Global Mind

[excerpted from, Developing a ‘Global Mind’ ?2023, chapter 1]

We begin with our ‘Big Question’: What is ‘global mind’ – and why does it matter?

And a follow-up: Does ‘global mind’ equal ‘global citizenship’?

At its most basic, ‘citizenship’ is a legal and political term indicating our full and (hopefully) equal membership in a particular community – officially, at a national level. And in our world today, change is still initiated and enforced primarily at that national stratum. Even with such intergovernmental organizations as the UN (and its predecessor, the League of Nations), International Court of Justice, World Bank, World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, World Economic Forum, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Health Organization, and more, it’s still national governments that determine the vast majority of issues for their citizens.

The concept of ‘nation-state’ as a structure is a relatively recent one, only truly coming into being as of the 19th century, though our understanding of ‘country’ and ‘kingdom’ stretches far back in human history, and ‘city-states’ existed in ancient times. Our sense of belonging to a local group – originally a tribe or clan – is far more natural to us than thinking of ourselves as a member of the whole of humanity, a notion that, in reality, is too vast for the human mind to comprehend. The nation-state is conceived similarly to that of family, and indeed, we must understand and act locally before we can truly engage globally.

Specifically, the first step to developing a global mind is knowing one’s own culture well – and therefore, one’s cultural biases. But we’ll get to that soon.

So, is true ‘global citizenship’ possible?

Legally, of course, no, although I imagine you already knew that. There’s no global passport (oh, how often I’ve wished that there were), and national borders are truly meaningful (as I can attest, having crossed several contested and several other especially challenging ones). National borders are political, and to a degree, cultural – though this is debatable, as we consider for example the Catalan people in Spain, Andorra, and France, who share a culture, or the Buryats in Eastern Siberia who have much more in common with their Mongolian roots than with the numerous other ethnic groups surrounding them, and there are many other such examples. Within one nation, we often find multiple cultures – the US is a prime example of this, but it could be said in many others; China, for example, officially recognizes 55 ethnic minority groups, and even within one ethnic makeup, there are multiple subcultures to be found. Culture, it turns out, is far more complex than borders would allow.

Borders are also blurring – if not legally, then by the digital transformation of our world. Ease of travel and high levels of migration have also brought profound change to the meaning of borders, and of culture. Globalization, for purposes of trade, business, and economy, and for all its faults alongside its benefits, barely recognizes borders at all. We’ve a number of global concerns, the climate crisis chief among them but surely not the only one, that can only be addressed by international efforts – and nations simply don’t have the option of ignoring these problems because they’re shared by everyone. The air we breathe, after all, knows no borders. And so, the idea of ‘global community’ is beginning to hold more meaning than ever before.

(Buddhists, with their concept of nonduality, have been in support of this for 15 centuries already; those who’ve ever experienced the mystical experience induced by psychedelics or another method, which often manifests as universal interconnectedness, can also attest.)

And a ‘global mind’?

Being globally-minded is first of all a choice, and a perspective. It requires awareness both of oneself and others, in an ongoing engagement in personal development and understanding. Its aspect of interest in and respect for all cultures has been called ‘cultural empathy in practice’ and more recently, cultural intelligence or one’s culture quotient [CQ], though that term has also been applied to a wide concept of ‘culture’ that includes the business arena. It’s a careful cultivation of value-based decision-making that allows for the different and sometimes opposite views and values of others, in an open-minded approach to life and the world. But above all, it’s grounded in social and political engagement within one’s own community. As a global citizen, we want to contribute to a better community, country, and world.

We must first be truly involved in our own community. Then, civic responsibility extends beyond one’s national borders – but isn’t simply a substitute for same. You’d be well within your rights to question my own circumstance, though, in which I’ve left my native country completely in order to engage with the world, seeming to trade one for the other. My global life, however, was preceded by those aforementioned 25 years of social and political activism for multiple causes, a deep engagement in my home country – which formed the foundation of my quest for global identification over these past 20 years. Living abroad long-term is in fact an extraordinary experience, not the usual approach to global citizenship.

As I travel the globe, I can no longer genuinely claim to have local ‘community’ anywhere. (This is very much the downside of nomadic life, by the way; many have expressed their envy of me, to which I always reply, “Yes, I have adventure, and freedom – but it’s at the expense of stability, and community.”) Identifying solely with the global community can feel at times as if one has no community at all. I may engage, however, in one community for just a day if I’m there for a meaningful event, or in another for a month if I’ve a longer stay, or yet another for a few years if I’m in residence. I also maintain a relationship with and involvement in an international women’s advocacy organization with members in more than 100 countries, and meet with many of them along my way. None of these, it must be said, is my own community, however, in a sense of deep rootedness, and a shared life, through time. But I can engage as fully and as often as possible nonetheless, and for the ongoing development of my own global mindedness, I must.

Global citizenship seems trendy, but it isn’t a modern concept. As early as the 5th century BCE, Socrates is reported to have said, “I am neither Athenian nor Greek but a citizen of the world.” Diogenes, a successor to Socrates born just a few years prior to the latter’s death, is to have said, “I am a citizen of the world” – in Greek, kosmopolitês – or, cosmopolitan.

There are many ways to develop one’s global consciousness. Generally, such steps are as follows: international awareness, appreciation for cultural diversity, a relevant skill set, and engagement. Let’s take this apart.

International awareness is a given. I’ve heard countless people, in a range of countries, complain that their local news outlets only focus on domestic stories and the occasional sensational international topic. This is commonly true – because this is what the average ‘consumer’ of news wants.

A majority of people, while they may care about the world outside of their borders in the broad sense, don’t have the desire to pursue what we mean by global citizenship; their interest remains primarily in their home country. This, while insular, is also natural; there’s only so much that our brains can take in, a limit to the compassion and empathy we can extend, no matter how interested we may be in the abstract. Even I, with a fairly broad experience of the world by now, often find it nearly overwhelming to continually extend my reach so widely. (I cope with this by maintaining one day of global – and Internet – blackout weekly as I immerse myself deeply in nature, and a longstanding daily practice of meditation and mindfulness that keeps me grounded in the present moment.)

To be internationally aware, we begin with world news – but we don’t stop there. We also must have some understanding of world systems, and world history. The news by itself is just stories; we need some comprehension of what lies beneath, not so much country-by-country but in terms of international and intersecting systems (political, economic, environmental, cultural) plus major world events through time. And of course: if you’re following any story in a particular country, you’d do well to gain a bit of information about that country’s background – and culture. If you’re not sure how to begin to develop an understanding of global systems, I suggest that you look at the course list of a university-level international studies program, which will provide a blueprint. (Many such lists can easily be found online.)

Above all: pay attention to what’s going on in the world. Read what you can, watch some documentaries, keep up with world news, take a world history course or two (if you’re out of school, find one online), follow significant international events. Get the big picture to the extent that you can. And remember: this is a lifelong quest that we’re on, not something we learn in a day and then presume to think that we’ve mastered.

Appreciation of cultural diversity is next, and a given; I imagine you already have such, or you wouldn’t be interested in a book such as this. Appreciation isn’t a static quality, though, but a dynamic one, that needs feeding and care; we begin with an overall respect of other cultures, followed by learning and experiencing whatever possible. This isn’t the same as cultural relativism, however (more on that later), by which we blithely accept all cultural aspects as valid for members of that culture; human rights abuses, for example, are to be universally rejected, regardless of whether it’s ‘that culture’s way’.

Gaining a relevant skill set will be addressed by much of what’s presented in this book. This refers to any transferrable skills relevant to global mindedness and cultural awareness. OECD identifies such skills as “reasoning with information, communication skills in intercultural contexts, perspective taking, conflict resolution skills, and adaptability.” Any steps we can take toward humanity’s wellbeing and sustainable development, based on our ever-increasing world awareness and including our appreciation of and interaction with members of other cultures, represent skills-in-action.

And – engagement. Don’t just learn; get involved. Meet and develop relationships with people of other cultures. Volunteer for an international cause. Donate money to international organizations doing good work. Become an online activist. (That’s much more than reposting.) Share what you know with your friends and family, classmates or colleagues, to help expand others’ global consciousness. We’re all in this together.

We might ask the question, though (and, without a doubt, many people you know will be asking you) – why does it matter? Isn’t it easier for us to remain in our own comfort zone, the culture into which we were born and know intimately, with blinders on to the rest of the world – rather than go to such effort to know, meet, and interact with the global community in order to consider ourselves a part of it? Isn’t it important to work on our own city’s and/or country’s challenges, and contribute to that greater good? Yes. It is far easier, and also important, to focus our efforts locally. And yet – humans of the world already share goals as well as challenges, right now the climate crisis in particular. Nationalism, focusing solely on one’s own country (which often includes a belief in its superiority over others – and excludes any questioning of its government’s actions), represents a very narrow and short-sighted vision, an isolationist standpoint that ultimately doesn’t even serve the country itself; greater international understanding and cooperation always leads to enhancement for each party, and a reduction in conflict. We can learn from one another for increased awareness as well as advantages; we can work together, with the power of many rather than one, for the sustainability of our shared planet. Global interaction and cooperation can ultimately lead to a shared definition of humanity and human rights, as well as responsibilities.

As to your personal benefit: by developing your global perspective, you can feel that you’re a part of something far greater than yourself: all of humanity. You can feel far more deeply rooted and interconnected with others than ever before, as you expand your self-identification out into the world. And there’s a practical potential for you as well: as you travel or engage in international actions and events, you’ll meet others and perhaps form lifelong connections; you may seek international employment or educational opportunities. And you may even get involved in some initiative that contributes to the greater good – of our global environment, of the human family.

It matters. It’s well worth the effort.

Developing a ‘Global Mind’, by Anne Hilty, ?2023

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Exercises

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Discussion or Contemplation: ‘Global mind’ – what is it, and why does it matter?

Writing or Recording: What are some of my core beliefs? How has this been influenced by my culture?

Further Reading: Developing a Global Mindset https://thunderbird.asu.edu/thought-leadership/insights/developing-global-mindset