Article by: Vadim Audy, Estee Voon, Keith Wong, Daniel Veldman
Everyday, we see the school’s mission statement talking about ‘nurturing global citizens’, but think about it for a bit, what does it actually mean?
The global citizenship prefects attempted to define it, here’s what they have to say.
Keith: I think global citizenship is when people take notice of the amazing world that we live in, Which can be living sustainably, and a person who is basically aware of the wider world. I also think that to be able to achieve the status of being a global citizen, individuals would need to be able to have respect and value diversity and also be able to be open minded. I believe we all can be global citizens and it would definitely benefit our ways of living and our overall quality of life.
Estee: I think Global Citizenship is about being someone who is always aware and understanding of the wider world and their place and worth in it. As global citizens, we encourage people, especially students from our school, to develop knowledge, skills and values to engage with the world outside of Kota Kinabalu, so they are ready to leave school and have a better understanding of the world ahead of them. Global citizenship also helps people nurture personal respect and the respect for others. So it helps individuals think more deeply and critically about what is rightful and reasonable, and what will minimize the harm to our world.
Daniel: Global citizenship means to represent and respect all cultures, nationalities and social identities by looking beyond one’s political land borders and acknowledging all peoples’ right, value and worthiness of equal treatment. Global citizenship is about our species as a whole, not a group of it.
Vadim: Global citizenship, for me, covers three themes: connectivity, respect and understanding. Connectivity, because being a global citizen means joining a diverse and open global community that unites people from all around the world, and connects us as human beings. Respect, because being a global citizen means acknowledging differences, and accepting them. Despite everyone not being the same, we all deserve to be treated and seen as equals, and for this to happen, the first step is respect. Understanding, because to be a real citizen of this world, we need to be able to be aware and knowledgeable about what is happening around it, and that requires having a critical thinking mindset, and a concrete grasp of its issues.
It seems like a common theme here is awareness and understanding of events happening all over the world, or respecting everyone, regardless of their race, community or beliefs. In the end, it is a very open concept, but one certainty of it is that as a global community, we can make a difference, whether it is in the social or environmental sectors, that would result in the betterment of our Earth.
