Global Citizenship Education (GCED) aims to be transformative and equip learners with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes to contribute to a more inclusive, just, and peaceful world. This may encompass teaching and learning about the impact of past and current events and conflicts, exploring economic, social, and political linkages between countries and societies, and nurturing empathy and respect for the diversity of cultures and opinions.
It takes a multifaceted approach, employing concepts and methodologies already applied in other areas, including human rights education, peace education, education for sustainable development and education for international understanding and aims to advance their common objectives. GCED applies a lifelong learning perspective, beginning from early childhood and continuing through all levels of education and into adulthood, requiring both formal and informal approaches, curricular and extracurricular interventions, and conventional and unconventional pathways to participation.
GCED has three conceptual dimensions as follows:
Cognitive
To acquire knowledge, understanding and critical thinking about global, regional, national and local issues and the interconnectedness and interdependency of different countries and populations.
Socio-emotional
To have a sense of belonging to a common humanity, sharing values and responsibilities, empathy, solidarity and respect for differences and diversity.
Behavioural
To act effectively and responsibly at local, national and global levels for a more peaceful and sustainable world.
Extracted from Global citizenship education: topics and learning objectives (UNESCO, 2015)