How Can We Raise Global Citizens?

It is important to raise children who can embark on the characteristics of a global citizen in all educational levels and courses.

In recent years, global citizenship education has emerged as a very important concept. Especially with the migrations experienced worldwide due to political-economic problems, the constant change of country borders as a result, various nations living in the same regions, and the multiculturalism in the country structures can be shown as the primary factors for the need of global citizenship education. The main purpose of global citizenship is to avoid conflicts and set the ground for a peaceful resolution of problems and creating a common culture.

What Is A Global Citizen? What Skills Should They Have?

As underlined by many sources, a global citizen can be defined as someone who is aware of the diversity in the world and their role in it, values/respects diversity, understands the way the world works, is committed to social justice, participates in common works on a local to global scale, works with others to make the world a more just and sustainable place, and takes responsibility for their actions. It is equally important that individuals adopt an understanding of how they can achieve the best physical and mental health for themselves and their families, have knowledge about how to contribute to a healthy lifestyle, care about gender equality between individuals and groups, and are aware of the basic concepts of society and culture. Additionally, according to some experts, being open to concepts such as democracy, human rights, justice, equality, entrepreneurship, and competitiveness, interacting effectively with others in the public life, and the ability to show solidarity and interest in solving problems that affect the local and wider community are among the skills that a global citizen should have as well as having constructive communication in different environments, tolerance, expressing and understanding different points of view, developing trust, negotiating, and showing empathy.

International Organızatıons Know The Importance Of Global Citizenship

Based on the importance given by many international institutions and non-governmental organizations, from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to the United Nations (UN), to raise individuals who are respectful of cultures and sensitive to world problems, educational practices have been developed for raising global citizens. The main purpose of these kinds of education is to enable individuals to comprehend the characteristics of the society they live in, to develop perspectives for international problems, to produce solutions for these problems, and to participate effectively in public life.

Global Citizenship Education Should Mostly Be Practical

Concepts such as global citizenship, human rights and democracy, and children’s rights education are closely related. Moreover, the contents of these kinds of education are often associated with each other. In our country, global citizenship education is given gradually, starting from preschool education, both implicitly and through educational programs. At primary school, theoretical knowledge is transferred mainly through life studies and social studies classes, and at the secondary school level under citizenship classes. However, it is important that global citizenship and relative concepts should mostly be taught practically, rather than theoretically; in other words, children should experience the knowledge and skills required by a global citizen by experiencing them in the classroom and school environment. In this context, it is important to raise children who can embark on the characteristics of a global citizen in all educational levels and courses.

Pay Attention To These For The Global Citizens Of Future

Giving children responsibilities as per their abilities, avoiding competitive education environment as much as possible, granting them the right to choose in daily activities, creating classroom rules together, making plans for differences and developmental characteristics, focusing on education and individual development besides teaching, teaching the respect for diversity, supporting critical thinking skills and performing exemplary practises in this context, emphasising the differences in family, gender, ethnicity, and religious beliefs, accepting diversity, and providing an atmosphere of reconciliation are among the most important factors. Finally, it should not be forgotten that families, who are the first environments for the education of children, should be included in this matter, that is, school-family cooperation should be ensured.

PhD, Lecturer at Istanbul Kültür University Sevcan Yağan