Friday, June 5, 2009

My opinion on globalization and global citizenship

As I have progressed through this Social 10 course on globalization, I have attained an innovative understanding of how interconnected the world is economically, politically, environmentally, and socially. It has opened my eyes to a perspective that has educated me on global issues and made me aware of the opportunities and challenges of globalization; this course also illustrates what it means to be a responsible global citizen who is actively involved in the local and global community and who promotes sustainable prosperity for the earth and all its inhabitants.

Various aspects of globalization such as communication technologies and media are significant elements in the shaping of our individual and collective identities. These components serve to globalize the social, economical, environmental, and political aspects of our lives and “broaden our horizons” as it were, expanding our identities. However, being increasingly interconnected threatens to homogenize and “globalize” our identity, decreasing diversity.

Globalization does not benefit everyone – it widens the gap between the rich and the poor, the developed and undeveloped, and provides few opportunities for the underprivileged to benefit from globalization and its aspects. Also, the communications gap often silences the voices of the poor and their appeals for help. In the developed and quickly developing world, the focus is on moving forward rather than working collectively to construct a world that is fair and beneficial for all. As global citizens, we must envision the prospect of a humanitarian globalization that sustains the world and all its inhabitants, collaborate to right past wrongs, and establish legacies of peace and equality. Differences must be recognized, understood, and accepted. Working together as a global community, we must break free from the rut of injustice and discrimination that has predominantly characterized globalization thus far, humanitarianly redefining and reforming this life-changing concept.

In essence, globalization is inevitable – it can’t be stopped, even though many around the world attempt to bring it to a halt. Instead of fighting against globalization, we must embrace it and use it as a tool to better the lives of all people. It is our responsibility as global citizens to understand how globalization works, as well as recognize the advantages and challenges it presents, and utilize it for the benefit of the world and its inhabitants. Individual action and involvement on the political, environmental, social, and economical level – no matter how big or small – is where change begins.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

What does global citizenship mean and what roles do global citizens take on?

The extent to which we accept and understand globalization, as well as its challenges and opportunities, defines our status as an active global citizen – it is a manner of thinking and acting as one who considers the well-being of the planet and all of its inhabitants and who sees beyond the immediate to the prospect of a world where injustices are rectified and solutions to global problems are instituted. Global citizens maintain a point of view of the planet as a single, undivided community - a "Spaceship Earth" - on which everyone is a passenger or a crew member based on the extent to which they embrace their global citizenship and the concept of globalization.

A global citizen embodies a thoughtful and empathetically collaborative thinker who recognizes, understands, and accepts differences. A responsible citizen of the world maintains a perception of the world that transcends divisive political borders and cultural boundaries. An active global thinker recognizes the interdependence of everyone around the globe and how a happening in one region of the world can and does affect the global community, regardless of political and social boundaries.

Dynamic global citizens take on the responsibility of shaping globalization in a way that benefits as many global inhabitants, in as many circumstances, as possible. They recognize that the interconnectedness of the global community necessitates that an incident or crisis in one region of the world requires both collective and individual responses from those in other areas of the world, and they take action upon that awareness. A global citizen acts locally and thinks globally, and the actions of a single person - be it as simple as a donation to to an organization like UNICEF or as involved as taking political action or joining an NGO whose focus is to help the word and its inhabitants - can bring about significant change in the global community.

Global citizens have the responsibility to take on the role of active students, consumers, corporations, and individuals. As active students, global citizens respond to challenges of globalization at the local, national, and international level by working together to build worldwide understanding of cultures, traditions, and religions and fighting for human rights through student-based organizations and campaigns. Citizens of the global community also take on the role of active consumers by affecting the profit margins of companies whose business practices are unethical and thus promote human rights and sustainable prosperity for all. In turn, corporations are called to be actively responsible global citizens by becoming environmentally and socially conscious. Finally, each individual has the responsibility to take on a role as a global citizen by becoming aware of the opportunities and challenges of globalization and in turn making informed choices that promote the well-being of both the planet and all its inhabitants.