GLOBAL CITIZEN I heard that I could be a global citizen. You talk about that stuff a lot, so can I ask you some questions about it? Sure, like what?

GLOBAL CITIZEN Why should I care about being a global citizen? You have globally- recognized rights that become stronger when you use them.

GLOBAL CITIZEN To live peacefully in an interconnected world, you have a responsibility to care about others and treat them with dignity.

GLOBAL CITIZEN And your participation as a global citizen benefits everyone and makes your world a better place.

GLOBAL CITIZEN But I don’t have a passport that says “Global Citizen!” Citizenship’s more than that. It’s a state of mind and a way of treating people, whether they’re right next door or across the world.

GLOBAL CITIZEN OK, then what’s it based on? Many things, actually. People like you and me have been global citizens ever since they started interacting with others in other countries!

GLOBAL CITIZEN And there’s a whole history of laws and documents that spell out the concept (but we’ll get into those later).

I can wait. How does global citizenship relate to real life, to my life?

GLOBAL CITIZEN Well, real life involves real challenges that affect us all and are too big for any one country to tackle alone. It always has. Take peace: No single country can achieve international peace by itself. Not then, not now, not ever. Then there’s poverty, discrimination, health, education … the list goes on and on.

GLOBAL CITIZEN As long as these have been recognized as challenges, global citizens have acted to solve them. They’ve acted to protect everyone’s rights. And they still do.

GLOBAL CITIZEN I can join a long and proud tradition, then! Yes, and it’s more important now—in the 21st century—than ever before. And you can be a more effective global citizen now than at any other time in history.

GLOBAL CITIZEN That’s because of three things: the United Nations; international human rights law; and some recent developments in our world.

What’s important to know about the United Nations? GLOBAL CITIZEN

That it was founded in reaction to the failure of the League of Nations to prevent World War II? Yes.

GLOBAL CITIZEN Yes. That it promotes peace, human dignity, and agreement on matters of common concern?

GLOBAL CITIZEN Does the UN Charter talk about global citizenship? Not directly. The UN Charter is the agreement signed by the original 51 member states outlining their duties as participants in a world community.

The ones doing the creating are the people, not the countries. Look at the opening words: “We the peoples of the United Nations …” Why do you think that phrasing is significant? Sounds like they are global citizens! GLOBAL CITIZEN

What about international law? What’s that? Simply put, it’s a set of rules that countries follow in dealing with each other.

GLOBAL CITIZEN So how does international human rights law advance global citizenship? Let’s look at an example: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And at another example: The Convention on the Rights of the Child.

What’s the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)? GLOBAL CITIZEN The first global expression, in 1948, of the rights to which all human beings are entitled, such as … Equality before the law. Protection against being enslaved. The rights to an edu- cation & healthcare.

GLOBAL CITIZEN It was actually signed but not ratified by the United States. Why? STUDENTS: After your teacher instructs you on how to investigate this issue, discuss and debate it! SUGGESTED WEBSITE: facts/questions-a-answers-about-the-crchttp:// facts/questions-a-answers-about-the-crc

GLOBAL CITIZEN So how does international human rights law advance global citizenship? Citizenship means membership in a community with rights and responsibilities.

GLOBAL CITIZEN What about those “recent developments in our world”? Right, let’s talk first about economic developments.…

OK, so I’ve heard about “globalization.” What’s that?

GLOBAL CITIZEN Think of it this way: The countries of the world exported 245 times as much in 2010 as they did in A big reason for that is because tariffs—taxes on imports—have been drastically reduced during that time. That’s just one way the economy has become “globalized.”

GLOBAL CITIZEN Global citizens, economy … what’s the connection? As global citizens, we expect the global economy to benefit us all. But if it did, wouldn’t poverty be eliminated? That sure hasn’t happened yet.

GLOBAL CITIZEN We have an interest and responsibility in acting to make the global economy benefit everyone fairly … that’s global citizenship!

GLOBAL CITIZEN Got it. What other developments make global citizenship more important today? Let’s start with technology. How’s the world different technologically now than in 1950?

GLOBAL CITIZEN Well, we have digital technology, like computers and mobile phones. We also have much-improved communications, due to satellites, wi-fi, and the Internet.… And transportation is faster and cheaper than ever, too!

GLOBAL CITIZEN OK, technology has improved. What’s the connection? This technological revolution has caused us to be more interconnected and empowered than ever before.

GLOBAL CITIZEN We can easily communicate with people almost anywhere on the planet. We learn about news half a world away in an instant. Faster communication allows us to learn more easily about injustice, which we can then challenge more readily.

GLOBAL CITIZEN STUDENTS: How can you use technology to be a global citizen?

GLOBAL CITIZEN What about environmental developments? How do they relate to global citizenship? With greater economic development, the environment we all share is increasingly threatened.

GLOBAL CITIZEN The great majority of scientists agree that global climate change is influenced by human industrial activity. This results in the spreading of desert regions and rising sea levels.

GLOBAL CITIZEN And air and sea currents move pollution from one place all around the globe. So there’s more reason than ever to be an active global citizen and have a say in how we protect our environment!

GLOBAL CITIZEN Being a global citizen is important. And it’s more essential now than ever before! Absolutely! It benefits you and the world. Keep learning more about it, and you’ll see!