Global citizenship education: learning to think critically for a more just world

Our FPS has developed a new vision for global citizenship education. Critical thinking about the world is central. Because only when we dare to question our own views – of the world, the economy, etc. – can we build a truly more just and equal world, averse to paternalism and white saviourism.

We live in a complex world where there are numerous interests that regularly clash. How do you gain insight in that tangle of interests? How do you understand what underlies such things as inequality, extreme poverty and migration? How do you see that what we do here has an effect on other people and the environment, here and in distant poorer countries?

SDG4.7

These are not just some idle questions. When people are empowered to think critically about what is going on in the world – with its many interdependencies – as well as their place in it, they can contribute to a more just world with greater peace, solidarity and equality.

But that doesn't happen by itself. People – preferably from childhood – need some guidance and education for that. And this is where 'global citizenship education' comes in. It is also put forward in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly under target 7 of SDG4 – the education goal. By 2030, students need to develop skills for sustainable lifestyles and be instilled with a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity.

Learning to think critically

The Belgian Development Cooperation – managed by our FPS – has also been invested in 'global citizenship education' or GCE for many years. Recently, it has developed a new vision for this, in which it moves decisively from the term 'development education' to 'global citizenship education'.

"Still, I don't really like the notion of 'education'," says Mara Coppens, head of the GCE service at our FPS. "That sounds too much like top-down, a school system. It's mostly about learning to think critically. Citizens must become active players who think creatively about solutions. This should certainly include not only the intellect, but equally the body, the emotions, the spirit. People must be able to imagine their future as well as their place in the world, individually but in particular collectively. Justice is central to this, more so than solidarity."

The levers are with us

GCE occupies an important place in development cooperation. "And not because GCE can create support for the projects that development cooperation funds in partner countries," Coppens stresses. "After all, the major levers for a more just and equal world lie with us, in the 'rich' countries. The awareness must grow among us that we are partly responsible for inequality in the world: because of the (unfair) extraction of raw materials, energy and land in the South, because our way of producing and consuming stirs up climate disruption, because we have much more power in the international bodies around finance, economics, agriculture, migration, peace, environment, etc. GCE aims to work on that critical awareness through a resolutely decolonial approach. That means, among other things, distancing ourselves from any form of domination, from white saviourism (white saviour syndrome) and paternalism."

Mobilisation and policy advocacy

In addition to education, the new vision focuses a great deal of attention on mobilisation and policy advocacy. People must not only better understand the power relations in the world, but also be encouraged to take action themselves (= mobilisation).

What is often forgotten in other European countries is that we also need to teach policy-makers insight. This should be at all possible levels: international financial institutions such as the World Bank, the European Union, the Belgian federal and regional levels and even municipalities. Thus, through GCE, NGOs can assume the role of watchdog within international cooperation. For example, by questioning unequal power relations and dominant nefarious models.

All people are entitled to GCE

An often heard criticism is that GCE mainly reaches people who are already convinced of the need for a more just world. "It is true that NGOs, for example, mainly reach people from their own socio-cultural circles – that is, the audience they know," Coppens says. "Audiences or circles that are less addressed include the very rich and the poor, rural areas, diasporas (i.e. people from diverse cultural backgrounds), adults between 30 and 50 years old with children, the private sector, vocational or technical education, or pre-school education. The idea is to forge alliances with the organisations for these circles, identify common goals and establish win-win partnerships."

Breaking down cultural barriers

'Breaking down cultural barriers' also gets a lot of attention. While many players do exist, they still work all too much in the bubble of development cooperation. These include NGOs, institutions of higher education, museums, manufacturing companies and associations for cities and towns. All those players will be encouraged to work more collaboratively and leverage more of their complementarity. Alliances with the rest of Belgian civil society, the private sector and suchlike are also interesting, because they are also consciously or unconsciously mobilised for the SDGs.

GCE thus maintains a crucial position within a modern Belgian Development Cooperation that aims to be embedded in society. Moreover, with this new vision, it has found a new zest for gaining even more impact, on the way to a just world.

Discover the strategic note 'Global Citizenship Education in Belgium' in detail.