By Neha Bhandarkar:
Culture is a typically unique entity, which holds no similar difference. Its relevance, be it however small, has no match to anything else and its values and teachings are something that probably a nation can and does brag about! Every culture has its own set of moral values and traditions and inter-mingling of different countries is found to be one of the most interactive and non-violent route for achieving peace.
The present tendency looks forward in assimilating the world together for the pursuit of peace and international co-operation among all the nations without any disparities through International cultural exchange, wherein different countries receive each other through revelation of their cultural values in the form of art and other similar means to represent their resemblance on the world’s stage. This has not only shown a way for international co-operation but also provided a platform to all those who have hidden talents, as these participants are not trained professionals but have become skilled at their respective arts from their ancestors.
When inter-culture programs on national and international stages have been established. There is mutual understanding and eventually will rise a plan for development too. Through understanding, nations come forward during each other’s adversities offering military and financial support. Foreign cultures inter-mingling give a message for cordial relations among other foreign boundaries. Is the inter-mingling of different cultures of any benefit to the world community? The trends of exchange programs do help in establishment of peace on a small scale as communication between people increases, giving rise to mutual and amiable understanding. Further, it gives a platform to interact with people of different ethnicities.
Providing different exchange programs, at the national and international level, like those involving students at school and college levels, especially in the field of business, art, health etc gives a platform for uniting and collaborating with each other. For example, one can find many art galleries in the UK which contain many examples of art from India exclusively by Indian artists. It was found in December 2007 that UK music charts were highly influenced by music composed by a collaboration of Indians and British musicians. Youth, with this kind of exposure, tends to understand an individual from a different world, learning something new through his or her cultural environment. Further, there is a shared and communal understanding which eventually gives rise to scientific and various other advancements too.
The culture exchange programs on various levels are paving way towards a unified and integrated sovereign humankind where hatred for each other is slowly but evidently getting replaced with peace and love. The pursuit of peace will be realized and accomplished only when there is no cultural intolerance within the international boundaries and global brotherhood.