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 the 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 panicked 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 Organisation (UN), a more structured enterprise, aimed at creating a ‘One World’ where nations consented to 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. The United States of America, 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 Organisation. There was a need to rebuild schools and museums destroyed during the war. However, with the vision of Julian Huxley, the 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 the 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, and the design and content of museums were worked on. There was even an International Commission for Folk Arts and Folklore set up, to examine what was in conformity with Unesco recommendations.

The problem was that Huxley was rooted in colonial thinking 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 and reaffirmed that Europe and America had, “a rightful place in the forefront of civilisation.” Thus began the enterprise of internationalism — as Captain Kirk of the TV series Star Trek said: “To 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 the UN, the IMF [International Monetary Fund], the ILO [International Labour Organisation] and the WTO [World Trade Organisation], while internally divided into those keeping pace and those practising traditional local systems. Unrepresented in ‘world’ history books, their art is relegated to craft, their literature to folklore. The natural cultural symbiosis along trade routes is replaced by anonymous shipping containers and soulless airports.

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

Internationalism was inherent also to Islam. There was no concept of a nation state. The Dar-ul-Harb or place of conflict, was a temporary border. Unlike many other empires, there was no concept of bringing wealth back 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, which bridges heritage and locality with development and progress, and has 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 with mere words of dissent.

Durriya Kazi is a Karachi-based artist.

She may be reached at durriyakazi1918@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, September 4th, 2022