GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP Chapter VII.

Unit 1

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Chapter VII. Unit 1

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

Objective
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1. To articulate a personal definition of global citizenship
2. To show appreciation of the ethical obligations of global citizenship
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Living in our times, we call as contemporary world, teaches us to transcend any barrier
and detest parochialism. It has become imperative for everyone to be aware of the issues
currently happening around the world. And such awareness should come with action. This
includes you, too! Take note that this chapter will conclude all your understanding of the previous
topics. Its main objective is to recruit you in the roster of global citizens.

Let us start with the question…

I. What is Global Citizenship?

By itself, citizenship is a political and legal term which means one’s membership to a
polity, particularly a democratic state. Conceptually, it is wrapped up in rights and obligations,
and in owing allegiance to a sovereign state whose power is retained by the citizenry but with
rights that are shared by all members of that state for instance, the right to vote, and the
obligation to pay taxes. Both rights and obligations link the individual to the state. We distinguish
“citizen” from “national” or “subject,” the latter two implying protection of a state. Citizenship,
as it has come down to us via the ancient Greeks and Romans, via the Enlightenment, and the
American and French Revolutions, is tied into the emergence of members of a polity with
specified privileges and duties. To speak of a “citizen” is thus to speak of individuals with distinct
relationships to the state, along with the social status and power these relationships imply (Lagos,
2002). It also has to do with our attitudes: We need to be willing to engage, spend time and effort
for a community of which we feel part of. Community has traditionally been thought of as
something very local, so, again we face the question of how this can be applied to the global level
(van Peski, 2012).

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From this view, we can define global citizenship or ‘cosmopolitanism’ 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. (van
Peski, 2012) It is a way of living that recognizes our world is an increasingly complex web of
connections and interdependencies. One in which our choices and actions may have
repercussions for people and communities locally, nationally or internationally. It is also the
concept that one’s identity transcends, even as it respects, geographical and national borders,
and that our social, political, environmental and economic actions occur in an interconnected
world. (UN Chronicle) For Oxfam, global citizenship 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.
II. Why the need for Global citizenship?
It is a fact that there is no world government. This means that there is no governing body
that has the power to call for every human person as its lawful citizen. No political entity that is
powerful enough to enforce laws and ensure obedience among them. However, it is a reality that
everyone is affected, one way or another, to all the things that are happening around us.
The United Nations, as the leading organization of states in the world, has issued a
number of covenants, policies, agreements made by its member-states but remains no political
power. As a consequence, it does not produce citizenship. However, global citizenship remains
important when discussing about UN because of the globalization context. In cognizance, UN is
taking the lead to foster social and moral awareness and responsibility to all people around the
world, thus, fostering global citizenship.

III. Who are Global Citizens?

Any person who not only feels a sense of civic responsibility to his or her local community,
but also to the greater human race, is a global citizen. A community is not defined by borders
and labels, but rather by the commonalities that all humans share. This particular way of thinking
will develop differently for every global citizen, as it can develop through learning about global
issues or a foreign language, traveling to other countries, or educating oneself on the effects that
personal decisions can have on the world, as Hannah Arendt (1958) believed as “an ethic of care
for the world”.
A global citizen does not have to owe allegiance to any state or any global organization,
but rather to the common good. These citizens work as the glue which binds local communities
together in an increasingly globalized world. They are those who exemplify attitudes of empathy
and care about the world in different dimensions. It may be at the local or at the global scale. It
can be to a small or multitude beneficiaries.
To solve global challenges, we need global citizens. We need people who:

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 Understand the complexity of our interconnected world.

 Understand our biggest challenges.

 Know their social, ethical and political responsibilities.

 Display leadership and teamwork.

 Solve problems through innovation and entrepreneurship

 are aware of the wider world and have a sense of their own role as world citizens

 respect and value diversity

 have an understanding of how the world works

 are outraged by social injustice

 participate in the community at a range of levels, from the local to the global

 are willing to act to make the world a more equitable and sustainable place

 take responsibility for their actions.

REFERENCES:

Bayram, A. B. (2017) University of Arkansas, The Conversation. Available at

http://theconversation.com/rise-in-globalism-doesnt-mean-the-end-for-nationalists-81463
(accessed 20 December 2018)
Carter, A. (2001) Global Civil Society: Acting as Global Citizens in the Political Theory of
Global Citizenship. London: Routledge
Cleajoy (2018) Five Reasons Why Global Citizenship Education Should be Part of Your
Curriculum. Available at https://www.afs.ph/five-reasons-why-global-citizenship-education-
should-be-part-of-your-curriculum/ (accessed on 7 December 2018)
Ideas for Global Citizenship. What is global citizenship? Available at www.ideas-
forum.org.uk/about-us/global-citizenship (accessed 15 December 2018)

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Mariel B. (2015) Why is Global Citizenship Important. Available at

http://www.voicesofyouth.org/en/posts/why-is-global-citizenship-important- (accessed 12
December 2018)
Murphy, M. (2014) Global Social Theory: Cosmopolitanism. Available at
https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/cosmopolitanism/ (accessed 15 December 2018)
Perrier C.J. Global Citizenship, Contemporary Education, and the Cosmopolitan World View
Available at https://cperrier.edublogs.org/2014/11/17/global-citizenship-contemporary-
education-and-the-cosmopolitan-world-view/ (accessed 21 November 2018)
Scott R. (2017) Global Citizenship: Imagined Destiny or Improbable Dream. United Nations
Chronicle, Vol.LIV No.4, 2017 Available at https://unchronicle.un.org/issue/global-citizenship
(accessed 15 December 2018)
Sherman, P. (2017) University of Guelph-Humber, The Conversation Available at
https://theconversation.com/why-the-world-needs-more-global-citizens-84680 (accessed 18,
December 2018)
Steger, M., Battersby P., Siracusa, J. (2016) The SAGE Handbook of Globalization Vol.1,
Global Citizenship and Global Governance: Perspectives in International Relations Theory
Steger, M., Battersby P., Siracusa, J. (2016) The SAGE Handbook of Globalization Vol.1,
Global Civil Society: Acting as Global Citizens
University College London (UCL) Global Citizenship Programme. What is Global Citizenship?
Available at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/global-citizenship-programme/what-is-global-citizenship
(accessed 15 November 2018)
van Peski, C. J. (2012) book chapter “International Education and Global Citizenship” from the
book Participation, Facilitation, and Mediation: Children and Young People in Their Social
Contexts. Available at https://cisv.org/resources/educational-content-research/research/what-is-
global-citizenship/ (accessed 15 December 2018)

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LEARNING ACTIVITY

The Cosmopolitan Filipino

1. INDIVIDUAL - In the class , share your PERSONAL story about yourself as a

Cosmopolitan Filipino. You may present using multimedia. You may also bring those
materials or things that remind you of your global experience.

2. GROUP – In a group of 4-5 members, conduct an interview with a Filipino in your

barangay or municipality, who is an exemplar of cosmopolitanism. Each group will
choose from any of the following:
a. Overseas Filipino Worker
b. Local Leader
c. Civil Society Organization leader/member
d. Volunteer
e. Peace Worker
Present in the class the result of your interview with the following information:
a. Personal data
b. as a Filipino citizen

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c. as a global citizen
d. as a Filipino citizen of the world
e. Lessons learned
Rubric for the Learning Activity (for the presentation of output)

Integration of lessons/concept discussed in class 15

Additional research related to the topic 10

Clarity of points 5

Total 30

ASSESSMENT

LAST LONG EXAMINATION

FINAL EXAMINATION

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