Finals

Lesson 3. Global Citizenship

Learning Outcomes:

1. Explain what is global citizenship

2. Identify the rights and responsibilities of global citizenship
3. Appreciate the ethical obligation of global citizenship

Global Citizenship

Citizenship is associated with rights and obligation, for instance, the right
to vote and the obligation to pay taxes. Both rights and obligation link the
individual to the state. It also has to do with our attitudes. We need to be willing
to engage and to spend time and effort to the community of which we feel part
of. Community has traditionally been regarded as something very local. How
then, can the idea of citizenship be transferred to the global level?

Caecilian Johanna van Peski (as cited in Baraldi, 2012) defined global
citizenship “as moral and ethical disposition that can guide the understanding of
individuals or groups of local and global contexts, and remind them of their
relative responsibilities within various communities”. Global citizens are the glue
which binds local communities together in an increasing global world. In van
Peski’s words, “global citizens might be a new type of people that can travel
within these various boundaries and somehow still make sense of the world”
(Baraldi, 2012).

Global citizenship does not automatically entail a single attitude and a

particular value with globalization. We must remember that globalization is not a
single phenomenon; rather are many globalization. While some need to be
resisted, others are welcomed and should be encouraged. They are bound to be
multiple futures for multiple globalizations. These globalizations created enemies
because according to one broad view, globalization failed to deliver its promises
(Cohen, 2006). The so-called bottom billion lacks infrastructures and has been
disenfranchised. The opponents of globalization blame either Westernization or
global capitalism. Thus, the enemies resist globalization, especially when it
comes to global economy and global governance.

There are three approaches to global economic resistance. Trade

protectionism involves the systematic government intervention in foreign trade
through tariffs and non-tariff barriers in order to encourage domestic producers
and deter their foreign competitors (McAleese, 2007). Although there exist a
widespread consensus regarding its inefficiency, trade protectionism is still
popular since it shields the domestic economy from systemic shocks. Fair trade
is a different approach to economic globalization, which emerged as a counter to
neoliberal “free trade” principles (Nicholls and Opal, 2005). Fair trade aims at a

NQA_2019-20 1
 more moral and equitable global economic system in which, for instance, price is
not set by the market; instead, it is negotiated transparently by both producers
and consumers. While is popular among in the North, it has met only limited
acceptance among producers (Ritzer, 2015). Its ability to supply a mass market
and its applicability to manufacture products are also doubted. The third form of
resistance to economic globalization relates to helping the bottom billion based
on Collier (2007). Increasing aid is only one of the many measures that are
required. International norms and standards can be adapted to the needs of the
bottom billion. The reduction of trade barriers would also reduce the economic
marginalization of these people and their nations.

When it comes to dealing with political globalization, increased

accountability (Germain, 2004) and transparency are the key issues. All political
organizations, at different levels, should be more accountable for their actions
because they are now surrounded by an “ocean of opacity” (Holzner and
Holzner, 2006, p. 336). Increased transparency has been aided by various
mechanisms such as transnational justice systems, international tribunals, civil
society, and particularly the Transparency International.

Like globalization, resistance to globalization is multiple, complex,

contradictory, and ambiguous. This movement also has the potential to emerge
as the new public sphere, which may uphold progressive values such as
autonomy, democracy, peace, ecological sustainability, and social justice. These
forces of resistance are themselves products of globalization and can be seen
as globalization from below (Smith, 2008). According to della Porta et al. (2006),
the impetus for such a movement comes from individuals, groups, and
organizations which are oppressed (i.e., self-perception) by globalization from
above (neoliberal economic systems or aggressively expanding nations and
corporations). They seek a more democratic process of globalization. However,
globalization from below also involves less visible, more right-wing elements,
such as the America First Party and the Taliban.

The World Social Forum (WSF) is center on addressing the lack of

democracy in economic and political affairs (Fisher and Ponniah, 2003).
However, the diversity of elements involved in WSF hinders the development of
concrete political proposals. A significance influence on WSF has been that of
cyberactivism, Which based on the “cultural logic of networking” (Juris, 2005)
and “virtual movements,” such as Global Huaren. This cyber public was formed
as a protest against the violence, discrimination, and hatred experienced by
Chinese residents in Indonesia after the 1997 Asian financial crisis. In 1998,
worldwide rallies condemning the violence were made possible through the
Global Huaren which according to Ritzer (2015) “became an interesting global
watchdog for Chinese interests” (p.307).

Since there is no single globalization, the future is also multi-dimensional.

Some foresee the continuing expansion of globalization both in general as well
as in more specific globalization. Others have a far more pessimistic vision of

NQA_2019-20 2
 “Mad Max” scenarios that could end the current era of globalization (Turner,
2007)

In any case, given that there is no world government, the idea of global
citizenship demands the creation of rights and obligations. Moreover, fulfilling
the promises of globalization and the solution to the problems of the
contemporary world does not lie on single entity or individual, but on citizens, the
community, and the different organizations in societies. The dynamics of
globalizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank; international
NGOs like Greenpeace and Amnesty International; and he citizen initiatives and
community action groups that reach above the nation-state level like the World
Social Forum and Occupy Movement. Ultimately, reforms in global governance
are required to allow world citizens to take more part directly in all aspects of
human life at the global level.

The Rights and Responsibilities of Global Citizenship

By Ron Israel, Co-Founder and Director, The Global Citizens’ Initiative
July, 2015

A global citizen is someone who sees themselves as part of an emerging

sustainable world community, and whose actions support the values and
practices of that community. Many people today identity with being global
citizens as more and more aspects of their lives become globalized.

Being a global citizen does not mean that you have to give up the other
citizenship identities you already have, e.g. your country citizenship, your
allegiance to your local community, religious, or ethnic group. Being a global
citizen just means that you have another layer of identity (with the planet as a
whole) added on to who you are. And if you take that identity seriously, there a
new set of rights and responsibilities that come with it.

Global Citizenship Rights

The rights of global are imbedded in the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights, first drafted in 1994 after World War II. The core nature of the Universal
Declaration – grounded in individual liberty, equality, and equity – has remained
constant. However, the ways in human rights are applied change over time, with
changes that occur in the political, economic and social fabric of society. Also
new rights, that were not on the 1948 human rights agenda have emerged, for
example, digital access rights, LGBT rights, and environmental rights. Some
people cite the emergence of new rights and changing political systems as
calling forth the need for an updated Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The main problem related rights has been the difficulties that the world
has had in enforcing them. There is a long and shameful history of disrespect for

NQA_2019-20 3
 and abuse of human rights on the part of sovereign states, religious institutions,
corporations and others. A growing number of international mechanisms have
been established for reporting human rights abuses. There also are global,
regional, and national courts that exist to adjudicate incidences of human rights
abuse. Yet, unfortunately human rights enforcement mechanism still have
limited legal jurisdiction, and many states have not agreed to participate in them.
This is yet another reason for a review and update of our current human rights
policies and programs.

Global Citizenship Responsibilities

A global citizen, living in an emerging world community, has moral,

ethical, political, and economic responsibilities. These responsibilities include:

1. Responsibility to understand ones owns perspective and the

perspectives of others on global issues. Almost every global issue has
multiple ethnic, social, political, and economic perspectives attached to it.
It is the responsibility of global citizens to understand these different
perspectives and promote problem-solving consensus among the
different perspectives and the building of common ground solutions. A
global citizen should avoid taking sides with one particular point of view,
and instead search for ways to bring all sides together.
2. Responsibility to respect the principle of cultural diversity. The
multiple perspectives that exist with most global issues often are a
reflection of different cultural beliefs systems. Each of our major cultural
belief systems brings value-added to our search for solutions to the global
issues we face. In building a sustainable values-based world it can work
with established international organizations like the United Nations, rather
than proceed on a unilateral course of action.
3. Responsibility for advocating for the implementation of international
agreements, conventions, and treaties related to global issues.
Global citizens have the responsibility to advocate for having their
countries ratify and implement the global agreements, conventions, and
treaties that they have signed.
4. Responsibility for advocating for more effective global equity and
justice in each of the value domain of the world community. There
are a growing number of cross-sector issues that require the
implementations of global standards of justice and equity; for example,
the global rise in military spending, the unequal access by different
countries to technology, and the lack of consistent national policies on
immigration. Global citizens have the responsibility to work with one
another and advocate for global equality and justice solutions to these
issues.
(Reference: The above article is a full text of the author, Ron Israel).

NQA_2019-20 4
Ethical Obligations of Global Citizens

Various writers have the following ideas concerning the Global Citizen’s
ethical obligations:

1. From: Daisaku Ikeda

 A global citizen has the wisdom to perceive the
interconnectedness of all life and living.
 The courage no to fear or deny differences; but to respect and
strive to understand people of different cultures, and to grow from
encounters with them.
 The compassion to maintain an imaginative empathy that reaches
beyond one’s immediate surroundings and extends to those
suffering in distant places.

Thus, a global citizen has the ethical obligation of involvement and activity
with the goal of moving towards greater social justice in all dimension of
his life.

2. From: Kwame Anthony Appiah, Professor of Philosophy at

Princeton University
 If you can prevent something bad from happening at the cost of
something less bad, you ought to do it.
 People have a right to the satisfaction of their basic needs such a
health, food, shelter and education. Our obligation is to help others
satisfy their needs.
 In any event, our highest duties are to those whom we are closest
– family, friends.

References:

Aldama, Prince Kennex R. The Contemporary World,

Rex Book Store, Inc., 2018
Ariola, Mariano M. The Contemporary World,
Unlimited Books Library Services and Publishing Inc., 2018

NQA_2019-20 5
Check-up Questions:

1. What is citizenship? How do rights and responsibilities of citizen differ

from one another?
2. What are the rights and responsibilities of global citizenship?
3. What is your own view about the ethical obligation of a global citizen?
4. If you are a global citizen, does it mean you will lose your local
citizenship?

Activity: Reaction Paper

Choose one of the following statements to react.

1. Anna Malsch and Alan Ormoti said: “I feel a sense of connection to

people all over the world, even if I don’t know them personally”.
2. The Bahaii Faith promotes the concept: “The Earth is but one country and
mankind its citizenship”.
3. Globalization is reducing the importance of nation-states.
4. The Transport System in the Philippines
5. Global Challenges in Food Security

NQA_2019-20 6