Our Role as Global Citizens

I’ve heard remarks and questions recently about the negativity of international news, of how our world could have molded so drastically into today’s state. It’s a comprehensive question, one lying in truth, but also overlooked opportunity. The answer may lie in worldview.

Increased media access to place and story could be an explanation, yet a profound information shift has occurred and might better explore the process. The news and media content we receive has split into two distinct powers, one of every person having a voice to project via social networks, and the second being our own media networks controlled by larger corporations and interests than ever before. I think I'll call these separate platforms the media of man and the media of corporation. 

Not only do we have access to increased knowledge of sadness and suffering, but now hold the chance to reach beyond our borders and change what we can, while we can. This model has proven evident as issues of sexism, sexual assault and conscious and unconscious acts of racism are slowly being brought to light and to the table for discussion, both by the media of man and corporation, with an increased call to end.

Our role as global citizens today lies in interacting where we can, with who we can and positively changing as much as we can. Our social divisions today between national border, race, and socioeconomic class still stand strong, but in time, can be broken completely. If trends and movements can spread across the globe, interaction and togetherness can spread as well. The media of man has a positive role to play, one of awareness, and action, in today’s opportunistic, globalized world.

The issues are endless. Income and racial inequality, discrimination, unfair labor conditions, war between cultures and nations and the ticking clock of a rapidly warming planet. In urging our attention beyond our borders, I’m not making a political statement or plea to send finances and resources, my intentions are not to demonstrate that issues within the United States are no longer relevant.

I’m presenting that we turn our attention and compassion, at the very least, paired with understanding and the minutes we have left in our day to educate ourselves about those who live beyond our fence, to those who through our connected world, live closer than they ever have and in which lies the opportunity to end Us versus Them, East versus West. First versus Third.