Travel's Contributions to Understanding and Communication between Countries

[Yoga Taruna]

:question: Question :

Does travel help to promote understanding and communication between countries?

 

 

:idea: Answer :

History has shown us that travel helps to promote understanding and communication between countries. Historically, modern international relationships build on numerous international travels since the far past.

 

Centuries ago, when interregional travel was almost impossible due to the level of technology at that time which hardly enabled it, almost every society lived only within their own territory. As a result, they hardly knew or even didn’t know at all the existence of other societies and other cultures beyond their territory. If one day, people from other society with different culture happened to come to their territory, such people would probably be misunderstood or treated improperly since those two societies had never met before and thus, couldn’t be expected to understand each other.

 

The gradual advancement of technology eventually made interregional and even intercontinental travels possible. As a result, out of curiosity and in need to find new resources, many people initiated explorations to areas they had never visited. In such explorations, intercultural interactions took place and, in many places, built mutual understanding and good communication between the cultures involved.

 

History has recorded many explorations which served as bridges between different societies and different cultures. A large number of such explorations were even so instrumental in shaping other cultures that their influences remain up to now or potentially forever. For example, explorations by Chinese, Indians, and Arabs to Indonesian archipelago since the far past result in numerous Indonesian words derived from Chinese, Indian, and Arabic languages. Many grammatical structures of Indonesian languages are also based on their Chinese, Indian, and Arabic counterparts. Numerous similar examples can still be found in Indonesian cuisine, art, lifestyle, and other aspects of life.

 

Similarly, many other countries have also benefited from international travel. It has contributed significantly to cultural enrichment of many nations since the far past. Such enrichment would never take place, should travel not promote mutual understanding and communication between countries.

:)

Edited February 25, 2011 by Yoga Taruna
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