National and Global Citizenship

Even if human societies, with their cultural traditions and societal aspects, vary around the world, human beings are all connected, socially and biologically. All human beings share the same common ancestor, and the same anatomical and physiological features, as stated in biology, and anthropology reports. They also share distinguishing characteristics (basic emotions, self-consciousness, language and symbols), and common needs—the need for communication, love, social interactions, food, and shelter. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. “ (Article1). And, as Thomas Jefferson once said, “all men are created equal, “(United States Declaration of Independence).
Embracing Thomas Jefferson’s words, and the evidence that we belong to the same human family, sharing the same planet, we teach our kids about equality, justice, freedom, and rights for all. We also tell others that we all belong to the same humanity, that all people are equal and, to paraphrase Socrates that “We are not Americans or Canadians, but citizens of the world!” We even apply for a World Passport, to prove to the world -- and especially to our annoyingly perfect neighbor-- that we are engaged in global issues and that we fully support and understand human equality. At the end of the day, however, do we really understand what does it mean to be a citizen of the world or are we just (as Italians say), “tutto fumo e niente arrosto “(all sizzle and no steak)?
“National citizenship is an accident of birth; global citizenship is different.” states Madeline F. Green in her article “Global Citizenship-What we are talking about and why does it matter?” ...

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...it. By choosing to wear a tribal tattoo on your arm, just for fun, you are probably declaring your affiliation to an unknown tribe, and you should immediately act accordingly to its laws, and rituals. Centuries of meaningful traditions, and the identity of cultures, are crashed every single day under the weight of our cultural ignorance. How do we prevent that?
To dissipate the “fog” of our cultural ignorance, as explained in the video “cultural gaffes beyond your borders “, we should start to read about other cultures, they rituals, and traditions. We should also ask questions, be aware of our verbal and nonverbal behavior, respect diversity, help in our community, and try to understand other people’s feelings and point of views. We should, as French-born American scientist and writer Rene’ Jules Dubos once said, “Think globally, [and] Act locally.”