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“Teaching the value of history and culture”

April 25th, 2018

Education about a nation’s history and culture is essential to creating the social fabric that leads to good citizenship and leadership, writes Abdullah Al Hasan, 26, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Dhaka in Bangladesh. 

Every country has its own history and culture. Every country has a long tale to tell. The way the current world is moving, we should pay heed to know where we are, were and will be.

No matter how miraculously things turn upside down, the roots never change. In Bangladesh, we tend to follow lots of festivals and days every year. For instance, 26th March is Bangladesh’s Independence Day, but there are people who celebrate it without even knowing its background; especially the youth. Sometimes they even stand abashed at the fact.

This might seem an inane remark at first glance, but it actually shows us we are losing our integrity and genuineness in a very recognisable process. So why is it so necessary to educate the youth on the importance of history and culture? There are thousands of reasons, but the major ones focus on growing patriotism, building future generations and being able to represent one’s own country to the rest of the world.

As it is mentioned earlier, every country has a long history along with its earmarked culture. The history of Bangladesh consists of bloodshed and sacrifices of people. The people, whom we call patriots, fought and sacrificed their lives to snatch our independence in 1971. It has also molded and shaped our culture ever since we achieved it.

Patriotism is something that has to be nurtured and overseen profoundly. Building a country is not merely a destination; it’s more like a journey. And it’s not possible until and unless we know what are the things that eventuated in the past. To grow patriotism among our young generation, we have to let them get conversant with our history and culture first. We have to educate them to realise the significance and glory of everything we are now blessed with. They should be getting attached to the emotion related to each of our core feelings. That is the minimum price we have to pay. Nothing is more important than patriotism for a country.

Today’s young people are tomorrow’s leaders. Leadership comes in different ways. Be it politics, social welfare, service, business or other professions, young people will be leading our future in each of these sectors. Their cornerstone has to be solid and unbreakable. Apart from family and other institutions, one of the main sources of developing one’s inner self is to know about the origin of odysseys and legacies.

History urges to be conceded and culture demands to be disseminated. Building a generation is not as facile as it might sound. It requires strengthening the feelings, beliefs, patriotism, traditions and other great virtues. It should not be deemed that everything will take place in the twinkling of an eye. Young people should be encouraged to look back, get acquainted with the history and embed it in their hearts. Studying history and culture can straighten out their path. Their potential will thrive on a display of the core elements that a country possesses with a high hand.

People from different countries often partake of international events like sports, political discussions, educational and cultural programs, and environmental campaigns. We can identify them based on the culture they carry with themselves. Speaking for a country asks for in-depth knowledge about its history and culture before all. There is no pride in following other cultures when someone has their own. It is exigent to know the basics before representing a country in the international arena. To build international relations and friendships, we have to let the whole world know that we have a long history and a rich culture. These are the things that make us unique and unparalleled. It eventually opens the door to the people who are very keen on knowing and investing in other countries.

It is also true that sometimes it’s not possible to teach everything one by one to everyone. There are lots of stumbling blocks here. The current generation is wholly dependent on the internet and technology. They might not feel the urge to know about history and culture in the first place. But here shows up another opportunity. We can use the internet and technology-based platforms to educate the youth. We have to take initiatives to make the best use of the current media. Especially, all the Commonwealth countries should come forward and work together on this.

History builds our authenticity and culture catches hold of its beauty. It’s not only true for Bangladesh; it’s for all the countries around the world. Every country should give it the highest priority to educate their young generation on the importance of history and culture. Let’s prepare our young generation to take care of our future.

photo credit: mohiuddinrazu Rag_Day_2k17_Spectrum via photopin (license)

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About me: Hi, I’m from Bangladesh; the green land. Graduated from North South University majoring in marketing. Apart from my full time job, I love to write and explore long-lost things.

My other interests include metaphysics, chaos theory and politics.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?
To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/

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Education about a nation’s history and culture is essential to creating the social fabric that leads to good citizenship and leadership, writes Abdullah Al Hasan, 26, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Dhaka in Bangladesh. 

Every country has its own history and culture. Every country has a long tale to tell. The way the current world is moving, we should pay heed to know where we are, were and will be.

No matter how miraculously things turn upside down, the roots never change. In Bangladesh, we tend to follow lots of festivals and days every year. For instance, 26th March is Bangladesh’s Independence Day, but there are people who celebrate it without even knowing its background; especially the youth. Sometimes they even stand abashed at the fact.

This might seem an inane remark at first glance, but it actually shows us we are losing our integrity and genuineness in a very recognisable process. So why is it so necessary to educate the youth on the importance of history and culture? There are thousands of reasons, but the major ones focus on growing patriotism, building future generations and being able to represent one’s own country to the rest of the world.

As it is mentioned earlier, every country has a long history along with its earmarked culture. The history of Bangladesh consists of bloodshed and sacrifices of people. The people, whom we call patriots, fought and sacrificed their lives to snatch our independence in 1971. It has also molded and shaped our culture ever since we achieved it.

Patriotism is something that has to be nurtured and overseen profoundly. Building a country is not merely a destination; it’s more like a journey. And it’s not possible until and unless we know what are the things that eventuated in the past. To grow patriotism among our young generation, we have to let them get conversant with our history and culture first. We have to educate them to realise the significance and glory of everything we are now blessed with. They should be getting attached to the emotion related to each of our core feelings. That is the minimum price we have to pay. Nothing is more important than patriotism for a country.

Today’s young people are tomorrow’s leaders. Leadership comes in different ways. Be it politics, social welfare, service, business or other professions, young people will be leading our future in each of these sectors. Their cornerstone has to be solid and unbreakable. Apart from family and other institutions, one of the main sources of developing one’s inner self is to know about the origin of odysseys and legacies.

History urges to be conceded and culture demands to be disseminated. Building a generation is not as facile as it might sound. It requires strengthening the feelings, beliefs, patriotism, traditions and other great virtues. It should not be deemed that everything will take place in the twinkling of an eye. Young people should be encouraged to look back, get acquainted with the history and embed it in their hearts. Studying history and culture can straighten out their path. Their potential will thrive on a display of the core elements that a country possesses with a high hand.

People from different countries often partake of international events like sports, political discussions, educational and cultural programs, and environmental campaigns. We can identify them based on the culture they carry with themselves. Speaking for a country asks for in-depth knowledge about its history and culture before all. There is no pride in following other cultures when someone has their own. It is exigent to know the basics before representing a country in the international arena. To build international relations and friendships, we have to let the whole world know that we have a long history and a rich culture. These are the things that make us unique and unparalleled. It eventually opens the door to the people who are very keen on knowing and investing in other countries.

It is also true that sometimes it’s not possible to teach everything one by one to everyone. There are lots of stumbling blocks here. The current generation is wholly dependent on the internet and technology. They might not feel the urge to know about history and culture in the first place. But here shows up another opportunity. We can use the internet and technology-based platforms to educate the youth. We have to take initiatives to make the best use of the current media. Especially, all the Commonwealth countries should come forward and work together on this.

History builds our authenticity and culture catches hold of its beauty. It’s not only true for Bangladesh; it’s for all the countries around the world. Every country should give it the highest priority to educate their young generation on the importance of history and culture. Let’s prepare our young generation to take care of our future.

photo credit: mohiuddinrazu Rag_Day_2k17_Spectrum via photopin (license)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

About me: Hi, I’m from Bangladesh; the green land. Graduated from North South University majoring in marketing. Apart from my full time job, I love to write and explore long-lost things.

My other interests include metaphysics, chaos theory and politics.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?
To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………