While technology has meant that the world is increasingly more interconnected, issues around human rights, inequality, poverty and sustainability remain. Global Citizen Education (GCE) is one way to respond to these global challenges as it can empower learners of all ages to understand global issues and the role they can play in making a difference, including their choice of employer.
Businesses that have not incorporated global corporate citizenship into their work values and ethics are likely to be shunned by this new generation of more selective employees.
The Global Citizenship Foundation defines global citizenship education as “a transformative, lifelong pursuit that involves both curricular learning and practical experience to share a mindset to care for humanity and the planet, and to equip individuals with global competence to undertake action aimed at making a difference.”
Global citizen education plays a significant role in creating future leaders who are globally engaged. Such an education framework can help steer students (from an early age) in the direction of what is right by educating them on human rights violations, inequality, poverty and sustainability. This includes the position they take on businesses (and their brands) that have ignored their corporate global responsibilities.
Oxfam UK sights education for global citizenship not as an ‘additional subject’ but as a framework for learning across various subjects and beyond school to the wider community. It must result in ‘real action’ empowering students to start to ‘make a difference’ and to understand what that in fact means from an early age.
GCE helps young people to:
1. Build their own understanding of world events.
2. Think about their values and what's important to them.
3. Take learning into the real world.
4. Challenge ignorance and intolerance.
5. Get involved in their local, national and global communities.
6. Develop an argument and voice their opinions.
7. See that they have the power to act and influence the world around them.
GCE’s power lies in giving our future leaders the starting platform to become ‘true’ global citizens and enable them to live by their own choices that work and play into their future.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR BUSINESSES
For businesses, this will mean that there will be organisations that simply won’t meet the grade. Future employees will research their global citizenship activities before selecting them as an ‘employer of choice’, they will expect a greater work-life balance, and demand to play an active role in the business’ corporate community and global activities.
Of particular note, a business that has not engaged actively in global corporate citizenship, or has taken a position that looks ‘good on paper’ but not, in reality, risks negative social engagement that your future employee pool will not hesitate to ‘react’ to.
As global corporate citizens, Sharesource educates, inspires, and aims to engage with young people from countries where poverty and inequality continue to exist. Our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Team is working on partnering up with the right charity organisations that advocate for education in countries where our hubs are located. This hopes to engage both partners and the members of our community who are not just aware of these inequities but are actively involved in making a change in their countries of birth, and beyond.
We know that by working with our partners to ‘unleash human potential’ we can all play a part in helping these future leaders reach their full potential and together make the world a better place.
