Inexorable Trend of History: Restitution of Order

Human values, with evolution of civilization, have allowed democracy to grow within governance frameworks, ensuring protection of human rights through international and domestic law, says Vivek Pattanayak

- Vivek Pattanayak

In the evolution of human civilization, despite wars, conflicts, insurrections, genocides, terrorism, and intolerance based on race, religion, language, caste, creed, sect, and ethnicity, ethics, values, laws, the rule of law, cooperation, kindness, and piety have evolved - not only developing robustly but also manifesting in multiple directions across societies.

National laws have gradually yielded to international law, leading to the creation of institutions ranging from the League of Nations to the United Nations, and specialized agencies like the ITU, UPU, ILO, ICAO, IMO, WMO, WHO, WIPO, WTO, IMF, and the World Bank, all aimed at establishing international order. Regional bodies such as the EU, PAHO, OAS, OAU, ASEAN, and the Arab League have complemented these global institutions by fostering opportunities for bilateral, regional, and global trade, business, and commerce. This process has also facilitated the spread of art, literature, music, and philosophy, as well as the exchange of knowledge, aiding the advancement of science and technology.

Further propelled by this global impulse, surface, sea, and air transport have connected nations and peoples from Asia to Europe, Africa to America, Australia to Oceania, from Machu Picchu to Juang Pir, the Andes to the Rockies, the Alps to the Himalayas, Tibet to Tuvalu, Titicaca to Tikerpada, and from Manasarovar to Mauritius - despite distances, racial and cultural differences, and physical barriers.

Even the destructive force of World War I could not halt scientific cooperation, exemplified by the British scientist Arthur Eddington maintaining correspondence with the German physicist Albert Einstein on the theory of relativity.