Celebrating Global Citizenship Skills on World Youth Skills Day

Call for proposals: We’re looking for impact evaluations of interventions that promote Global Citizenship Skills in Latin America and the Caribbean!

Apply here: https://forms.gle/A8GhVXSDvb9YhYxB8

Imagine stepping into a vibrant classroom, where students from diverse backgrounds come together, sharing their unique perspectives and experiences. The teacher guides a lively discussion, with students articulating their often-different views with respect and empathy, drawing from their rich cultural insights. Group projects become a testament to collaboration, prioritizing inclusion. This dynamic learning environment captures the essence of global citizenship: recognizing our interconnectedness and embracing the skills that allow us to thrive in a diverse, multicultural world. On World Youth Skills Day, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) celebrates Global Citizenship Skills (GCS)!

What Are Global Citizenship Skills?

Together with foundational skills like literacy and numeracy, Global Citizenship Skills are part of the set of skills individuals need for life. Whereas individuals need to read a text and comprehend all the information that is out there, GCS are crucial for understanding and engaging with the world. This is why both foundational skills and GCS are part of what we call Skills for Life.

GCS emphasize a sense of belonging to a broader community, recognizing the interconnectedness between local, national, and global contexts. These skills encompass cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral dimensions, enabling individuals to examine diverse perspectives on local, global, and intercultural issues. By fostering an appreciation for various worldviews, GCS facilitate open, effective interactions with people from different cultures, empowering individuals to act collectively for the betterment of society and sustainable development.

The IDB organizes Global Citizenship Skills along four main areas:

1. Civic Skills: These skills encompass understanding democracy, government, laws, rights, responsibilities, and current events. They also involve appreciating global interconnectedness, diverse perspectives, and promoting equality and human rights. Civic skills empower individuals to address global challenges, express views effectively, and collaborate on community issues. Moreover, they enable critical analysis, articulation, and defense of positions on public matters.

2. Green Citizenship Skills: These skills emphasize environmental stewardship and sustainability. Individuals with these skills learn up-to-date scientific information about the environment, biodiversity, and climate change. They understand the complex impacts and trade-offs—economic, social, and environmental—and explore solutions to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. They develop problem-solving abilities, collaboration skills, effective communication, critical thinking, and teamwork—all essential for sustainable action.

3. Gender and Diversity Skills: These skills involve recognizing and valuing diversity in all its forms, promoting gender equality, and advocating for the rights of all groups. Gender and diversity skills foster an inclusive mindset, helping individuals appreciate different perspectives and work towards eliminating discrimination and bias. The goal is to create environments and societies that value diversity, promote equality, and enable everyone to thrive authentically.

4. Human Rights and Peace Skills: These skills focus on understanding and promoting human rights, fostering peace, and resolving conflicts. These skills cultivate compassion, empathy, kindness, and respect for human dignity, promoting values such as tolerance, responsibility, honesty, cooperation, and equity. Active participation in advocating for a global culture of human rights and engaging in collaborative efforts to resolve conflicts through active listening, negotiation, and mediation further strengthens these skills.

Why Are Global Citizenship Skills Important for Latin America and the Caribbean?

In today’s increasingly interdependent world, where people need to interact and deal with global issues like poverty and inequality, climate change, food insecurity, diversity, aging, or migration, sharing a set of common understandings, civic values, mutual respect and skills to adapt to an ever changing reality become absolutely necessary for every individual.

The literature points to a spectrum of benefits from, GCS:

Enhancing Personal Growth: Developing GCS enriches individuals’ lives, broadening their horizons and enhancing their personal growth. These skills promote lifelong learning, adaptability, and resilience, enabling individuals to thrive in diverse environments.

Adapting to Contemporary Challenges: With the expansion of digital technology, international travel, migration, economic crises, conflicts, and environmental degradation, GCS are essential for understanding and addressing the big problems that affect everyone, regardless of origin.

Addressing Global Challenges: Issues like climate change, pandemics, and economic inequality require collaborative efforts across borders. Global citizens, equipped with critical thinking and effective communication skills, are better prepared to tackle these challenges and contribute to sustainable solutions.

Promoting Peace and Understanding: By fostering empathy and cultural awareness, sense of global responsibility and solidarity, GCS help reduce conflicts and promote peace.

Strengthening Communities: Individuals who are culturally aware and empathetic contribute to more inclusive and cohesive communities. They become advocates for social justice and equality, driving positive change at the grassroots level.

Call to Action: Do You Promote Global Citizenship Skills in any Latin America and the Caribbean country?

Given the growing importance of GCS, we invite individuals, organizations, and educational institutions to share impact evaluations on global citizenship education! The IDB’s forthcoming Skills Community Hub will be a dynamic platform for IDB partners to network and showcase their initiatives in fostering essential skills, including GCS. This vibrant space will allow partners to connect, share best practices, and highlight their achievements, driving collective efforts towards a more peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable world. Your contributions can help shape a global understanding of GCE’s effectiveness and share practices that foster a more peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable world.

Submit your impact evaluation here: https://forms.gle/A8GhVXSDvb9YhYxB8 and join our Skills for Life initiative!