Global Citizenship? Hmmm...

Picture copied from blog:http://sodancapassion.blogspot.ca/2012/01/what-can-i-do.html

Global citizenship is one of those terms that I have never quite understood. After several searches, I did not come up with any more than I had started out with. However, I got the idea that it suggested that we have a responsibility to do what is right for the good of everyone involved.  It could also suggest that I have done some travelling and have a deep understanding of what different cultures are about and can claim as a result that I am a part of these cultures. As an Environmental Studies student, I kind of put my own spin on it to mean my role as a global citizen would be to ensure that I inflict as little harm as possible on the environment so as to preserve it for future generations…then again that’s sustainability.

  I do realize too that this term means different things for different people in different parts of the world. People in the developed world of course most times have more of a privilege to take part and exercise their right as ‘global citizens’. They can travel abroad and engage with different cultures and claim to be a part of these cultures. In addition, many individuals from developed countries can think of themselves as global citizens when they donate to charities etc. This ability to act like a brother’s keeper though usually comes only after persons have secured some level of comfort for themselves. While Costa Rica is not the worst in terms of its development there are still many living in poverty.  Therefore, this idea of global citizenship should not be imposed on these individuals since most times it is not that they do not want to be part of this grand scheme but instead that many do not have the available resources to do so.

While I got the opportunity to engage in the Costa Rican culture, I would not say that I am suddenly a global citizen. It is hard for anyone to be a ‘global’ citizen since this term is so wide and entails so many different things. For me, this would mean that I would have to  be very aware of different issues affecting people all over the world and to be playing a very active role in making a difference at all levels. We can each play our role in working against different forms of injustices but to say that this is global citizenship would not be very accurate.