Globalized Citizenship Education

Nepalis use a number of globalized services in their daily lives: they utilize Internet extensively, they receive and send information through mobile phones re-charging them by cards. Completing formality, official works in cell phones without papers and without visiting offices is emerging as new standard.

Maintaining or building relations through social media, travelling physically buying tickets online and engaging in e-shopping, receiving deliveries via bank-payment appear normal activities these days.

Behind the phenomena is evolving a sophisticated universe of inter-connectedness and interdependence. To enable Nepalis to fit themselves for such universe is the need of the hour. Prevailing education systems and curriculums, although efficient, excellent and transformative in their own ways, cannot respond to the need appropriately.

 Global Citizenship Education (GCED) is an alternative which seeks to answer that need rather directly. It facilitates to develop, among humans and societies, a sense of globalized mindset through imparting appropriate communication skills and offering motivation for responsible decision making.

Making youths self aware, self managed and socially aware the GCED empowers them with accurate skills for building relationships on a sustainable manner. The skills include various multi-media skills which, among other things, emphasize human creativity, honour innovative initiatives, and regard the local tangible and intangible culture in high esteem.

The process develops among youths capacity to focus on soft skills such as teamwork, adaptability, problem solving, work ethic, critical thinking, peace building and conflict management.

Sensitizing youths about the great values like human rights, gender equity and equality, hygiene, health, and sanitation sustainability, transparency, sustainability of development works, climate change and integrity is another component of the GCED.

Educational institutions may adopt GCED as a part of their educational system or as an optional field. They will benefit significantly if they include some or whole of GCED in their curriculum. If that is not possible they could introduce GCED or part of it as off-class projects spread over various years.