Defining a ‘Citizen of the World’
The concept of being a citizen of the world, rather than that of a particular country, has been around for several centuries. It was born out of increasing cosmopolitanism and globalization. The term refers to individuals who feel at home in any country, do not swear allegiance to any one nation, place, or religion, and for whom their place of birth identities are second to their perceived place in the global community (Sant et al., 2018).
Globalization and Its Impact on Citizenship
Many people who purport the values of global citizenship advocate for universal rights and laws and, more often than not, see the future of humankind as united under one global government (Sant et al., 2018). Their ultimate goal is to erase cultural and physical borders, and for humanity to recognize that they have much more in common than what divides and separates.
Personal Reflection on Global Citizenship
I do not consider myself a global citizen for many reasons. One is that I do not believe the world can be united by anything short of a brutal conquest. The existing system of global trade and economy is the direct descendant of British imperialism, which helped secure the slave trade as well as the exploitation of its many colonies (Lori, 2019).
Second, I think it would be impossible for the World Government to function without becoming increasingly bureaucratic, totalitarian, and detached from the needs of others. We can already see this level of detachment in how the government in the capital treats its regions and rural areas, which are always notoriously poorer and weaker when it comes to decision-making (Lori, 2019). When engulfing the whole world, such a system would become infinitely more complex and inefficient than self-governance.
Finally, it is impossible to become a citizen of the world in the current realities of the global political structure. In times of need, a person claiming “world citizenship” will fall back upon the support of their country of origin. A person without citizenship is infinitely more vulnerable, often not having the protection of even the fundamental rights. Therefore, I see global citizenship as an inefficient concept detached from reality that might be dangerous to those who earnestly espouse it.
References
Lori, N. (2019). Offshore citizens. Cambridge University Press.
Sant, E., Davies, I., Pashby, K., & Shultz, L. (2018). Global citizenship education: A critical introduction to key concepts and debates. Bloomsbury Publishing.