Global citizenship Competencies

Global citizenship Competencies

Janpha Thadphoothon

In 2003, UNESCO Bangkok kicked off a research project to investigate how countries and economies in the Asia Pacific region teach or conceive transversal competencies.

Transversal competencies are 'universal' and 'cross-cutting'. They are not limited to a particular subject or location. They are in many respects 'universal and timeless."

Under the age of globalization, the world has been facing many challenges. Education, too, has to adjust to better response to new realities. The focus has shifted from knowledge transmission to knowledge creation.

The transversal competencies entail six domains.

Domains	Examples of key skills, competencies, values and attitudes
1.      Critical and innovative thinking	Creativity, entrepreneurship, resourcefulness, application skills, reflective thinking, reasoned decision-making
2.      Interpersonal skills	Communication skills, organizational skills, teamwork, collaboration, sociability, collegiality, empathy, compassion
3.      Intrapersonal skills	Self-discipline, ability to learn independently, flexibility and adaptability, self-awareness, perseverance, self-motivation, compassion, integrity, self-respect
4.      Global citizenship	Awareness, tolerance, openness, responsibility, respect for diversity, ethical understanding, intercultural understanding, democratic participation, conflict resolution, respect for the environment, national identity, sense of belonging
5.      Media and information literacy	Ability to obtain and analyse information through information and communication technology (ICT), ability to critically evaluate information and media content, ethical use of ICT

Source: UNESCO

One of the domains 'Global Citizenship' -- considered crucial for students to live and work or rather function in the 21st century, the age of people migration and globalization.

Thai society, for example, has shifted itself, from a somewhat mono-cultural society to a multi-cultural one, like many other states in the world.

Schools need to prepare students to face the new challenges. One of the duties is to help them to become a global citizen. Too be a global citizen means they need global citizenship competencies (skills, attitudes, and knowledge).

This domain has the following components or set of competencies.

awareness
tolerance
openness
responsibility
respect for diversity
ethical understanding
intercultural understanding
democratic participation
conflict resolution
respect for the environment
national identity
sense of belonging

The above 12 are components necessary for active and positive global participation as a global citizen.

Source: ERI-Net. 2015. Research framework for integrating non-cognitive/transversal competencies in education policy and practice (Phase III), Bangkok, UNESCO. Unpublished.