Global Citizenship

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
We live in an interconnected world, with a growing focus on becoming more

globally-minded. Connection across cultures is a crucial component in fostering
empathy on a global scale. As such, broadening one’s horizons and stepping out of
your own experience is essential in order to develop empathy for others.
One way to achieve this goal is by diving head first into global citizenship.
But what is global citizenship? What is a global citizen? And how do you become
a global citizen? A global citizen is an individual who is aware of the world and
has a sense of their role in it. They respect and value diversity and work to
understand and add to efforts to achieve social development goals. Global citizens
participate in communities at all levels (from local to global) and take
responsibility for their actions and interactions with members of their own
community and communities abroad. To become a global citizen, you’ll have to be
creative, flexible, dedicated and proactive. Global citizens get involved as
members of the international community and are committed to building on this
community in a meaningful and positive way. This means that aspiring global
citizens need to develop skills related to problem-solving, decision-making, critical
thinking, communication and collaboration. These five skills are becoming more
and more essential to success in the workplace, as well as life in general, and can
add to both your personal and professional development in a big way.
The world is becoming more globalized every day, with media and
technology allowing ideas and cultures to cross borders faster than ever before.
What’s more, international politics and international relations create systems in
which we all live, and we’re all responsible for the health and future of the planet.
A global citizen is someone who is aware of and understands the wider world and
their place in it. They take an active role in their community and work with others
to make our planet more peaceful, sustainable and fairer.
While it may mean different things to different people, the most common
global citizenship definition is the idea that all people have civic responsibilities to
the world as a whole, rather than just their local communities or countries. So, by
expanding one’s personal horizons through global learning, you are able to effect
change in a more meaningful sense on both a small and larger scale. You may feel
like you don’t have enough to offer. It’s tempting to think you have to travel to a
new country every month or fight for social justice to define yourself as a “global
citizen.” This misses the mark. The global citizen definition you should use is more
about being connected and garnering an understanding of cultures beyond your
own. This looks different for different people. What does it mean to be a global
citizen for you? It could start with something as simple as researching a new
country or making friends with an immigrant neighbor. It could end with traveling
abroad and contributing to community efforts to advance education, health, or
environmental conservation. Working to solve our shared global challenges is so
important, and this drive to make a positive impact is most effective when it stems
from the feeling of global citizenship and being a member of an international
community.
So then, how does one become a global citizen or improve their global
citizenship skills? What do you have to do in order to get this kind of global
education and world mindset? When people make the decision to become global
citizens, they have already made a step in the right direction towards expanding
their global awareness, but there are some things — both small and large — that
you personally can do to create global citizenship in your own life.
Global citizenship is the idea that one's identity transcends geography or

political borders and that responsibilities or rights are derived from membership in
a broader class: "humanity". This does not mean that such a person denounces or
waives their nationality or other, more local identities, but that such identities are
given "second place" to their membership in a global community. Extended, the
idea leads to questions about the state of global society in the age of globalization.
HOW TO BECOME A GLOBAL CITIZEN:
1. GET INSPIRED
Find yourself a world map and collect books on places you would like to visit.
These can include both fiction and nonfiction, language, or geographical books.
Finding your passion and keeping yourself inspired by the breadth of different
countries and cultures will give you the motivation to learn and integrate yourself
more into the global community.
2. GET EDUCATED
Take global education courses at your high school or college, and build your
knowledge base for international happenings. Courses involved with leadership,
business or community engagement are especially helpful.
Volunteer to organise an “International Day” at your school, join whatever

international clubs exist on campus, and get creative and involved!
3. GET HUNGRY
Eat at different traditional restaurants and make strides to learn a language. Get to
know the owners of the restaurants. Where are they from? What are their stories?
Buy a cookbook and try to learn about a different culture’s cuisine. You can even
make it fun and have themed parties (when it’s safe to do so again) where everyone
brings a specific dish, and tries to speak only that language throughout the dinner
party.
4.READ MORE
Read globally-minded magazines and pay attention to international news to get

better informed about, and keep up with, current events at places you would
potentially like to visit.
This increased exposure will help you narrow down your focus, and provide you
with a knowledge-base for global trends.
5. GO ABROAD
Find programs that allow you to study and live abroad, perhaps even with an
internship component, for increased mentorship and skills development. If these
opportunities include a language-learning option, even better!
Interested in international careers? This kind of international experience is critical

for your success. It’s important that you carefully consider and reflect upon your
experiences, to deepen your understanding of and integration with the experiential
material.
6. MAKE FRIENDS
During your time domestically, you can find ways to establish cross-cultural
friendships or relationships on campus, with exchange students, etc.
If possible, find an international pen-pal (or an email pal, or WhatsApp pal) and
exchange perspectives. This is a good way to prepare for a trip abroad too!
7. BECOME A LEADER
To develop your abilities, begin to organise or lead international travel groups.

Plan your own trips, and coordinate responsible group travel and study options
with your peers.
This is also a great way to get more involved with the international community.
Attend international conferences, participate in international internships, and
continue to read up on cross-cultural skills in the work environment from trusted
sources.
That said, it takes more than just a sense of self-awareness to achieve global
citizenship; perhaps more important than self-awareness is awareness of others.
And while global consciousness is a significant baseline for global citizenship,
cultural empathy is even more paramount. The ability to question one’s own
perspective on the world and to practice tolerance and understanding for other
cultures is vital for critical thinking. Arguably the highest rank in global citizenship
though is participation in the improvement of one’s society. Students striving to be
global citizens have cited feeling connected to not only the betterment of the
world, but also to their community. Through activism and wise decision-making,
even the world’s most enduring issues such as hunger and poverty can be solved.
We believe that a global citizenship education is undoubtedly achieved

through life experiences, and the development of these life skills begins with
teaching our youth. World travel and educational touring introduces young people
to new cultures, regions, and ways of life, thereby encouraging them to view the
world through a new lens. By doing so, travel inspires the development of 21st
century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and leadership.
Ultimately, through facilitating life experiences we hope to raise a

generation of problem solvers, capable of tackling the world’s most pressing issues
– environmental preservation, hunger, and poverty, for instance. Inciting students
to critically think about the world, its multitude of cultures, and large-scale social
problems is the first step to getting them, and future generations, involved in the
solutions. With that in mind, we urge everyone to travel, make an effort to
understand other ways of life, and work towards a healthier and happier globe.
References:
• https://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/who-we-are/what-is-global-
citizenship/#:~:text=A%20global%20citizen%20is%20someone,more%20peaceful
%2C%20sustainable%20and%20fairer.&text=Global%20citizenship%20helps
%20young%20people,own%20understanding%20of%20world%20events.
• https://www.globalcitizenyear.org/content/global-citizenship/
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_citizenship
• https://www.gvi.co.uk/blog/7-steps-to-become-a-global-citizen/
• https://blog.eftours.com/article/what-is-global-citizenship/

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GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

We live in an interconnected world, with a growing focus on becoming more

Global citizenship is the idea that one's identity transcends geography or

HOW TO BECOME A GLOBAL CITIZEN:

Volunteer to organise an “International Day” at your school, join whatever

Read globally-minded magazines and pay attention to international news to get

Interested in international careers? This kind of international experience is critical

To develop your abilities, begin to organise or lead international travel groups.

We believe that a global citizenship education is undoubtedly achieved

Ultimately, through facilitating life experiences we hope to raise a

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