Can Global Citizenship Education…

…stop wars?

Hello all. Welcome to the 170th edition of TEPS Weekly!

A teacher is teaching a lesson on food. The textbook explains different food groups, where food comes from and why we need a balanced diet. And the lesson ends with students identifying cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables and proteins.

But what if we ask one more question: “What all has to happen before this food reaches our plate?”

Suddenly, students are not only learning about food groups. They begin to think about farmers, rainfall, soil, transport workers, markets, food prices and waste. As the discussion deepens, they may also see that food is not only a local issue. A change in climate can affect crop growth. A rise in fuel prices can make transport costlier. A shortage of one crop in one region or country can affect prices elsewhere. The food on our plate may be connected to local farms, national markets and sometimes even global trade.

This is where Global Citizenship Education, or GCED, comes in. It is a way of making existing lessons more connected, thoughtful and responsible. 

What is GCED?

And who is a global citizen? A global citizen is someone who sees themselves as part of a wider world, while still belonging to their own community and country. This does not mean that a person born and living in India stops being Indian, or stops caring about their own culture, language or locality. It means that they understand that people, places and problems are connected. A global citizen:

• respects people from different cultures, languages and backgrounds,

• understands that local actions can affect the wider world,

• cares about issues like peace, equality, climate change and human rights, and

• works with others to solve common problems.

So, global citizenship has more to do with mindset and responsibility and knowledge of what’s going on in one’s local community as well as around the world. Global Citizenship Education (GCED) is meant to help students develop the specific knowledge, skills, values and attitudes students need to contribute to a more inclusive, just and peaceful world. 

GCED vs. other subjects

How is this different from studying the Social Sciences, where they learn about the world or maybe value education, where they learn about values like respect and fairness? In Social Science, we often end up teaching just the knowledge part, for example: the topic of migration. With the additional lens of GCED, we might also ask: Why do people migrate? How are climate, conflict, economy and rights connected? Value education may teach students to respect everyone, but with the lens of GCED, students apply these values to larger real-world issues. For example, they may ask: How should we respond to migrants with fairness and dignity? Why are some groups treated unfairly when they move to a new place? What responsibilities do communities, schools and governments have towards people who are displaced? 

GCED has grown from older educational ideas such as peace education, human rights education and education for sustainable development.While some of these ideas were shaped by post-World War II concerns, they became more important as the world became more connected. The NEP 2020 also talks about how GCED should guide holistic, value-based learning in India. A snapshot of this is given below:

Why is GCED important?

Does this mean GCED will help students stop wars and conflicts? 

Not directly. But it can help students build habits that make a more peaceful and responsible society possible. A student who learns to question misinformation may not forward a hateful rumour during a period of communal tension. A student who has learnt to listen across differences may handle disagreement without turning it into hatred. A student who understands climate justice may see that environmental problems affect poorer communities more severely and may support fairer choices. They learn to act responsibly in their own context.

That is why GCED is relevant now. It prepares students not just to know about the world, but to live in it with awareness, empathy and responsibility. 

Domains of Global Citizenship Education

Cognitive:

To acquire knowledge, understanding and critical thinking about global, regional, national and local issues and the interconnectedness and interdependency of different countries and populations.

Example: The student knows that people may migrate because of war, climate change, lack of livelihood or safety. They understand that migration is not simply about “people coming from another place”, but about larger social, political and environmental causes. 

In class, the teacher can use a cause map. Write “migration” in the centre of the board. Around it, ask students to list possible reasons why people move: jobs, floods, conflict, education, safety, farming loss or family needs. Then ask students to group these causes as social, economic, political or environmental. This helps students see migration as a connected issue, not just a definition. 

Socio-emotional:

To have a sense of belonging to a common humanity, sharing values and responsibilities, empathy, solidarity and respect for differences and diversity.

Example: A student may think or say: “A refugee is not just a number in the news. This is a person who may have lost their home, school, friends and safety. We should not make fun of someone because of their language, food, clothes or where they come from.”

In class, use a perspective diary. Give students a short situation: “A child has moved to a new city because their family had to leave their home.” Ask them to write five lines from that child’s point of view: What might they miss? What might they fear? What would help them feel welcome? This helps students practise empathy without making the discussion vague. 

Behavioural:

To act effectively and responsibly at local, national and global levels for a more peaceful and sustainable world. 

Example: The student welcomes a new student from a different background, avoids spreading rumours or stereotypes, speaks respectfully in discussions 

In class, the teacher, along with the students can create a classroom inclusion plan. Ask students: “If a new student joins our class from another place, what can we do in the first week to help them feel included?” Students agree on three simple actions, such as inviting them into a group, avoiding jokes about language or food, and helping them understand class routines. This turns empathy into responsible behaviour. 

Implementation of Global Citizenship Education

Global Citizenship Education need not be taught as a separate subject. It can be integrated into main subjects and everyday classroom discussions. At the school level, broader GCED frameworks can be built into curriculum planning, school culture, projects, assemblies, clubs and cross-subject work. However, an individual facilitator can also begin in a simple and practical way:

1. Pick a textbook topic

   Example: Water use and water shortage 

   
   

2. Add a connection question: How is this connected to our community, our country or the wider world? This helps build the cognitive domain. 

   Example: Do only people in our area face water shortage, or do other parts of India and the world also face it? Why might this happen in many places? 

   
   

3. Add a perspective question: Who is affected differently by this issue? This helps build the socio-emotional domain.

   Example: When there is less water, who is affected more — families with water tanks, families without regular water supply, farmers, school students or street vendors? Why? 

   
   

4. Add a small action or reflection: What is one responsible thing we can do, say, change or discuss? This helps build the behavioural domain. 

   Example: Think of one place at home or school where water is wasted. Write one small change that can reduce this waste and discuss whether everyone can realistically follow it. 

So maybe the question is not whether GCED can stop wars or not. The better question to ask here is what kind of a world do we want to see and what kind of citizens are we preparing for that?

---

If you found this newsletter useful, please share it.

If you received this newsletter from someone and you would like to subscribe to us, please click here.

Edition: 5.25