Why GCED?

Global citizens have a strong understanding of who they are within their local and global communities and actively work to create a peaceful, fair, socially just and sustainable planet.

Being a member of the global community

More than ever before, our backyard is shaped by global events, challenges, goals and decision making. As members of the global community, our actions and decisions in Aotearoa New Zealand also have the potential to shape decisions, responses and actions throughout the world. 

In this clip, then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern talks about what it means to be a member of the global community and how young people in Aotearoa New Zealand can play an active role in this community.

Reimagining the future

The interconnections and interdependence between our local and global communities challenges us to consider who we are in the world, what kind of world we want to live in and what kind of legacy we want to leave. As members of the global community, young people have hopes and aspirations for their future.  

In this clip, rangatahi from Ngā Taiātea Wharekura share their aspirations for the future they hope to see.

While the internet and globalisation have helped us to connect as global citizens, societies around the world are still plagued by division and inequity. GCED is important for a number of reasons: 

• A rapid pace of change requires us to remain aware of the associated inequities it can bring. 

• Inclusive practices have become more important than ever before. 

• We’re more connected than ever, but empathy and understanding of other cultures help us to maintain positive connections. 

• As we learn more about the wider world, we must become more responsible for our actions and our place in it. 

Pace of change 

The development of education for global citizenship is as exciting as it is urgent. Rapid technological advancement paves the way for global problem solving at the same time as the Earth and all that lives on it face unprecedented challenges and threats including pandemics, rising inequality and climate change. Global citizenship is about being responsible and ready for the complex and rapidly changing world that we are now. 

Inclusive practices

GCED empowers teachers and students to learn and think more critically and creatively in a way that will develop an understanding of self, others and surroundings. An increased sense of belonging and inclusion supports emotional and behavioural responses to complex issues. This kind of transformative education develops the character strengths to do well and to do good, and it begins by asking big questions. 

Responsibility

Responsibility is key – it gives legitimacy to the notion of global citizenship and provides a sound philosophical underpinning for teaching and learning. It is the basis for a move in thinking from the ‘us and them’ of self-interest to the ‘we’ of global interest, while preventing the watering down of national and cultural identity by globalisation.

The future-focused skills and qualities that students develop through their learning in global citizenship education will build personal confidence, support good judgement and encourage participation as responsible citizens in civil society.

Global citizens are interested in building authentic connections with people, places and the environment. They actively work to strengthen their intercultural awareness and their understanding of cultures other than their own, and they embrace a deep respect and value for diversity. Global citizens think critically, work collaboratively and respond creatively to the challenges that face our world today. 

©  2024

Te Whai Toi Tangata and the CAPEs Education team