A Story on the Topic
“What is it like to be a world citizen?” Garry Davis was once asked. This was his reply:*
“I live in the world without allowing borders to define me.
I am rooted wherever I live, and I call the Earth my home.
I call no one my enemy, because every human being is part of one human family.
I hold my own views while remaining genuinely curious about those of others.
I have come to understand that human beings belong to the Earth, not that the Earth belongs to human beings..
I love all of creation without distinction, for the sky and the Earth are the same for everyone.”
* In 1948, Garry Davis declared himself the world’s first world citizen. These fictional responses are inspired by his philosophy and spirit.
From the moment we are born, we are human beings and inhabitants of planet Earth. From the very beginning, we are world citizens.
During the first years of our lives, this fact plays little role. As children, teenagers, and young adults, other identifications are more important: our place of origin, our culture, perhaps a religious community, and our nationality.
All of these identifications give us a sense of belonging and, with it, security, orientation, and community. They help us find our place in the world.
Today, however, the reach and impact of human action have long extended beyond national borders. The challenges we face, whether in the economy, politics, security, or ecology, are global in nature. A purely national consciousness is no longer sufficient.
To meet these challenges effectively, we can embrace an additional identity: that of a world citizen.
This awareness does not replace our existing identifications. It complements them. It allows us to unite local belonging with global responsibility. It broadens our perspective to include the whole, the planetary community, without diminishing the uniqueness of each individual.
As world citizens, we can be both deeply rooted in our local communities and globally connected. We are human beings, and we are world citizens.
I am a citizen of the world, and my nationality is goodwill
Peter Sirius