In our society, it is so easy to fall into the habit of viewing the world through a filtered lense. We see the same things every day, live in the same neighborhood, and see the same people, these things shape the way we view the world. While it is nice to understand the cultural values that are important to your smaller community, global understanding is beginning to be increasingly important. This is why understanding our roles as global citizens is crucial to the technological, cultural, and social development of the world.
Being a global citizen means becoming aware of the world, and how each diverse group of people on the planet blends together to create the global patchwork of humanity. Global citizens also actively fight against social injustices and they take responsibility for their actions.
Becoming a global citizen can be difficult, but there are many ways to make the transition between a global and a local mindset a little easier.
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1. Use travel as an inspiration:
Whether or not you can afford to travel, read up on some of the places you would like to go. Look at travel blogs or read travel manuals. If you are lucky enough to be able to travel somewhere new, learn phrases in new languages in order to prep yourself for an upcoming trip. Fully immerse yourself in new cultural experiences in order to really feel apart of that global community.
2. Educate yourself:
Stay on top of international news stories. Read about the history of a country you may not know much about. Get involved with volunteer organizations or international clubs. The more education you have, the more of an ability you have to make educated claims about international happenings.
3. Study abroad:
One of the best ways to become a global citizen is by experiencing another culture for an extended period of time. Taking language courses abroad can be even more helpful because you are surrounded by native speakers. Studying abroad also exposes you to new friendships with people who may have different global perspectives than you.
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4. Become a leader for change:
By utilizing your global experiences, you can begin to educate others on the importance of becoming a worldly citizen. You can organize trips to international conferences or start a new international club. By educating other people on the importance of global self-awareness, we can be even more successful in global careers.
Becoming a global citizen it can benefit almost every area of study. Being more aware of ourselves and our impact on the global community, we are able to use our global ideas to help better the world.