Global Citizenship: Making Local Global

Yesterday I came across a very interesting discussion of global citizenship, what it means, and how it fits into international volunteerism. The post by Brittany Edwardes over at Volunteer Global had a very astute and important point to make on the subject which we really want to stress and advocate for here at ForWorld Thinking. Here is the excerpted quote in question:

Volunteerism has the unique ability to bring people together from around the globe to solve local problems. If volunteers are able to embody the ideals of global citizenship and realize that volunteering is about making the connections abroad and at home, the possibilities of volunteerism are endless. We must think, as we do our service, not as volunteers working for a cause, but as people working for people.

Global Citizenship

One of the tenets of global citizenship Brittany mentions is understanding the value of local citizenship and community engagement. It is our assertion that the only way solutions to major social problems can be developed and implemented is through community engagement with local citizens driving the change. Sustainable social change must always come from within. The second major tenet of global citizenship Brittany mentions is understanding the ability of a person to be engaged with global issues. We are turning into a global community, there is no denying or stopping this fact. We can no longer hide from the truth that each one of us is equally responsible for the future of this world, so we must educate ourselves about the major social issues around the globe.

Volunteerism

But we can do more, we can get involved and help through international volunteerism. Here is where it is important to consider why we are getting involved, and how we can best do so. This is where I think Brittany has made the most salient point about volunteerism: that it needs to be people working for people, not for a cause. Usually people pick volunteer opportunities because of a cause they believe in or a country they want to visit. This is wonderful and necessary, because you can't really choose based on the people if you have never been to the country before. However, if you go abroad to volunteer with idea that you want to make connections with the people and learn about their struggles, their beliefs, and their culture first and foremost, an amazing thing happens somewhere along the way: suddenly you are working for them and advocating for them, not just some cause. This is the magic of international volunteerism, and we need to do a better job of educating people on the human connection aspect of doing service abroad. Because the reality is that we work tirelessly and advocate on behalf of people, not causes.

Making Local Global

Our next great push in the near future will be the idea of 'Making Local Global'. If the first part of global citizenship is understanding the importance of local community engagement, and the second part is getting personally involved in global issues through volunteerism, then to me, the third part is bringing the knowledge gained back to the global community and educating others. I firmly believe that anyone who goes abroad to volunteer and engages themselves in a local community, learns about the local problems, and participates in implementing the local solutions, has a responsibility to share that experience and any knowledge gained with the greater global community. Those connections you made, those people you worked for, upon returning home it is time to advocate for them. Encourage others to educate themselves about the local issue by sharing your personal stories of the people you worked with and how they changed you. Maybe, just maybe, you will inspire another to go volunteer and make connections of their own, which they will share with even more people. This is how we make local global and build a global community. That, I believe, is the essence of global citizenship.

To read the full blog post on global citizenship by Brittany Edwardes, head on over to Volunteer Global.

(Image courtesy of Vlado)