WHAT IS GLOBAL LEARNING?

Global learning or global education is an approach to education that is meant to make the participants more aware of their interconnectedness with the environment and with other people. The goal of global learning is to encourage and develop ideas for responsible and active global citizenship. To develop the competences, skills, knowledge and values that we need as citizens of the world in order to face global challenges. Global learning can assist us in recognizing the advantages and disadvantages of globalization. It can prepare us for every day challenges which we face on a local and global level and can help us understand how our decisions affect others and the future of our planet.

Global learning offers a platform for finding answers to questions such as: Is prosperity in one part of the world created by impoverishment in another part of it? Where does the division between human beings and nature come from? How did formal education colonize our hearts and minds with ideas of individualist consumption? How do we confront the global challenges and global crises that are in front of us?

The Maastricht Global Education Declaration which was passed at the Europe-wide Global Education Congress in November 2002, defines global education as “education that opens people’s eyes and minds to the realities of the world, and awakens them to bring about a world of greater justice, equity and human rights for all.”

Global learning is also a part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): “By 2030 ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development” (SDG, target 4.7).

WHY GLOBAL LEARNING MATTERS

Our world is becoming smaller. Both young and adult populations are affecting the lives of each other around the world. If we want to act efficiently in today’s interconnected world and have a positive impact, we must understand the processes that are taking place in the background of the so-called global village.

Global learning or global education is not just focused on gaining knowledge of global challenges. It also offers an opportunity to develop skills, which are crucial for quality education in general. These skills include critical thinking, exchanging viewpoints and teamwork. Global learning cannot only prepare young people to face today’s global problems that arise from of our local lives; it can help to develop the skills to act appropriately.

Young people are often receiving information about global challenges from various media sources. Global challenges such as migration, the effects of climate change, international trade, etc. The young therefore have an interest in these issues and want to better understand them. Global learning is an opportunity to steer that curiosity. Presenting new challenges offers an opportunity for young people to become more active, especially for those students who were not active thus far.
Global education does not mean additional work for teachers and students, it only means a different approach. The school system provides an opportunity to include global education into the curriculum and also into extracurricular activities.

In today’s fast-paced world, young people are exposed to very large amounts of information, but also misinformation. If they are unfamiliar with the complexities of local and global challenges, they are an easy target for populist politicians who regularly launch misinformation in the media and on social media platforms. Young people today are exposed to many examples of fearmongering, incitements of hate speech and are misled regarding the necessity of measures that need to be taken on a local and global level.
The rise of social media usage has led young people to communicate less on an in-person level. It’s easier to express an opinion in a short message than to have a live conversation. This is why it’s even more important for schools to provide the young with a safe space to express their opinions and ideas where they can learn to express their differing views without judgement in a safe environment.

WHY GLOBAL EDUCATION MATTERS

Our world is becoming smaller. Both young and adult populations are affecting the lives of each other around the world. If we want to act efficiently in today’s interconnected world and have a positive impact, we must understand the processes that are taking place in the background of the so-called global village.

Global learning is not just focused on gaining knowledge of global challenges. It also offers an opportunity to develop skills, which are crucial for quality education in general. These skills include critical thinking, exchanging viewpoints and teamwork. Global learning cannot only prepare young people to face today’s global problems that arise from of our local lives; it can help to develop the skills to act appropriately.

Young people are often receiving information about global challenges from various media sources. Global challenges such as migration, the effects of climate change, international trade, etc. The young therefore have an interest in these issues and want to better understand them. Global education is an opportunity to steer that curiosity. Presenting new challenges offers an opportunity for young people to become more active, especially for those students who were not active thus far.
Global education does not mean additional work for teachers and students, it only means a different approach. The school system provides an opportunity to include global education into the curriculum and also into extracurricular activities.

In today’s fast-paced world, young people are exposed to very large amounts of information, but also misinformation. If they are unfamiliar with the complexities of local and global challenges, they are an easy target for populist politicians who regularly launch misinformation in the media and on social media platforms. Young people today are exposed to many examples of fearmongering, incitements of hate speech and are misled regarding the necessity of measures that need to be taken on a local and global level.
The rise of social media usage has led young people to communicate less on an in-person level. It’s easier to express an opinion in a short message than to have a live conversation. This is why it’s even more important for schools to provide the young with a safe space to express their opinions and ideas where they can learn to express their differing views without judgement in a safe environment.

METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH

The global learning approach functions at the level of the head (knowledge), at the level of the heart (feeling) and on a hands-on level (action). To function on all these levels we use different methods such as role-play, simulation, group discussions, individual reflections, drawing, theatre techniques as well as photo and video materials. The basis of this approach is cooperation, which leads to concrete solutions for positive social change.

Workshops are carried out in the form of shorter or longer topical modules that are upgraded with proactive work. Young participants are exploring the knowledge they gained in these modules and are thinking about the next step. How to transfer what you learned into your activity, into your local environment, into your school, into society? Together we prepare ideas for action, projects and activities that will have a spreading effect of the acquired knowledge and feelings after the workshop. This is how we encourage the young to do concrete actions with which they will contribute to turn the world for the better.

We also organise trainings, where we combine live trainings with online modules. Within the Global Issues – Global Subjects project, we successfully carried out two repetitions of the combined training for educational workers between October 2019 and June 2020, with new repetitions coming soon. We can adjust the content and timeframe of this type of training according to the needs of particular schools or collectives.

GLOBAL LEARNING FRAMEWORK

Global learning is like a jigsaw puzzle – it addresses a variety of topics, uses a variety of methods and promotes the development of different skills and attitudes. The Global Learning Framework infographic presents in a clear and simple way the main themes, skills, values and attitudes that we want to address and promote through global learning.

You can find out more about global learning in the publication Global Learning Framework, which we have produced in collaboration with our project partners as part of the »Global Issues – Global Subjects« project.

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