Examine the Arguments for and against the Assertion that we are now citizens of the World.

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Examine the Arguments for and against the Assertion that we are now citizens of the World.

In order to tackle the question we must be clear about what we mean by the term

 “global citizenship.” Some would say the term “global citizen” means a person who simply lives on earth; others might want to expand it further.  However, citizen implies a notion of belonging and also responsibility.  Global citizenship in itself is a confusing phrase and perhaps it is not useful to talk in these terms.

It is argued that global citizenship incorporates a person’s values that work towards a global ethic.  For instance, peace, justice, democracy, and awareness of global issues such as poverty, corruption and the environment are all factors that global citizens should be familiar with.  However, perhaps we can make a distinction between the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ global citizen, or rather ‘non-active global citizenship’ and ‘active global citizenship’.  The non-active global citizen might be a person who does not harm others but doesn’t take responsibility for problems or issues in other parts of the world.  Active global citizens can be described as having an awareness of global issues and their role as a citizen of the world; also they should be “willing to act to make the world a more equitable and sustainable place” (Oxfam International: 1).

As well as global citizens, we have what is known as global institutions in society.  These institutions come under two distinctive categories, governmental or non-governmental organisations (NGO’s).  One International governmental organisation is the United Nations (UN).  The UN was set up after the second world to promote peaceful negotiations throughout the globe.  However, the UN is often overruled by superpowers (countries such as the USA) making its global democracy questionable, and the organisation is criticised for being slow to act on anything due to a high level of bureaucracy.  NGO’s have more specific objectives and rely on charitable contributions to fund themselves, for example, Oxfam International, Amnesty International and Greenpeace.  Some focus on the lobbying of Governmental organisations to make things happen, others are more active.  They concentrate on different areas of global citizenship individually, for instance Amnesty International focuses on corruption (for example, helping prisoners of conscience) and Greenpeace is concerned about environmental issues around the globe.

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It can be argued that we are all citizens of the globe, as we all have basic human rights.  The Human Rights declaration (1978) is a law that protects rights for all. However, it is arguable that for many people the declaration is insignificant, as in some parts of the world, laws permit people from being able to exercise such rights. For example, in Afghanistan, the Taleban Government does not allow women to be educated.  

In Western cultures like Britain, perhaps we are not even citizens, let alone global ones.  One of the strongest influences on our ...

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