Lost in Internationalism

The roadmap for progress in all countries today, is based on universal systems for education, economy, health and cultural expression. The  structures of museums, art galleries,  art curricula, publishing,  marketing,  food production, export and import rules, security forces, transportation, right down to red, amber and green lights to control traffic, are universal.

This internationalism that has enveloped the world, has a relatively recent history. It was initially a panic response  to the horrors of World War I – the League of Nations was established to prevent such wars in the future by creating a platform for addressing the grievances of nations through dialogue and negotiation. Since it could not prevent WWII, it was deemed a failure, and replaced by the United Nations Organization, a more structured enterprise, aimed at creating One World – a world that would have shared values, seen as the essential precursor to lasting peace. 

Wendell Willkie’s 1943 best seller, ‘One World’, laid down the manifesto that inspired the One World movement. He believed USA, perceived as the hero of WWII, was the only western nation that could “unify the peoples of the earth in the human quest for freedom and justice”

One of the first institutions established by the UN in 1945 was UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. There was a need to rebuild schools and museums destroyed during the war. However, with the vison of Julian Huxley, its first Director General of UNESCO, it very quickly developed a global ambition: if one could create a model educational system, develop textbooks, and train teachers to spread the values and systems that Europe had successfully evolved , not only would communication across nations and conduct of business became easier, but wars, seen to be the result of nationalism, would be contained.

Psychologists and sociologists were engaged to advise on modifying aggressive behavior. Mass communication experts explored the role radio, film, and the press can play in achieving the aims of One World. Lists were created of suitable films, music, and art to be promoted, the design and content of museums.  There was even an International commission for Folk Arts and Folklore to examine what was in conformity with UNESCO recommendations.

The problem was that Huxley was rooted in colonial thinking, a believer in Darwin’s theories of evolution and a eugenicist. He believed non- white peoples and the poor were inferior, and only the West could lift them out of their darkness.  Harry S Truman echoed this in his inaugural speech in 1949, reaffirming that Europe and America had “a rightful place in the forefront of civilization”. And so began the enterprise of internationalism – as Captain Kirk of the TV series, Star Trek, said they “boldly go where no man has gone before”.

French sociologist, Alain Touraine, writes “the idea of progress has been shattered and supplanted by that of economic growth”.

Nations find themselves lost in this dizzying pressure to conform to requirements of UN, IMF , ILO, WTO. Internally divided into those keeping pace and those practicing traditional local systems. While local cultural expressions tenaciously survived and even flourished, many nations remain unrepresented in ‘World” history books, their art relegated to craft, their literature to folklore. The natural cultural symbiosis along trade routes like the Silk Route, has been replaced by anonymous shipping containers and soulless airports.

 Internationalism is an old concept. The Greek concept was expressed by Isocrates “we must give the name of Greek to those who share our culture rather than to those who share our origin”. This implies that civilization is not linked to race but can be transmitted. 

Internationalism was inherent to the Islam. There was no concept of a nation state.  The Dar ul Harb or gate of conflict, was a temporary border.   Unlike many other Empires, there was no concept of bringing back wealth to Makkah. Each land where Islam spread, was developed by inspiring the local communities to develop industry, institutions, learning, arts and crafts, agriculture and city planning.  It may have been started  by Arabs, but was furthered by Persians, Kurds, Turks and other communities. Knowledge was acquired from the Greeks, the Chinese, the Hindus, and shared generously with all who wished to learn.

The Aga Khan Foundation established in 1967, has re-created a more culture-sensitive internationalism that bridges heritage and locality, with development and progress, and reintroduced Muslim contributions to world history.  However, most nations whose traditional structures have been dismantled and cannot match the funds offered by Western International development agencies, are left to mere words of dissent.

 

Durriya Kazi

Karachi

August 27, 2022

durriyakazi1918@gmail.com