The dictionary meaning of,”friend”, is “a person with whom one shares a mutual bond of affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations.” A friend is there to support you in times of crisis, to lend a shoulder when you want to cry, to cheer and encourage you when you are doing something good. You feel closer to a true friend than any family member. Because of these unique qualities of a friend, the term is used in a broader sense for organization, like: “Medico-friends circle” e.t.c. Friendship is a beautiful relation where there is only love and affection with no liabilities towards one another.
The dictionary meaning of,”friend”, is "a person with whom one shares a mutual bond of affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations.”
A friend is there to support you in times of crisis, to lend a shoulder when you want to cry, to cheer and encourage you when you are doing something good. You feel closer to a true friend than any family member. Because of these unique qualities of a friend, the term is used in a broader sense for organization, like: "Medico-friends circle” e.t.c. Friendship is a beautiful relation where there is only love and affection with no liabilities towards one another.
Today the world is getting closer due to the increasing means of fast travel, communication and satellite technology. People get a lot of information about other countries through internet and T.V. But that is different from personal experiences. Due to the diversity of language and culture across the globe, people are still ignorant about one another in certain ways. For example, there are false beliefs prevalent about certain places. Like people at large believe that there is lot of Voodoo being done in Africa or everyone is rich in the western world due to the media.
When one meets a person from another nation, interacts with them on various issues, they gets to know about the language, customs and culture of those people very well. One also learns to appreciate and respect the differences between people of a nationality different from theirs.
Today by means of various social websites, we teenagers have the unique opportunity of being in contact with people around the globe.
Many times we strike friendships online and communicate daily. Thus, we feel close to one another and also gain an insight as to how other people talk and live. If interested, one can learn a foreign language by befriending people of other nationalities. Due to these advantages, many teaching institutions arrange exchange visits where students of that nation go to another and vice versa.
If people of different nationalities learn to respect and like one another, it will be a big step towards improving world peace. People bonded by friendship will not be swayed by devious plans of those who try to create disputes and wars.
Thus, international friendship is very important in improving understanding among people and world peace.
The writer is a grade 12 student at Green Hills Academy.