We are living in a technology era in which the globe is interconnected. We focus on global growth with greater communication. When we hear the term “global citizenship,” it might sound Latin to many people. But in this digital age, we are all global citizens and we do have a responsibility to make this world a better place!
Before we get to the point of teaching global citizenship, let’s discuss what that term really means.
A global citizen is an individual who loves to explore the world and has a sense of their role in it. They respect the culture, value diversity, and are knowledgeable of and work against social injustices. They have an understanding of the world and participate in communities at all levels (from local to global). A global citizen takes responsibility for whatever they do.
To become a global citizen, you will have to be creative, flexible, dedicated, and proactive. Global citizens take an active part in the emerging world community and are committed to helping build this community’s values and practices.
To be a global citizen, one has to develop a few skills including problem-solving, decision making, logical reasoning, thinking, collaboration, etc. These skills will mold them into a successful person. Success can be achieved only when these skills are self-directed, and when people have a longing to learn and update themselves!
Let’s talk about how to become a global citizen!
Get them inspired
Kids need to be taught geography while they are young. To understand the beauty of this world, ask your child to collect all the information available about a specific country or region. For instance, if the theme is Asia, try having the child learn about Asian culture. Read books about topics ranging from food and language to holiday and traditions. Do fun activities like making recipes from different Asian countries or attend a cultural event for an Asian holiday like Chinese New Year.
Make friends
Parents can join a trusted group and get a pen pal for their child. The kids can talk about their own countries and culture and exchange their thoughts. For instance, I have plans for my now 2 year old to start a pen pal program when she is 5 in shaa allah, where she can write letters to her pen pal across the globe. She is an Indian who is in the USA right now, so obviously she can share about two countries to her pen pal! This is one of the ways to learn more about other countries and their culture!
Celebrate their life
The best way to teach a child is to celebrate their culture and holidays. Through this, we are able to learn about the world and become a global citizen. In this internet era, there are many bloggers who share their contributions by writing about how they celebrate their festivals and holidays. They combine learning with the festivals and it’s really easy for children to relate to their culture! Even local libraries conduct events and activities based on different cultures so you can certainly participate and enjoy learning stuff! Even children’s museums celebrate the holidays of other cultures! We can grab the opportunity to teach our kids to become a global citizen.
Travel around the globe virtually
Thanks to the internet, we can travel around the world without leaving our home. So try going to the country virtually! Look at videos of their celebrations, how they eat, what their staple foods are, etc.
You can ask your children to close their eyes, spin the globe, and touch a continent or a country. Then you can explore and learn about that country by researching things like:
- which animals are found there?
- what kind of crops are grown?
- how do people dress?
- what kind of money do they use?
- and so much more!
As parents, it is our duty to teach our kids how to respect their fellow citizens of the world, to honor their culture and their heritage. Only when we do this, we will help our children understand how to live in peace with everyone around the world.
Are you trying to be a good global citizen? Are are you teaching global citizenship in your home? Please share in the comments!
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Respect is in our hand, how we deal and how we proceed. Learning basics fundamental via technology is not good idea, but indeed I respect Author point of view regarding teaching global citizenship. Great post, but you add more practical points. Anyways thanks for sharing 🙂