TakingITGlobal

III. Community, Relationality and Compassion Our Ideals ● We are all connected; it is through shifting the focus from individual to community development that we can achieve change and form a sustainable community. ● A critical and respectful understanding of community, relationality and compassion allows for more ethical relations. ● Two essential factors of global citizenship are compassion which enables us to see beyond the walls of our own perception and relationality which helps us recognise ourselves within the global community. ● We must challenge the perception that global issues are the responsibility of other people or nations. Learning to consider the effects of the choices we make on a local and global scale as well as carefully choosing what we support is important. Global citizens should develop a mindset built on unity and solidarity and realize that working towards improving global issues is an investment for everyone. As global citizens, it is essential for us to not only realize what we are doing wrong as a community but how to correct our mistakes and learn from others. The survey data (see Appendix) acquired through this project shows that respondents tend not to view issues as very potent when on a local level; however, on a global level, they are usually viewed as a larger issue. Our Concerns We are concerned that global citizenship tends to be used in a way that develops a kind of saviour perspective. A saviour complex results in the creation of further divisions because people are portrayed as objects of pity instead of equal in dignity and rights. Therefore, compassion is called for which encourages learning from and trying to figure out ways to support each other. Through the international survey, we noticed that many people see problems as beyond their own communities. For instance, issues such as poverty, environmental issues, racism, and freedom of religion are more likely to be noted as "global issues" rather than problems within local communities. This makes us distance ourselves from these issues and consider it as not our responsibility to solve them. A shift in focus is required to understand the struggle between operating as an individual as opposed to acting as a member of a community. Individualism allows a slide back into forgetting our connections with others, potentially leading to a perpetuation of already existing inequities. Injustice and the imbalance of power leads to marginalization.

• Cover