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.

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.

How does globalization affect people, and how should I, the civil community, transnational corporations, and governments respond as global citizens?

The aspects of globalization have broadened the ideological perspectives on “community” and affected the quality of life of citizens worldwide. Communication technologies and the speed of transportation allow people to connect with others from all over the world, and have created a global neighborhood composed of people who identify with others, whether in person or electronically, through shared views and interests. Virtual communities have become nearly as influential as traditional communities in shaping people’s identity, though critics express the concern that virtual communities weaken some people’s capability to share in real-world interactions.

A community’s quality of life is affected by transnational corporations, and people have widely differing views as to whether the influence is constructive or detrimental. Those who support globalization point out that transnationals strengthen communities by stimulating economic expansion through the construction of factories and businesses, such as Wal-Mart, which provide employment opportunities as well as less-expensive services and opportunities that did not formerly exist. However, in my opinion, transnationals such as Wal-Mart have caused more harm than good, as high-paying jobs are replaced by low-paying “McJobs” with few benefits to workers. Smaller, locally owned businesses are forced to close, unable to compete with Wal-Mart transitional marketing techniques and low wages. This reduces shopping and employment options and destroys the livelihood of many small company owners. The typical location of Wal-Mart stores on the outskirts of a city or town encourages vehicle-oriented shopping patterns, thus contributing to the emission of greenhouse gases and pollution.

Worldwide connections that exist because of globalization inform people in today’s society of harmful or unfair circumstances in countries around the world quicker and in more detail than ever before. As global citizens, it is our responsibility to respond to and influence issues that arise from globalization as individual consumers as well as part of a larger civil society, corporation, and/or government. It is our responsibility as consumers to make informed decisions about where and how we spend our money. Quality of life for all people can be promoted by buying and endorsing fair trade products or boycotting consumer goods manufactured in sweat shops or by exploited workers in underdeveloped and developing countries. Civil society – community groups, non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups, universities, and so on – plays a significant role in shaping globalization by influencing the decision-making policies of governments and powerful organizations such as the United Nations. Because transnational corporations are in a fundamental position to resolve problems worldwide, corporate citizenship provides a prominent opportunity to influence the response to global issues. Corporations have the ability to promote sustainable development and quality of life by adopting International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards that make the manufacturing and distribution of goods and services more proficient, safe, and environmentally sustainable while protecting consumers and workers. Another example of a response to global issues is the establishment of federal laws by governments to uphold fairness and equity in all areas of life.

Effectively and accurately promoting awareness of crucial issues that arise from globalization and constructively shaping the response toward them

In a globalizing world, people have countless opportunities to observe and assist in the amendment of issues on both a local and a global level. The interconnectedness of countries, organizations, and individuals around the world, largely as a result of the development and use of communications technologies such as the Internet, provides opportunities to increase awareness of issues and influence the response to these issues. However, sometimes the unlimited information available to us is unreliable or inconsequential, and it can become difficult to recognize which problems or issues are genuinely important or where a significant difference can be made.

Nevertheless, global interconnection can be utilized to achieve goals and resolve problems. This is exemplified in how communication technologies are employed to share ideas, reliable information, and documents in the endeavor to narrow and eventually dissolve the social, economic, and political differences that separate men and women, otherwise known as the gender gap. Access to reliable information on this subject is an important factor in spreading awareness about the gender gap and developing effective programs that work to improve quality of life for all people, no matter their gender or race, in response to this issue.

Becoming aware is the first step toward change. As a global citizen, I can respond to both local and global issues by promoting awareness for myself and others and by fulfilling my role in the fight to revolutionize gender discrimination and other iniquitously contentious issues. On a personal level, I can increase my knowledge and understanding of controversial topics through the research of relative, reliable information about district, national, and global concerns. Implementing my unprecedented awareness of issues and fulfilling my duty as a global citizen, I can align with organizations and coalitions of people, whether online or in person, that protest issues such as gender, labor, and human rights violations, and so become a voice for change that is heard worldwide.

The aspects of human rights and my response to this issue

The topic of human rights is a controversial issue, and many hold differing points of view and perspectives on human rights. Documents such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reflect the perspective that human rights are universal and that everyone in the world is entitled to the same rights – including freedom of speech, the right to an education, equality rights, and discrimination rights – simply because they are human. However, those with different perspectives point out that human rights presented in international covenants such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ignore the differences in tradition, religion, and social patterns of diverse ethnicities and societies that do not share the same traditions or values. Regardless of cultural differences, the basic physical needs such as food, clean drinking water, and life-sustaining shelter are universally imperative human rights.

As a global citizen, it is my responsibility, as well as the larger community's, to uphold and fight for human rights worldwide. Globally interconnected trade provides an opportunity to encourage human rights, as exemplified in the situation in South Africa during the years of apartheid where trade sanctions were employed by other nations to advocate human rights. Also, ever improving communication technologies such as the Internet present the opportunity to generate awareness about human right's violations, organize online petitions, and inform people about current issues. Through the use of websites and blogs, the Internet also acts as a voice for protests against infringements of civil rights around the world.

On a personal level, there are several actions I can take to promote both basic human rights, such as food and clean drinking water, as well as other human rights such as equality and freedom of speech. Every year, I participate in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine. I raise money through donations from those in my community in order to provide people in developing countries with food and safe drinking water. This seemingly insignificant action creates awareness in my community of the needs of those around the world who are denied even the most basic human rights and allows me to contribute to the fight for the preservation of civil rights. This blog allows me to exemplify and advocate for freedom of speech; it also provides me with an opportunity to promote human rights worldwide via the Internet and fulfill my responsibility as a global citizen.

How should I, as a citizen, respond to globalization?

Globalization is the process by which cultures and nations around the world are becoming increasingly interconnected and interdependent. This interconnection affects the economical, environmental, and social health of a country. Legacies of globalization, such as discrimination against culturally diverse groups, continue to impact the quality of life of cultural and national groups around the world in detrimental ways, often resulting in violent responses to these destructive legacies that frequently violate human rights. Although globalization acts as a powerfully influential force in numerous people's lives around the world - and some consider its effects to be supportive of overall prosperity and the improvement of human life - the aspects of globalization contribute negligibly, if at all, to sustainable prosperity for all people. As a global citizen, it is my responsibility to increase awareness of global issues, advocate a reasonable quality of life for all people, and strive to protect and promote the rights of all people, regardless of their race, color, gender, or nationality.