The Importance of Being a Global Citizen

It’s easy to be lured into believing that the world is fractured and divided.

Both traditional media and social media companies hear this (or cause it, take your pick). Each play division like puppeteers, pulling algorithms as strings and amplifying deliberately rough notes to get more clicks, ears, and attention.

For them, online engagement seems to be worth more than human engagement.

Without question, there’s an unprecedented amount of division in the world. It won’t be fixed overnight.

Yet there’s also a lot of good, countless moments of good deeds and unnoticed impacts that roll by, and not only should we focus on that, but we should aim to be the conductor of it.

But from the ground up, in every country worldwide, we can do our part in building a better foundation of positive worldwide connection through being global citizens.

“A global citizen is someone who is aware of and understands the wider world – and their place in it. They are citizens of the world. They take an active role in their community and work with others to make our planet more peaceful, sustainable and fairer.” - Oxfam.

Awareness. Understanding. Co-operation. Like most soft skills, you won’t pick these up by reading about them; they come hand in hand with the learnings you take from life. Your experiences will allow you to broaden your horizons, both literally and figuratively.

Very few people go travelling and, on return, think the same as they did before departing. It opens your eyes and perspective to new ways of life.

You realise that your way of doing things is just one approach out of countless others.

For those open to growth, you may even learn a thing or two.

A global citizen uses their experiences to play their part in making the world a better place.

This doesn’t mean running for Prime Minister or President.

Put simply, it’s about creating positive change in the world.

If you’re driven by some of the serious topics facing the world, such as climate change, poverty, or equality, you can play your part in driving the conversation.

At first, amongst friends and your network. Then to the broader community.

For each person who begins a conversation, another receives one. When enough of the right conversations happen, momentum builds, and what was initially considered a small chat by one person suddenly becomes a movement.

Promote tolerance and empathy. Reach out to others instead of blocking them out.

Leave a positive impact with your words and actions, not a negative one.

If you’re someone who has travelled, embraced different cultures, and believes that everyone should be treated equally, then you’re already a global citizen.

It’s now how you can use this positive mindset to affect change elsewhere.

• Make an impact - Whether you volunteer, help others, or join a movement, use your mindset for good.

There are enough people out there that need your help, so find your calling and do what you can. At Camp Leaders, we’re proud to contribute to summer camps, institutions integral to local American communities.

We see first-hand the impact that cultural exchange and being a global citizen has, with small acts of kindness often leading to the biggest impact on children and young adults.

• Travel and engage - Don’t travel just for your Instagram feed; travel to engage.

You’re welcomed into another culture’s home when you travel to a new country, so show respect by engaging and learning.

Reaching across borders and nationalities is the only way to offer effective global change, so be a person who’s actively engaged, not just someone passing through.

• Educate - Education provides you with an opportunity to stand on the shoulders of others before offering the same to others.

Individually, you may be moved by an experience you’ve had or an influence that wasn’t there before travelling.

Learning more about certain situations can help you begin to comprehend them and provide a solid base to explain their importance to others.

• Promote - Begin to have the right (and sometimes difficult) conversations with those around you.

Engage those with opposite views, and have a conversation, not an argument. Forming a connection with those you agree with is easy; developing a connection with those you don’t agree with is vital.

If there’s any way to make progress, we must find ways to compromise, discuss, and, crucially, move forward.

Positive momentum is a pendulum towards action. Once we’ve managed to move the scale together, we will leave the world a better place than we found it.

Absolutely.

Many organisations bring like-minded global citizens into a broader movement to drive action.

For more information, check out resources on GlobalCitizen.org, GlobalCitizenInitiative.org and Oxfam, all playing their part in making the world a better place.

Being a global citizen is about connection, and travel plays a crucial part in the education and understanding of global connection.

Its connection to others. The environment. To the world’s problems.

It’s about going your way because you know it’s the right thing to do. All of which opens a world of possibility.

You may not initially realise the impact a simple friendship with someone you meet travelling has, such as at camp. It’s a display of people and cultures worldwide coming together to effect a positive change in the world, and this happens millions of times every year in every country.

Millions of global citizens are out there; it’s just about bringing us all together.

If we can promote a world where all grow up to embrace such connection with the world instead of shunning it, then there’s a good chance that the apparent divides in our societies can become that little bit less and the world a little bit brighter.

And that’s a good start.