Globalisation and global citizenship

The World Health Organisation describes 'globalization' as:

"...the increased interconnectedness and interdependence of peoples and countries, [...] generally understood to include two inter-related elements: the opening of international borders to increasingly fast flows of goods, services, finance, people and ideas; and the changes in institutions and policies at national and international levels that facilitate or promote such flows. Globalization has the potential for both positive and negative effects on development and health."

As part of the Future of Work spring programme, this theme is designed to encourage you to think about how globalisation impacts of the world of work, both for you, your prospective career and for others. 

The theme also provides an opportunity for us to focus on how we, as 'global citizens', might be able to build on the positive aspects of globalisation for the betterment of society and also question what we can do minimise the negative aspects of globalisation on regions, countries and communities that are disadvantaged disproportionally by globalisation. This in-turn, raises the critical issue of ‘global responsibility’ – who is responsible for responding to these issues. Is it the individual, Government, action groups, NGOs, corporations etc., and to what degree or level should these responsibilities lie with specific stakeholder groups?

In terms of exploring what these responsibilities might look like, the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI), which “exists to catalyse the development of globally responsible leadership and practice in organisations and societies worldwide”, identifies the following aspects of ‘global responsibility’ that should be prioritised:

• Always acting with the common good in mind.
• Being consciously aware of the interconnectivity and interdependency of the world.
• Recognising that change needs to take place at the personal, organisational and systemic levels – I, We, and All of Us.
• Creating impact at the organisational and systemic levels through the leadership and practice of committed, dedicated and empowered individuals willing to bring a ‘whole person’ approach to their work and to their lives.
• Operating with an entrepreneurial approach of “Think big. Act small. Start now.”
• Being true to fundamental values regarding human freedom, dignity, respect, equal opportunities and human rights, as well as contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.  
• Hands-on results on the ground through actions that stand the chance of producing long-lasting, scalable effects that are not already being done elsewhere.

To help identify ideas for practical and workable solutions or new policies that might facilitate progress against these related aims, we need to identify those relevant sub-themes (and champions?) that might surface existing agendas, knowledge-bases and research, thought leadership groups and ‘world of work’ stakeholder groups. Examples might include: Sustainability, Digital Poverty, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), UN SDGs, ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ etc. 

Keep an eye out for various sessions coming online that will help focus and explore many of the specific issues and more.