Innovation and value creation arise primarily through relationships among people. Without them, strategies disintegrate and products fail to launch successfully.
Now more than ever before, leaders with diverse life experiences and global perspectives are essential. That is why it is critical to promote global digital citizenship actively.
Connecting People and Ieas
Connecting with people of various backgrounds has never been simpler in the digital age, and by teaching citizens about becoming Global Digital Citizens we can aid their development in an environment which combines virtuality with reality.
Travel and cultural immersion can help shape you into a global citizen. Even short trips or gap year travel experiences abroad can have profound impacts on both your perspective and ability to connect with other people.
Education for global citizenship fosters respect and community among its participants, as well as equipping students with the understanding, skills, and values necessary to cooperate on solving global challenges together. Furthermore, such an approach helps prepare them for their future careers with employers who value employees with international perspectives and intercultural competencies as desirable employees; additionally it develops leadership among young people which is imperative in meeting today’s global challenges such as climate change, inequality and disease.
Connecting with the Global Community
As our world grows more interconnected, people are able to learn about other cultures via various platforms – including social media, telework and international volunteering.
Global digital citizens can also utilize online tools to produce and share their work with a global audience, such as blogging or creating videos. Social media may be used to support causes they care about or collaborate on projects with peers from around the globe.
Being a good global citizen means developing understanding and empathy towards those from other countries, communities, and traditions. Education for global citizenship provides students with tools they need to appreciate all humanity, becoming proactive contributors toward creating an open, tolerant and welcoming world.
Connecting with Others
Global citizenship involves developing relationships across cultures and understanding their perspectives, often through online forums, but also via social media, international travel or any other avenue for sharing learnings and exchanging ideas.
Few organizations and universities are leading the charge in global citizenship education. For instance, the UN’s Global Education First Initiative describes global citizenship education as providing students with the knowledge, skills, values, understandings and strategies necessary to build more just, peaceful, tolerant and inclusive societies while contributing to sustainable development.
Teachers can empower their learners to connect with the world by teaching digital literacy and encouraging them to join online communities. BRIGHTS website offers educators resources and examples for doing just this; also featured is a toolkit with tips on integrating digital citizenship into existing curricula; plus Lee Watanabe’s blog which explores ways teachers can address fear of technology in classrooms.
Connecting with Yourself
By cultivating global citizenship and expanding your perspective, you’ll be better equipped to address some of the world’s toughest issues. Cultivating global citizenship will make you a more effective leader who can change mindsets and implement real, lasting changes for all involved.
Digital technologies are reconfiguring the institution of citizenship, altering forms of governance and challenging existing notions of identity, authority and sovereignty. To meet these challenges, this paper proposes global citizenship as an effective solution that brings together ideas and pedagogy from various fields to foster solidarity between people across deep divides.
As we embark on the fourth industrial revolution, we face equal parts risk and opportunity. By developing your leadership skills to become a global citizen, you can maximize the opportunities while minimising risks. This requires developing greater understanding of other cultures and backgrounds as well as cultivating empathy in your community.
