What Is A Global Citizen?

 

When I was eighteen, I was selected to represent my high school in a North American essay contest. The question was, “In an increasingly global society, what do you think it means to be a global citizen?” I was lucky enough to be one of the ten winners who were chosen out of 2000 entries.  Our prize was a small scholarship and a ten day trip to Europe – London, Paris, Pisa, Florence and Rome.  The experience was life-changing. Below is my essay. 

I remember being eleven and flying on the big plane.  Under me was the Atlantic Ocean, behind me was my home Yugoslavia, and before me was my new country America.  I was sitting next to a little girl whose skin color was different than mine.  She didn’t speak my language, but we still managed to play and laugh together for hours.  During this trip I decided that I liked being friends with people, no matter what they looked like or if they stood what I was saying.  I decided that one of my biggest goals is to travel all over the world and make as may friends as possible.  Above me was the sky, and like it, my experiences with people would have no limit.  I was going to be the greatest global friend and citizen.

 I was born in Yugoslavia, a country which I thought was the greatest in the world.  In 1991, a civil war broke out in my country.  According to the news, many people were killed and the country was torn apart.  However, those stories only gave the facts of the consequences of the war.  They did not express the despair in the hearts of the people who live there.  I know that it is my duty, as a global citizen, to tell my American classmates about my countrymen’s pain. 

I came to the United States when I was in fifth grade.  After a few weeks of living here, I began attending school.  On my first day of school, all I could do was introduce myself to my new friends with the few English words with which I was familiar.  I still remember that day because the teacher had devoted it to me.  Even though conversations were rare, I spent many hours showing everyone pictures of my home and pointing out my country on a globe.  From then on, my classmates devoted themselves to teaching me to speak English, and in turn, I told them stories of what life was like in Yugoslavia.  

Years later, I still enjoy speaking of my country, knowing that I am the only bridge some of my friends have between America and my home country.  I tell them about Yugoslavia’s past and present.  I remember traveling with my father throughout Yugoslavia when I was a little girl.  We spent weeks in the Yugoslav Alps in Slovenia before going to the Adriatic coast in Croatia.  The remains of the castles in Dubrovnik, a city on the coast, were amazing to look at just after sunrise.  The world famous Sarajevo is known for many reasons.  In 1912, Gavrilo Princip’s shooting of Franz Ferdinand triggered World War I and decades later, Sarajevo was the site of the 1984 Winter Olympics.  On th other side of the country, in the republic of Monte Negro, is one of the most popular and beautiful islands of the Adriatic called St. Stephen.  Meanwhile, Belgrade, the capital of Yugoslavia located in Serbia, was a center of gowing technology and modern fashion.  For a long time the city was the only one in the country where one could enjoy an American cheeseburger at McDonald’s. 

Since I was six, I have been a competitive table tennis player.  Participating in the sport has opened new opportunities for me, especially concerning my contribution to the world as a global citizen.  Table tennis is the second most played sport in the world, and since I was little, my father who coached the 1996 US Olympic team has also devoted his time trying to make me the best player that I can be.  In order to achieve success, it has been important for me to travel all over the world and train with players from other countries.  After years of traveling, I was able to expand my knowledge about other countries and lifestyles.  Furthermore, I am able to share my personal experiences to those who are interested in hearing more about the cultures I encountered. 

My table tennis friends have taught me many things about their countries.  Kelly Nagaoka of Brazil still remains my devoted pen-pal.  Inga Viktorova and Stas Jelkovski of Russia showed me pictures of the great castles in Moskow.  Koji Ishibashi and Hiro Hikawa of Japan taught me how to count in Japanese. Wei Ni Wang sent me a video of the Great Wall of China.  Carlos Grasso of Uruguay taught me the “right way” to speak Spanish when visiting his country.  Hagen Bower of New Zealand invited me to visit his house by the ocean.  French-Canadian Nicolas Brunet explained why Quebec is unique compared to the rest of Canada.  Ute Scheven invited me to go train with her in Berlin.  Thomas Brolin, soccer superstar, spoke to me about the freezing climate in Sweden, especially when it gets dark at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.  Saudi Arabian Akram Geelani showed me how Muslims pray to Mecca. Ogimundu Gbenga and his wife Tawa taught me how to braid my hair “Nigerian style”.  

I know that the experiences I’ve had so far in my life are valuable and should be shared; however, I also know that the experiences that await me in the near future will complete me as a global citizen.  Although I haven’t visited all the countries where my friends live, I hope to do so someday as a journalist.  It is my goal to pursue this career for two reasons.  First, I wish to educate more about the lifestyles of people from all parts of the globe.   Second, I hope that the knowledge I acquire will help me build relationships with those people who are interested in learning about the things I write. I want to continue learning about people and places. I’m learning Spanish, my fourth language, so that I can communicate better with new people I meet.  As a journalist, I hope to serve as the connection between the citizens of this globe.

The world is becoming one large global community.  We are all connected in some way.  Countries depend on imports and economic help form others.  People of different religions and cultures live together in many areas.  Art and entertainment is spreading faster than ever.  Athletes are often in contact with each other though they live oceans away.  And the only way to keep this global community from disputes and wars is to educate its citizens.

 People can watch the news and read books, but the best way to learn about other countries is to listen to someone who has visited them and experienced the suffering and the joy of the people who live there.  As a former citizen of Yugoslavia, I can tell people of the great country I once lived in and the war which led to its downfall.  Maybe if I tell them about the mistakes I have seen they will not be tempted to make the same mistakes again. 

A global citizen educates.  He connects two worlds.  He talks about the misery of one society and the joy of another.  He speaks the truth. He is not scared to get personally involved with the suffering or the joy.  He does not take sides.  He always keeps an open mind for differences.  He accepts challenges and successfully finds solutions to struggles against humanity.  He makes many friends – black, white, red, brown and yellow.  He learns to communicate even if he can’t speak the language.  He feels the pain, and the torture, and the bliss.  He can go to Egypt and clearly describe the smell of the sand.  He is eager to experience everything worth experiencing.  He likes to speak his mind as long as his words don’t hurt others.  He does not question why men wear skirts in some countries.  He accepts the way people and societies live and only promises to spread their passion.  He builds knowledge.

One day, I hope to have these qualities.  I want to inform people by sharing my experiences.  Since I was little, I have had the desire of becoming everyone’s friend.  Today, I have the desire to be known as a global citizen.