On the Necessity of Global Citizenship
I can still vividly recall the time when my parents bought me a set of English DVDs as my 6-year-old birthday gift. It was about a TV show called Growing Pains, an American sitcom that tells the story of the Seavers family from Long Island, NY. I think it is an impressive TV show because it embodies the elements of family and friends, love and passion, ideals and realities, laughter and tears, and most importantly: the young Leonardo DiCaprio. I immediately found myself fully immersed in the plot and paid close attention to this fun and loving American family, even though their lifestyle is nothing like mine, and we are from different countries. Watching English TV shows and movies are my parents’ plans to help me improve my English learning. They believe that studying another language can help me to have the ability to understand foreign cultures and be empathetic towards foreign issues. This also leads to my own recognition as a global citizen when I get older. Although some people may argue that there is not much that global citizens can do aside from watching foreign news, I believe the most important aspect of being a global citizen is the open-mindedness that provokes people’s interest in learning about other countries and becomes more accepting of different cultures, which can help reduce conflicts.
Having open-mindedness evidently encourages people to be curious about other countries, and want to have the opportunity to know more about them. Living in an international metropolis, I met many people who identify themselves as global citizens and are eager to learn more about the world. From American films and Japanese animes to Korean and Thai soap operas; From Russian and German literature to Italian and French operas. The more we get to know these, the more we want to explore life outside our own country. Many of my friends actually choose to study abroad in countries such as America, Britain, Canada, Japan, Korea, Spain, and Russia. Even though in the recent years, there is an increase in tension among nations as well as some deepened animosities between countries, our open-mindedness creates a sense of understanding towards other countries that do not turn us away from studying abroad and encourages us to meet new people and new cultures in an enthusiastic way.
From my own perspective, being open-minded has also cultivated my interest in international affairs and become more empathetic towards people from other countries. Whenever I see something in the news about a foreign country, instead of saying: “I can’t believe what they are doing right now” or “I don’t understand why they want to do this”, I am more willing to think from the other perspective, try to empathize with them or do some researches to have a better understanding of the background of the event and the root of the conflict. Getting the idea of what other countries may look like on local news or social media can sometimes be misleading. Yet with open-mindedness, I get to form a rather unbiased opinion instead of a hasty conclusion. When reading about the British referendum to leave the European Union, I heard the mainstream European media criticizing Britain’s lack of responsibilities. However, instead of instantly criticizing Britain along with these media, I did some researches and learned about Britain’s internal problems with the economy and immigration, which made me find Britain’s decision understandable.
Although people may argue that national citizens can also preserve an open-minded and global perspective, it is less likely for them to study other countries with an open mind and an alternative perspective. After all, national citizens probably place national interests above others, therefore they may not be interested in reading about articles that conflict with their opinion. While I was traveling across Florida, I met a Uber driver who claims to be a national citizen with a global perspective. However, he only learns about global issues on Fox News and Facebook. He criticized my country for hurting the U.S. on a variety of issues. Yet, when I ask him whether he has been to my country, learned my culture, or simply read books or news articles from my country, there was an awkward silence. If people do not even have the intention to learn about another country and have a different perspective, I would not say that they have open-mindedness. Sometimes I was astonished by their indifference, and I often feel that they are the key reasons why the world is full of conflicts. I think my experience serves as strong evidence of why national citizens cannot be as open-minded as global citizens.
Another example that disproves the idea of a national mindset with a global perspective can be seen on a global scale, regarding the increase in tensions between the U.S. and Russia during the Cold War. These two powerful countries were only able to evaluate each other based on their own national interests. This means that neither the U.S. nor Russia wanted to see the other country becoming the most powerful country in the world and enjoys the most advantages. Therefore, instead of trying to promote peace and understanding through international cooperation, the U.S. and Russia saw each other as a great threat and disparaged each other, started arms races, and set up an Iron Curtain to separate the East and the West. The turmoils and fears that the Cold War brought to the world have explained why national citizens cannot possess a global perspective.
Global citizens, on the other hand, are able to solve similar problems properly. Egypt was able to prevent conflicts by initiating peace talks with Israel. In order to bring an end to the Middle East territorial disputes in the 1970s, former Egyptian President, Anwar El Sadat, visited Jerusalem to negotiate with the Israelian leader, and this friendly and positive gesture led to the famous Camp David Accord that eventually laid the cornerstone of peace in the Middle East. Egypt and Israel have had many military conflicts since the 1940s, yet instead of using force to gain territories and satisfy the interest of his own nation, Sadat was able to think open-mindedly, understand Israel’s actions, and try to come up with a plan that can benefit both countries. This evidently shows how an open-minded country leader and global citizen can help reduce international conflicts. The peace agreement between Egypt and Israel shows how global citizens who become country leaders and members of the government are able to make the world better. They, along with many others, can eventually use open-mindedness to address issues such as poverty, war, and hunger, instigate changes, and create a world with more understanding. The more I understand this, the more I realize the necessity of being an open-minded, global citizen.
In the current world of conflicts, distrust and hatred are the least we need. However, if all global citizens are able to possess a certain kind of open-mindedness, then they will help create understandings and help reduce conflicts significantly.
