in the due course of time by the unanimous efforts of both the
rich and poor nations initiated by the World Trade Organization (WTO)
and the World Bank. In this changed circumstance unification of nations
like East, West Germany, North, South Korea, etc. is only a natural
process of the International Culture that has started recently on the
basis of friendship for the benefit of both sides everywhere.
World Unions upon Internationalism
The reunification of Germany in 1990 gave the impetus for the formation
of European Union at the fag end of the 20th century. To overcome
foreign exchange problems, security problems at the borders, smuggling
and trafficking activities, 12 West European countries formed the
European Union with common laws for them to follow using one common
language, English for communication purpose, single currency, Euro for
exchange purpose and joint security force to defend them. Accepting the
fact that nationalism is only a part of internationalism this union
compromised broad-mindedly their sovereignties and individual
identities. This is a perfect example of International Culture that
unites nations for peace, progress and prosperity.
So, this International Culture has become a model for other countries
too to follow sooner or later. Russia dreams about the Russian
Federation with its former satellite States of the Soviet Union.
Kazakhstan thinks about the Asian union. East European countries too are
willing to join as part of One European Union. Thailand feels about
South Asian Union. African countries too have formed African Union in
2002 on the model of European Union. So, it won’t be difficult to form
an American Union also by joining North and South American countries
under one roof. Hence these dreams, thoughts, feelings, desires and
ideas are really a healthy kind of human sense for the formation of
World Union or One Human World by International Culture under the
principles of the international body, UNO in a thoroughly revamped and
reconditioned fashion in the near future.
July 30, 2006
Image under license with
Gettyimages.com
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Perspective
The Week of July 30, 2006
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Israel Strikes Back by Dr. Subhash Kapila
US Foreign Policy: Code Name "Operation Frankenstein"
by Gaurang Bhatt, MD
Nuclear "Hostage" Crisis by Col. Rahul K.
Bhonsle
Can International Friendship be Developed by
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India: A Failed State? by V. Sundaram
Courting Injustice: The Terrible Truth about our
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Islamic Indian Nationalism by V. Sundaram
Ideological Insurgency by Dr. Prasenjit
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Agriculture Policy for Energy Security by Dr.
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Biodiversity and the Tribal Lore by Kusum
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Who Needs All-woman Spaces? by Barbara Lewis
Kaazi Nazrul Islam: The National Poet of
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Bakery and Confectionery as a Career by
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The Journey: From Creation to Creator by Dr.
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The Spinning of a Legend: Alexander the Great
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Self Realization: How do you Attain it? by
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Rainy Days and Mom Days by Monisha Sen
Me, My Wife and Synthesizer by Prakash Pathre
Radio Active Palamau by Ajitha G S
Girls as Sacrificial Lambs by Zofeen T Ebrahim
The Witty Side by Melvin Durai
Keeping Kids in School by Gagandeep Kaur
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