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Understanding Public engagement & global citizenship

What is a “global citizen”?

A global citizens is someone who is aware of global issues and who understand the world and their place in it. They take, in their own way, an active role to contribute to building a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive world. This also means that they understand how major challenges facing the world today are connected to us, and how Canada’s international development efforts contribute to alleviating them.

As global citizens become more engaged, they are better able to appreciate how Canada’s international development efforts align with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy and our contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Individuals continuously move along a sequence (or a continuum) from basic awareness of global issues, moving to deeper understanding of global development challenges through to active involvement and informed action.

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The learning process is not linear and Individuals can be at different stages of this sequence (or continuum), depending on circumstances. For example, one might be at the awareness level regarding judiciary reform, at the understanding level for peace building and at the action stage on women’s rights.

As well, organizations may work at different stages of the continuum and with different target groups. For instance one organization could provide information to the general public, deliver education programs to students for deeper knowledge, and provide opportunities for concrete actions by individuals and groups.