Thanks to advances in technologies like international air travel and the World Wide Web, people are starting to see themselves as part of something bigger, they are becoming global citizens rather than just being a member of only one culture or nation.
This is a concept that can trace its origins to things like international business, entertainment, and, perhaps most importantly, education. The lucky young people who grow up in a country other than that of their birth who attend globally minded learning institutions like the wonderful International Schools in Thailand are emerging as the leaders of this phenomenon, they are multilingual, multicultural, and open-minded, able to fit in and thrive wherever they are on the planet! Let’s examine this exciting new direction in human affairs and the positive effects it has on our future!
To get started, the following are some examples of what global citizenship involves for the individual:
- Making local and global connections on a personal and business level.
- Challenging our native values, assumptions, and views.
- Participating in social justice on a local and global level.
- Applying our knowledge to solve real-world problems.
- Exploring global issues and applying a wide variety of perspectives to addressing them.
- Creating opportunities to communicate and share.
Maintaining global citizenship empowers people, and not just the youth, open-minded people of all ages can become a part of something much bigger, helping to foster positive change on an international scale unheard of in decades past. The following are some of the benefits of being a global citizen, which fosters proactive concepts that help them to:
- Reflect upon the values that are most important to them.
- Grow a confident voice to share their unique opinions with.
- Build a better understanding of current world events.
- Experience the world on a personal basis.
- Bring their education to bear in real-life situations.
- Challenge intolerance, ignorance, and fear.
- Become involved in local, national and global communities.
- Understand that they have the ability to influence world events favourably.
All of these qualities are of massive benefit to tackling emerging global problems such as the hazards of climate change, migration and refugee issues, sustainable development, the protection of basic human rights, and promoting cultural diversity in ways that are more inclusive. Global citizens are engaged in actively seeking new ways to work towards overcoming these pressing issues that face the international community. Global citizens offer solidarity to the communities affected by the current political climate of the world. They form a block of human solidarity on an ever-developing planet, providing stability with an eye toward positive change.
The Thailand Office of the Basic Education Commission is working closely with Unicef to explore the possibilities of implementing global citizenship-oriented programmes all across Thailand, you can learn more in this Bangkok Post article. Wherever you are in the world you can find ways to become a global citizen and help move humanity toward a more positive, all-inclusive, prosperous future in which we are all working together for the common good.