The Basis for Global Citizenship - Essay Example

Global Citizenship Global citizenship has root even in antiquity. Schlumberger (2006) reports that even Socrates notion of citizenship is global. Schumberger (2006) attributes to Socrates this statement: "I am not a citizen of Athens or Greece, but of the world." The basis for global citizenship is ample. Even if we use theology or science, mankind has a common parent. In the Christian bible, for instance, all men and women came from Adam and Eve. The idea of common lineage can be found even in non-Christian theology, even Islam. At the same time, the most modern theories of science suggest that all men and women originated from one common life. These points on their own serve as sufficient basis why we must consider ourselves as global citizens: we have the same genetic root if not parentage. However, more than this, the exigencies of survival provide a strong reason why we ought to consider ourselves as global citizens. Firstly, what we do in one part of the world can affect the other parts of the world. With the continuing improvements in science and technology, the impact of one action on the rest of the world takes place at an accelerating speed. Take for instance, a civil war or a conflict in one geographic area of the planet. It does require a great stretch of ones imagination to see that a local conflict can become a world conflict as military powers of the globe take side in the conflict. Even if our science and technology is not as powerful as it is today, conflict does spread or spill from one locality to another. Secondly, we live in one planet. All our actions affect our planet thereby affecting all other creatures of our planet, including our fellow human being. A plastic cup or plastic bottle we throw into a river can eventually find its way to our oceans and pollute the shores of other countries. A tree we cut today deprives us of an important tool for carbon capture that will allow us to mitigate, delay, reduce, or even eliminate the effects of global warming. Thus, in view of the foregoing, it is crucial to consider ourselves as global citizens and set up institutional mechanisms through which this citizenship can be realized. In fulfilling our role as global citizen, a very important that we ought to do is to adopt the values, perspectives, and duties of the global citizen. We ought to affirm our citizenship with the rest of mankind, we ought to do something good for mankind. If a conflict can indeed trigger a global conflict, it is also possible for a local peace in any geographic area to reinforce any direction for world or global peace. Meanwhile, it must be clear what we ought not to do or what mind-set we should abandon: 1. We must abandon the old ways of seeing things in isolation. Every action and every phenomenon has a global effect: some of the global effects are very strong, other global effects influence the world in a weak manner, but they all influence the world just the same. 2. We must abandon the old way of seeing things as if one action has no effect on the rest of the world. 3. We must abandon the view that an injustice that takes place in one part of our planet will have no effect or global consequences. For Lee, global citizenship requires awareness (2006, p. 2). According to her, global awareness can be enhanced by studying abroad, taking international studies course, befriending international students, learning from an international faculty, participating in international events, promoting international student rights, and becoming a global activist (Lee, 2006, p. 2-4). At the same time, Lee says that it is important to set up resources for international students so global citizenship can be promoted. For Ausland (2006, p. 6-7), values are important for the global citizen. According to him, the five most important values that constitute the basic ethic for the global citizen is mutuality, influence, competence, humility, and celebration. According to Ausland (2006, p. 6): the values strongly related with the five values are the following: 1. Sacrifice and community for mutuality. 2. Engagement and credibility for influence. 3. Learning and accountability for competence. 4. Transformation and hope for humility. 5. Wonder, hospitality, and rest for celebration. In the Ausland viewpoint, the said values arise from a perspective of looking viewing at world concerns as a common table. At the same time, Ausland also sees specific tables even with a common table of humanity: a study table, a communion table, "and so forth" (2006, p. 7). The Ausland idea of "tables" to illustrate the idea of global citizenship is actually a set of metaphors (Ausland, 2006, p. 2). For instance, Ausland employs the metaphor of a communion table. The communion table from which the value of mutuality arises refers to the Christian notion of the "sacrament of communion" (Ausland, 2006, p. 8). Thus, the values of sacrifice and community especially as Ausland stressed that the word communion comes from the Latin "communis---mutual participation" (Ausland, 2006, p. 8). Ausland (2006, p. 8) pointed out that one may also prefer to think mutuality in terms of "companionship, community or accompaniment." Clearly, Auslands framework of global citizenship has a religious or faith dimension even if the Ausland perspective is not fully religious. For Ausland (2006, p. 10-11), apart from looking at it from a communion table perspective, it is also useful to view global citizenship as a negotiation table in which deals, strategies, and agreements constitute as among the realities of living as a global citizen. It is also useful to see global citizenship as a study table where competence can be developed and where people from each other (Ausland, 2006, p. 10-11). Viewing the world as an operating table from which we can learn humility via opening up (imagine your body being operated on by surgeons and being healed from a disease, condition, or ailment via an operation). Finally, Ausland used the metaphor of "hearthening table" or celebration table to illustrate the tremendous benefits that can be obtained from global citizenship (2006, p. 15-17). Muetzelfeld and Smith (2002, page 56) stressed that it is possible to have global citizenship within a nation state. Viewing things in terms of global citizenship is important given the surge in global systems of finance and production (Muetzelfeld and Smith, 2002, p. 56). In view of the surge, global governance becomes an imperative and global citizenship can complement the imperative of global governance even if global institutions for governance are too new or only emergent (Muetzelfeld and Smith, 2002, page 60). Muetzelfeld and Smith (2002, page 61) pointed out that citizenship has levels: 1. City-state citizenship has legal rights and obligations. 2. Nation-state citizenship has political rights and obligations. 3. Welfare-state citizenship has social rights and obligations. 4. Global citizenship has global rights and obligations. According to Muetzelfeld and Smith (2002, p. 69), nation-state citizenship must build the conditions for global citizenship. Mesa (2003, p. 4) has stressed that the basis for global citizenship arise because the "the idea of political community can no longer be understood within the limits of a nation state." Further, the "limits between local and global issues are increasingly blurred" (Mesa, 2003, p. 4). Thus, for him, the notion of global citizenship will be important to denationalize, de-territorialize, and democratize citizenship (Mesa, 2003, p. 4). Doing so would enable citizenship "to be based on respect for human dignity, equal rights and differences" (Mesa, 2003, p. 4). For global citizens to function appropriately, Mesa (2003, p. 6) stress the need for education for global citizenship. A key website group, www.globalcitizenship.com, stresses the importance of a global mindset for global citizenship (2009). According to the organization, a global mindset has the following characteristics: 1. Open-minded 2. cognizant of the importance of diversity for creativity 3. Willingness to collaborate with others 4. Curiosity for various cultures 5. Co-identification with the rest of the world Using metaphors, www.globalcitizenship.com (2009) describes global citizenship as a tree that is deeply rooted in one ones native culture but with branches that spread out to the world. In summary, we have strong scientific and even a theological basis (Christian and non-Christian) for global citizenship and various scholars confirm such a strong basis. Reference List Ausland, A. (2006). Come to the table: Five values for the global citizen. The Global Citizen, 3, 6-18. Lee, J. J. (2006). Global citizenship: Extending students knowledge and action to the global context. Journal of College & Character, 7(1), 1-5. Mesa, M. (2003). Educating for global citizenship and cosmopolitan democracy. Retrieved 8 December 2009 from http://www.cipresearch.fuhem.es/pazyseguridad/docs/Educar_para_la_ciudadania_global_ING.pdf Muetzelfeldt, M. and Smith, G. (2002). Civil society and global governance: The possibilities for global citizenship. Citizenship Studies, 6 (1), 55-75. Available 8 December 2009 from http://web.centre.edu/lorihm/muetzelfeldt.pdf Schlumberger. (2006). Global Citizen. A brochure. Retrieved 8 December 2009 from http://www.slb.com/media/about/gc_booklet.pdf www.globalcitizenship.com. (2009). Characteristics of a global citizen, What is a global mindset? Retrieved 8 December 2009 from http://www.globalcitizenship.com Read More