THERE'S possibly still one Norwegian who was alive when her country became independent in 1905, and certainly many Irish can recall the same in 1922. The British would need longer memories to go back to 1707 with the Act of Union with Scotland, while the latter only just failed in their recent attempt.

In the rest of the world, particularly in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Indian sub-continent and Africa, independent statehood for many was only achieved in the last 60 years or so, and this has shaped our current behaviour and attitudes. It's like settling into a new house and making sure that the doors lock and the fence is in good repair. The national flag and patriotism are taken for granted.

It's a continuing problem that many countries are still shaping their geographical, social and political identity at a time when technology, communications and travel are moving in an accelerating opposite world wide direction. Nationhood, and local identity do not fit well into a system that now operates on a global basis, and dealing with this dilemma will determine the future.

We can carry on pretending that we have nothing to do with other countries apart from blaming them for our problems. Most nations are understandably more than cautious about taking a lead in setting a new path, and we all wait for others to take the initiative and own the responsibility.

It took something special, like two world wars in 30 years, to bring Europe together, and that's still proving a difficult marriage, with some now proposing to leave.

All the while we have to face more severe and more difficult problems, ranging from warfare, terrorism and millions of displaced people, often with a background of droughts, flooding, and hunger, with ambition spurred by instant access to information. Add a growing, ageing population and the strains must intensify rather than weaken.

In these circumstances it's essential that we learn to cooperate, and share our ideas, our resources and our futures and begin to act together, particularly as it's then we start to accept the wider international view. We might even begin to understand the importance of respecting the planet rather than exploiting it for our own greedy, short term benefit.

So it could well be a mistake to leave the EU as that would lead to lower standards for air and water quality, pesticide use and waste disposal. The UK has resisted the higher EU standards and regulation, and no doubt would ignore European concerns about gas fracking, the introduction of genetically modified crops, the slow development of renewable energy and the need to reduce fossil fuel subsidies, currently the highest in the west.