Global citizenship is a term that you’ll constantly hear about if you keep pace with things transpiring. In most instances, it is used to describe the social, environmental and economic actions taken by individuals and communities who recognize that every person is a citizen of the world.
Actually, global citizenship is about how decisions in one part of the planet can affect people residing in a different part of it, and about how we all share a common humanity and are of equal worth. Moreover, it entails being open to engaging positively with other identities and cultures and having what it takes to recognize and challenge stereotypes.
You need to remember that a global citizen is just about anyone who is aware of and understands the wider world, and their role in it. They are a citizen of the world and take and active role in their community. If this is not enough, they constantly work with others to make our planet more successful, sustainable and fairer.
Global citizenship is all about exploring local and global connections and our views, values and assumptions. You should also take it upon yourself to explore issues of social justice locally and globally, not to mention the complexity of global issues and engaging with multiple perspectives.
Of course, there is also the aspect of global citizenship education. This is all about encouraging young people to develop the knowledge, skills and values they need to engage with the world. And it’s about the belief that we can all make a difference.
However, you need to keep in mind that education for global citizenship isn’t an additional subject. Rather, it is a framework for learning, reaching beyond school to the wider community. It can be promoted in class through the existing curriculum or through new initiatives and activities.
The good thing about global citizenship is that it helps young people to build their own understanding of world events and think about their values and what’s important to them. Not to mention it helps them get involved in their local, national, and global communities.
