Global Citizenship, According to MeColleges, study abroad programs and global-service learning boast of creating global citizens. To me, a global citizenship is not earned at the end of semester or with a degree. Rather, global citizenship is the knowledge that you belong to a much larger community. This awareness gives you a responsiblity to your global family. I makes you realize that the injustice in Timbuktu is not "their problem", it is your problem. As a very wise man once said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." To me, global citizenship is an empathy and obligation to all creatures.
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Why Not?My definition of global citizenship is something that I do not question. Alas, this is not the accepted definition. When we were asked to wrestle with the idea of global citizenship, I was faced with the fact that my definition does not align with most institutions'. I had to grapple with this question, "Am I a global citizen?" and it was not easy. I went back and forth, again and again, until I decided that in practical terms, I am not. At least, I am not a global citizen as it is typically defined. The term global citizenship is too exclusive and too attached too privilege for me to identity with. I can be a global citizen by definition because I have the economic means and privilege to travel to other countries on service-trips and study abroad programs. I can learn about other cultures, through the American lens, from my privileged education. But I do not want to be a global citizen if Esperanza cannot be one as well. When we talked to her, she said her greatest dream would be to travel. But because of her legal status and lack of papers, that will never be an option for her. Instead, she travels through the books she reads. She does not have the privilege needed to become educated or well-traveled, and yet, something tells me that she is more globally educated than many PC students who will return from study abroad. I cannot identify as global citizen because it is merely a status that comes with privilege. As we have learned, the term "citizenship" is one of the most privileged identifiers that one may have. Moreover, I am not a global citizen because, essentially, I know little to nothing about the world. Yes, I have learned an immense amount on this trip, but it is only the surface of what I have left to discover.
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