Education for Global Citizenship: An Emerging Approach to the United Nations SDGs

February 16, ECOSOC Chambers, UNHQ

In partnership with DPI/NGO Executive Committee, the NGO Relations, Advocacy and Special Events Section, Outreach Division, Department of Public Information, organized this briefing which served as a follow-up to the 66th DPI/NGO Conference on Education for Global Citizenship held in Gyeongju, South Korea, in 2016.

A experienced panel of speakers shared their views on the conference and the outcome. It was noticed that there is a need for the general public to understand the meaning of global citizenship. It is education, whether formal or informal, that will bring about the changes we all would like to see in the world – climate change, enough food, clean water, all resources for a sustained life, safe cities, etc.

As NGOs, we were encouraged to follow a 5 step toolkit:

Step 1: Be aware that education is a major key

Step 2: Be the Change

Step 3: Network and mobilize

Step 4: Take action

Step 5: Keep going and stay tuned

Co-chair of the conference, Scott Carlin, stated in his closing remarks, “Global Citizenship is not about idealism, but practical and important realities about how we are moving forward constructively with the world, which also includes changing of minds.”

One of the outcomes of the conference was to ask the UN to dedicate a day to global citizenship.

You are welcome to watch the full briefing here

In conclusion, global citizenship can be a wonderful achievement if only we can allow ourselves to drop the barriers of color, culture, race, and religion, and see the uniqueness in each other.