Calling All Global Citizens

What does it mean to be a good global citizen? Citizenship is a term that dates back to the Ancient Greeks. Back then, a citizen was someone who played a role in advancing Greek society. Global citizenship is a new term, but it is based on the same ancient concept. Global citizens work toward advancing a global society.

Being a good global citizen means being aware of the fact that we are not simply citizens of one country or another and have responsibilities and loyalties only to these isolated geographies; but rather, that we are citizens of the world, and that we are responsible for our whole human family. It means realizing that everything we do will eventually have an impact, either positive or negative, on every person and every environment in this world; that our actions have consequences that will directly or indirectly affect other parts of the world as well as future generations.

Global interdependence is a reality. Whether it's the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the occupation we choose, or the technology we use, everything we do and use in our daily lives is affected by what people all over the planet are doing. It's important to know how our neighbors live, and what affect we have on their daily living conditions.

Here a simple example of how our actions can affect so many other factors in the world:

I go to Reliance Fresh and purchase an imported apple which was grown by Washington Apples. Washington Apples is a company that uses pesticides on their orchards. The airplane that they used to import their apples into other countries emits an average of 1.7 tons of CO2 into our atmosphere per transatlantic flight. The Apples were able to be imported based on free trade policies, which allows imperial countries like the United States to export produce in bulk supplies at a fraction of the cost, making prices for the consumer much lower, but also making it impossible for the local growers to compete.

So, by the simple action of purchasing these particular apples, I have actively: contributed to and promoted the use of pesticides and the subsequent degradation of our environment; worsened the air quality for people all over the globe by promoting the increased emission of CO2 into the atmosphere; and allowed for the continued poverty of our local farmers while sustaining the profits of the extremely wealthy.

So what would be the more socially responsible purchase? We could choose apples from the market that were grown organically on nearby farms. This would reduce the negative impact on the earth from pesticide use, drastically reduce carbon emissions from transporting the produce, and support our local farmers as opposed to corporate tycoons. Global citizens must become conscious consumers and take into account the social and environmental implications involved in the creation, transport and use of all consumer goods. This is just one simple example. This concept of making socially responsible decisions can be applied to almost everything we do in life.

Everything in this world is interconnected and we cannot alter, disrupt, or otherwise negatively impact one thing without having an effect on all other things. This applies to the environment, to politics, to the global economy, and to everyday lives. To become good global citizens, we must understand that the only way to truly affect lasting change is to further develop a globally connected mindset and engage those around us to foster fair, equal and sustained partnerships with others in this world; serving as a steward of our earth and an advocate for positive change in the world.

by

Samuel John Naligala