“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.

Stacie Berdan, author of GoGlobal said, “The global marketplace is huge, Dynamic. And yes, it can be a bit scary. You deal with different cultures, currencies, languages, history, politics, religions. Global workers must cope with all these and more as they both search for jobs and then work across borders either virtually or physically.”  Have you ever considered Going Global whether to study abroad or work?  I have highly considered both and after reading this book, I gained a bit more knowledge in how to succeed abroad and how to even get abroad.  Many of us want to travel, but also many of us are drowning in student debt and cannot afford it; gaining an international career may be the answer to our problem.   

This book starts out with an introduction of the author and 7 pages of contributors.  This definitely made the book more credible and interesting because it represented perspectives from various stages of life.  This also makes the book easier to read because it is broken up by questions and sections so you can skip around depending on where you are in your academic career or real-life career. 

Here are a few takeaways I gained from each chapter:

Chapter 1: Recognizing that Global is Everywhere

I am in this internal debate between desperately wanting to go abroad post-graduation and not wanting to leave my family, friends and life that I built here.  There are globally-set careers right here in the U.S. A globally-set job means that you will be interacting with a foreign market or group through the use of technology. Additionally, it is crucial that you take advantage of every opportunity you have whether that a global internship, a study abroad, or even joining an international club at your university because they will help boost your resume and experience with the international community. 

Chapter 2: Appreciating the Importance of a Global Mindset

This is not something you are born with, a global mindset comes with experience and curiosity.  Even if you choose to work in your home country, you still need a global mindset to stick out to employers.  Whether you are hoping to acquire a position in a business or a hospital the world is extremely interconnected and will require you to learn from foreigners and adapt to culturally diverse clients or patients. 

Chapter 3: Building your International Qualifications

College is a time to step outside of the classroom and take in every opportunity available to you; study abroad, take a few language courses and find out what other resources your college has available to you.  A previous professor once told me that I will never have the opportunity to travel to another nation for so little again.  He was referring to the various scholarships and enrichment funding colleges offer for students to study abroad.  I plan on taking advantage of those financial resources!

Chapter 4: Developing a Winning Global Job-Search Toolkit: Resumes, Cover Letter and Elevator Pitches

No matter what field you plan on going into you will need all three of these to succeed.  The best way to stand out is by having those global experiences that you can show-off in your resume and cover letter.  I highly suggest getting a mentor because they work wonders on advising students on how to tailor their resumes and cover letters.

Chapter 5: Pulling It All Together Ready, Set…Go Global!

Do your RESEARCH! This should be a life lesson, you never want to jump into anything without having at least a fundamental knowledge on what it is.  Also, it is important to seek help from those who have been in your shoes before.  You can learn valuable lessons from others who previously studied abroad or work in the field you hope to join!

Chapter 6: Launching an International Career

Do whatever it takes to reach your goal of going global, that means putting in the extra effort and showing your value.  At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you enjoy the journey; it won’t all be easy or fun, but if your truly passionate you will persevere.

This book gives you countless other tools and tips that can help you stand out and gain a global career.  I highly recommend Go Global by Stacie Berdan if you have any interest going abroad. 

While there is so many words I want to say about this incredible journey, I am currently speechless.  From meeting renowned professionals, including Vijay Prashad and Kim Barker, to working with the two of the strongest and kindest women, Sarah and Mary, this internship was more than I ever expected.  However, the best part is knowing that it is not over yet because I will be back next semester. 

I started this internship assuming that I would be filing or inputting data, basically minimalistic work that would not make any significant impact.  However, I have never been more wrong in my life.  Throughout this semester, I had the opportunity to photograph Brown Bag lectures, Vijay Prashad and Ian Johnstone’s lectures.  Who would have thought that I could actually be good at using a professional camera?  Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet the man behind the words of The Darker Nations, a book I read in my globalization class.  I never thought that I would have the opportunity to meet one of the authors of a book I had to read in class, it made the assignment more personal.  Instead of completing the assignment and moving on, I am able to constantly think about it and remember the conversation I had with Prashad.  His work on western interventions in eastern societies has prompted me to focus my two research assignments this semester on further understanding the interventions. 

Additionally, I had the opportunity to interview Kim Barker.  I never would have imagined interviewing a person who interviewed political figures including Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in a war zone.  As my earlier posts mention, this was truly one of the most incredible and unimaginable experiences of my life. 

While having all these memorable and educational experiences, the greatest part of this internship is Sarah Lyall-Combs and Mary Price.  They have inspired me to see the unimaginable, motivated me to reach beyond my perceived limits, and supported my internship and academic journeys every step of the way and I could never thank them enough.  I am privileged to know them and grateful for the opportunity to spend another semester learning from them. 

While this is the end of the semester, you will be hearing from me soon about Going Global!

~Rana

P.S. I cannot wait to see all the incredible experiences I will have in the spring semester!