Global Citizenship:
Roots of global citizenship lie in our understanding of the ‘oneness' of humanity. It is an ethical belief that we all must care about the world, a viewpoint close to the Indian thought and philosophy. Hitopadesha, a collection of Sanskrit fables in prose and verse instructs the young minds the philosophy of life to help them grow into responsible adults. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam-emphasises that wisdom inculcates the value of "World is one family".
Khalil Gibran, the Lebanese thinker, philosophised two centuries ago that "Your children are not your children, they are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. It purports; parents begin to see all the children as their, and the recognition that their kids have to play a significant role in the world. It is a moral imperative that we recognise the interdependence of the world and its repercussions. This acknowledgement would result in building healthy communities, peace, harmony and prosperity at local and international all levels.
Sustainable way:
Developing a united worldview helps us see the competencies holistically. The United Nations on September 25, 2015, adopted a set of 17 goals including ending poverty in all forms, ending hunger, ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Each of these goals has specific targets to be achieved by 2030.
Everyone needs to do their part, most certainly educators and schools, to achieve these goals. From early on the students must understand the global issues encompassing inclusion, expansion and quality in education. Our efforts must aim at preparing the young generation to take up the global challenges. The task of the school leaders, counsellors, mentors is very well cut out.
Four-Fold-Approach to Leadership
A four-fold leadership approach is a need.
1. It is beyond any dispute that one of the strengths that our children need to develop is to be firmly rooted in our eternal values of love, compassion, empathy, gratitude and care for humanity.
2. We must focus on developing soft skills, collaboration, communication and the ability to think critically.
3. Global competencies, including an appreciation for different cultures, respect for diversity, a global vision and global citizenship must be encouraged.
4. Ability to see a problem from the human perspective and relentlessly pursuing solutions that help the human cause.
A leadership centred around these pathways will enable character building in a global perspective.
Comments