In one important respect at least, we are all global citizens. Despite the sharp and often cruel disparities of human experience we all share a planet, one which has been, and continues to be, used and abused in ways shameful and ultimately, both morally and physically unsustainable. Imagine for a moment if we were to achieve the types of Global Citizenship proposed in the IDEAS website.
Imagine, a world where human and other than human life all enjoy protection and are nurtured.
“Global Citizenship nurtures personal respect and respect for others, wherever they live. It encourages individuals to think deeply and critically about what is equitable and just, and what will minimise harm to our planet. Exploring Global Citizenship themes helps learners grow more confident in standing up for their beliefs, and more skilled in evaluating the ethics and impact of their decisions.”
The potential of such an enlightened populace is worth considering. A world without war. A world without racism, patriarchy or ecocide. A world with a future not threatened by climate emergency and biodiversity loss but one sharing the benefits of advanced technology and happily living within ecological boundaries and flourishing in cultures of social justice, mutual understanding and respect.
Imagine, a world where human and other than human life all enjoy protection and are nurtured. This is the potential world of a ‘just transition’, a transition from the colonial, patriarchal and exploitive practices of the market, to one where systemic injustices are irradicated and wealth and power shared democratically.
There are however many that do not share such a dream or even consider it plausible. Schisms along religious, cultural and political lines run deep and threaten all our futures. As we begin another circumnavigation of our sun what could we consider changing that might make a positive future imaginable to more people, not just in Scotland, but across our world?
As educators it would seem the most obvious place to start is with a critical evaluation of our current educational practice and even potentially a fundamental re-evaluation of our shared societal understanding of what the key purposes of our education system are.
One of the key aspects of the neoliberal ideology that is widely recognised to have recast the purposes of education to be in service to the market and the ‘economy’ above all else, is the acronym TINA ‘There is no Alternative’. Critical Global citizenship perspectives offer alternative understandings of the way in which education policy and practice can transform, to not only face the complex challenges of our times but to help overcome them. Our voice needs to be heard and heeded as quickly as possible. Maybe 2022 is the year?
Schisms along religious, cultural and political lines run deep and threaten all our futures.
For those wishing to take a deep dive into the possibilities a radical rethink of education could look like and why it offers us the best chance to reimagine a world which offers what Paulo Freire called, ‘ the pedagogy of hope’ we suggest the following reading.
Futures of Education
UNESCO’s report billed as ‘a global initiative to reimagine how knowledge and learning can shape the future of humanity and the planet’ features in-depth looks at digital technologies, climate change, democratic slippage and societal polarization and the uncertain future of work. It aims not only to open the conversation about education to everyone and provoke thought, but to spur each of us on to action. It argues, above all, that it is through millions of individual and collective acts of courage, leadership, resistance, creativity and care that we will change course and transform education to build just, equitable and sustainable futures.
Executive Summary available here
The full report is available here
Global Citizenship Education for Unknown Futures
Bridge 47 commissioned a report by Rene Suša which provides a thorough overview of current debates and opportunities within the field of Global Citizenship Education (GCE). The report addresses the following questions: 1) What is the benefit of GCE to our societies? 2) What is the impact of GCE to our societies? and 3) Why do we believe that GCE is the answer to global challenges?
Critical Global citizenship perspectives offer alternative understandings of the way in which education policy and practice can transform, to not only face the complex challenges of our times but to help overcome them.
Learning to Become One with the World
The Commons World Collective working paper, ‘Learning to Become with the World: Education for Future Survival’ calls for education to be reimagined and reconfigured around the future survival of the planet. To this end, it offers seven visionary declarations of what education could look like in 2050 and beyond. These declarations proceed from three premises. Firstly, human and planetary sustainability is one and the same thing. Secondly, any attempts to achieve sustainable futures that continue to separate humans off from the rest of the world are delusional and futile. And thirdly, education needs to play a pivotal role in radically reconfiguring our place and agency within this interdependent world. Read the paper
Pedagogy of Hope: Global Learning and the Future of Education
A recently published paper by Douglas Bourn, director of the DERC. Global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate emergency campaigns and the Black Lives Matter movements have recently posed challenges for educationalists about their role, particularly in relation to promoting positive visions of the future. Development education and global learning has a major contribution to make within these agendas, particularly if it brings into its practices the ideas of Paulo Freire and his concept of the pedagogy of hope. Hope can often be considered an idealistic and utopian term, but if it is grounded in real life issues and challenges, then it can provide a valuable approach to learning about global issues. Recent examples in the UK and the initiative by UNESCO on Futures of Education demonstrate ways in which questions can be posed about the future of education that can be empowering to all learners. Read the paper
