“A global dimension has been added to the lives of most people on the planet… There are benefits and difficulties associated with the ways in which life is becoming globalized.  However, like it or not, this new global dimension in our lives is here to stay, and quite likely will grow larger,” by Ron Israel.  Are you a global citizen, do you understand what that term means?  The book Global Citizenship: A Path to Building Identity and Community in a Globalized World by Ron Israel attempts to help readers understand what being a global citizen is and how the world is already globalized.

This book is split into 4 sections to help readers break down the message that Ron Israel is attempting to send. Here are the lessons I learned from each section:

Part 1: The Emerging Global Citizen

“A global citizen is someone who identifies with being part of an emerging world community, and whose actions contribute to building this community’s values and practices.”

The world is becoming more and more interconnected and transparent and we no longer need to to wait days or even weeks to learn about an event in Australia or to hear from our brother in England.  The world is connected by the clothes we wear on our backs and the internet that we use daily.  In todays world advertisers, farmers, sports teams, drug dealers, and even students take advantage of globalization.  The globalized world requires us to take up 11 core values including gender inequality, humanitarian assistance and preservation of cultural diversity.  However, we must also remove myths including “You can’t be a citizen of your country and still be a global citizen” from our brains.

Part 2: Global Perspectives

A major driving movement towards global citizenship is “the urgent decision-making regarding political, social and economic issues that effect us all”, including nuclear weapons and climate change.  However, individuals like you and I can take action by becoming global social entrepreneurs and working to make a positive change in our state and our nation. 

Part 3: Global Governance

Institutions including the United Nations, international courts and global economic management institutions make the rules and regulations that govern the world.  However, as times change their influence is not as effective as they used to be.  But there are ways you can make an impact within these organizations and if you want to learn more check out pages 72-97. Additionally, history teach us lessons ranging from the Macedonian Empire (800BCE-168 BCE) till the age of the United Nations (1945-present).  History also reinvents itself as seen from market freedom and social responsibility.

Part 4: Moving Forward

Many of us have started on our road towards becoming global citizens and as any road, this one has roadsigns some positives including the internet and education, and some negatives including terrorists and anti-immigration. While there is no plan for how to become a global citizen, there is big picture strategies including nurturing global leaders and personal strategies like protecting human rights. The key to success is to become educated and learn from different disciplines and from the emerging world. 

This book ends with a Call to Action called the The Global Citizens’ Initiative. The three parts of this initiative are:

• Advocacy
• Citizen Engagement
• Education

If you are inspired from this book or interested in making a greater impact as a global citizen then check out http://www.theglobalcitizensinitiative.org/ or contact Ron Israel at ronclsrael@yahoo.com.