CIS ( Council of International Schools ) defines– Global citizenship as a moral and ethical disposition that can guide the understanding of individuals or groups of local and global contexts, and remind them of their relative responsibilities within various communities.
IB (International Baccalaureate®) defines it as recognising the world’s interdependence and using that knowledge to help students contribute to the world. It is a shift in perspective, understanding, and choices.
Global citizenship is a concept that refers to individuals understanding and recognising their role as members of a global community. It involves promoting cultural diversity and addressing global issues.
Global citizenshipdescribes a sense of belonging to a larger global community. It is about recognizing that every person is a citizen of the world and that we all have responsibilities to each other and to our planet.
The concept of global citizenship first emerged in the 4th Century BCE among the Greek Cynics, who coined the term “cosmopolitan” – meaning citizen of the world.
Education and why has this become a buzz word?
Our world is becoming increasingly globalised with every day. In this age of globalisation, citizens can collaborate with their skills, knowledge, globally. Education has the vision that they will use this expertise to find solutions for massive world problems.
With everything in and around us evolving so fast, students need to understand what a global citizen looks like.
What are Global citizens?
Global citizens are the defined as those who encourage young people to develop the skills, knowledge, and values that they will need to engage with the world and develop the self belief that they can make a difference.
Our students of today are the future of any nation, and we are educators that should help the students achieve global citizenship.
A global citizen is someone who can adapt and adjust and be at home anywhere in the world.
Although they may be from a specific geographic region, they have a broader awareness of the universal culture.
Global citizenship also allows individuals to have a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of the different countries and be conscious about how their actions can affect other regions of the world.
By making students aware of global citizenship, they become more respectful and diverse of people and their cultures.
Our role is to nurture global and clarify to all what global citizens look like in the real world.
What are the characteristics of a global citizen?
To inculcate the values and approach of a global citizen students need a certain level of exposure. to cultures.
We need to make students more tolerant and inclusive so that they learn to be global citizens and are fit to undertake global roles and responsibilities.
We need to teach them the meaning of
- Inclusivity
- Diversity
- Humanity
- Awareness of global Issues
- Global Outlook
- Become global solution oriented
Nurturing Global Citizens
Our aim is to change the way students think so that they make their decisions, and know how to treat people, or approach problems.
We need to be mindful of the fact that these children will be responsible citizens one day and hence while focusing on their holistic growth prepare them.
We must also teach them to be global citizens to increase their chances of working or living anywhere in the world.
Foster Inclusivity
One of the primary approaches while helping students become global citizens is to broaden their perspective of how they view people. This approach will enable learners to understand the difference between people and accept them as they are.
To explore the concept of oneness, we must talk about diverse cultures, societies, and histories.
Furthermore, we can discuss how each person brings their individuality and uniqueness and how they contribute to making this world a better place.
Global Issues
While we expect students to become engaged with academics, they also need to be aware of the issues happening around the world by holding regular discussions in classrooms.
Discussions can for example include:
- global warming,
- pollution,
- sustainability
Different Cultures
Learning about diverse cultures makes them more aware of what to expect and can adapt to various situations easily.
They also become very curious about cultures, which is an essential quality of a global citizen.
Making them aware of global issues prepares them for the future.
Global citizenship is about nurturing them for leadership and making learners aware of diversity.
Humanity
Values that set global citizens apart from others are about embracing that every human is connected and creating a sense of empathy and compassion towards other countries and the challenges they face.
Establishing team building and collaborative activities for students will help them understand the concept better.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is one of the key skills that students must possess to solve real-life problems. And high-quality teaching and learning can embrace global issues like illiteracy, poverty, environmental degradation, and hunger.
Enquiry activities could be arranged so that students can apply their knowledge to find practical solutions to global problems.
According to UNESCO, global citizens:
- Understand how the world works
- Value differences in people
- Work with others to find solutions to challenges too big for any one nation
According to The Global Citizens’ Initiative (TGCI), global citizens:
- See themselves as being part of an emerging world community
- Help define this community’s values and practices through their actions
According to the United Nations, the term can refer to the belief that individuals are members of multiple, diverse, local and non-local networks.
The Global Citizen Foundation suggests that:
Global citizenship is a call to action — for people to come together in realising their role and shared responsibilities of protecting the planet, fostering peace, ensuring global prosperity, respecting diversity, and advancing humanity through partnerships.
Views
I would be keen to hear your views on what high quality learning looks like in a classroom where we are fostering global citizenship and how we mesure the impact – is it making a difference?
