How Countries Become Friends by Listening

In 1948, a small country called Costa Rica made a big choice: it decided not to have an army anymore. Instead of soldiers, Costa Rica trained peacemakers who solve problems by talking and listening carefully. Today, when Costa Rica disagrees with another country, its leaders sit down together, listen to every side, and look for an answer that is fair for everyone. This way of solving problems between countries is called diplomacy.

In this lesson you will learn what a country is and how countries can be friends. You will learn what diplomacy means and why listening is the first step to solving a disagreement. You will meet two real countries that share things peacefully instead of fighting over them. You will also practice being a good listener yourself.

The United States and Canada share the longest border between two countries anywhere in the world, about 5,525 miles long. For a very long time, no soldiers have stood guard along most of that line. The two countries settle disagreements, like how to share lakes and rivers, by talking instead of fighting. That is what it looks like when countries choose to be friends.

Sometimes two countries both need the same thing, like water from a river. The United States and Mexico both need water from the Rio Grande river. In 1944, instead of arguing, both countries signed a treaty, a written agreement, that said exactly how much water each country could use. They still use that same agreement today. It works because both sides listened to what the other side needed.