What Global Citizens Lack
What exactly is a global citizen? Generally, global citizens are aware of the wider world around them. They aim to work at the bigger issues concerning our world that have gone unaddressed or don’t receive enough attention. They’re culturally empathetic, open minded, and their end goal is to work together to make our planet more equal, fair, and sustainable. However, are global citizens truly motivated to act with the same passion and drive that national citizens do?
I believe nationalistic pride is necessary because this zeal and love for one’s country is what builds communities and societies. These strong communities make up strong countries. When a country has citizens with pride and zeal and who come together, that country is one with strong values who will be strong and connected on a global scale. When these strong countries come together, they can work productively at global issues.
The World Cup is the most watched live television event worldwide. Watching it and rooting for America as a kid was my first experience that helped me understand how powerful national pride is. On a bigger level, national pride and unity can create large scale change as we have seen recently through the Black Lives Matter movement. The disturbing presence of hate groups in America continues to this day, and the country remains divided politically. But we cannot ignore progress. An unprecedented level of support has surrounded the recent protests for equality. As well, over the past five decades, civil rights have been expanded not only for blacks, but also for women and for gay, lesbian and transgender Americans.
Admittedly, it can be argued that globalization and an increased level of interconnectivity has aided these movements and allowed them to transcend all areas of the world. Through new innovations in technology and social media, information has become more widespread than ever before. News regarding racial inequality and the movements that were born in the US have reached London, Berlin, Mexico City, and countless others. The Black Lives Matter movement went from a viral social media post to a global movement.
Nevertheless, it is undeniable that this national pride in our own nation has caused real, significant change. It has created real movements and has altered the status quo time and time again. Furthermore, this pride has saved us in times of tragedy. After Hurricane Katrina, the country came together to send support and volunteers to help Louisiana recover. After the attacks on 9/11, Americans in every part of the country held vigils and sent their support. In earlier American history, wars, battles, and bloodshed would bring Americans together. Americans stood next to each other on the battlefield together for the love of their community. They stood alongside their neighbors, friends, and family.
National citizens are motivated to take action for the people they love and care about. This cannot exist on a global level. Without the fundamental motivation to act, global citizenry would prove to be weak and impractical as people would have nothing to identify with. Jakub Grygiel of the Washington Post describes it by saying, “When everything is subsumed into a uniform global political mold — a deeply unnatural and ultimately inhuman undertaking — there is nobody in particular to love and for whom to act.” A global citizenry would lack this basic human motivation to take action and make difficult choices for the greater good of the group.
That being said, I do believe that it is necessary that nations and their people are globally conscious about their actions and empathetic toward the world. In my opinion, I do not believe that being a national citizen and having a global consciousness are incapable of existing together. By identifying as a national citizen, I acknowledge that my allegiance is first and foremost to my country. However, just because I am loyal and involved with the affairs of my country does not automatically mean that I am uninvolved and uninterested in global affairs and issues. By exhibiting this, nations can still hold their strong values and traditions of their respective countries while cooperating on a global level to collaborate on larger issues. These global issues address environmental concerns such as climate change, humanitarian crises such as the coronavirus, and human rights issues that require a combined, global effort.
Although, a gray area does exist. People in poorer countries don’t even have the ability to identify globally. Globalism is a privileged perspective. My opportunities as an American student in a top university vary severely from the young boy begging on the streets of a third world country. In a more global world, these inequalities would only be exacerbated. The local issues around them are too overwhelming to even begin to comprehend the larger issues surrounding our world. So, it is impossible to expect the entire world to shift their focus to a global perspective because of the limitations some countries deal with. Countries such as Uganda, Yemen, and Haiti whose GDP is less than one percent of the United States’ GDP are unable to look beyond their national issues. These poverty stricken nations belong in the gray area of nations who do not have the resources to be globally conscious.
In the end, nations and national citizenship still matter most because they remain the most effective way to enact real, meaningful change. While a global citizenry is appealing and ideal, it is unrealistic and impractical in our current world. I will admit, the recent innovations in technology and social media make us feel more interconnected than ever before. But global citizens still lack the fundamental motivation and drive that is needed to take action. At our core, we identify with who and what we care about most. This includes our family, friends, and local communities. Am I saying that I don’t see global citizenship and an increased level of globality in the future? Absolutely not. If anything, I believe our world will become more and more globalized as technology continues to advance. But for our current time, a global citizenry is unfit to best serve the needs of the general population of the world.
