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What Does Being a Global Citizen Really Look Like Today?
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Jul 9, 2025
To live as a global citizen is to wake up each day with a sense that the world is bigger than your backyard—and that your actions ripple far beyond what you can see. It’s not about erasing your national identity or abandoning your roots. It’s about expanding your perspective and recognizing that we’re all connected. Learn more and listen in as we explore how global citizenship isn’t just a label—it’s a lifestyle. 🔗 Read more here: https://abusonadustyroad.com/what-does-it-mean-to-live-life-as-a-global-citizen/ #GlobalCitizen #CulturalAwareness #WorldPerspective #UnityInDiversity #LivingWithPurpose #AConnectedWorld #ThinkGlobalActLocal #ABusOnADustyRoad We loved to hear from you! Check out our blog at ABusOnADustyRoad.com https://abusonadustyroad.com/ Find more great travel videos, recipes and food ideas, tips about ex-pat life, and ancestry travel.
View Video Transcript
0:07
Hi, this is Anita from the Dusty Roads
0:09
podcast. Today we're going to talk a
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little bit about living your life as a
0:13
global citizen. What does it mean to
0:14
live life as a global citizen? As part
0:17
of the dusty roads and also at the our
0:20
blog, A Bus on a dusty road, we talk
0:23
about living your life as a global
0:25
citizen. This is something that I'm very
0:27
passionate about, something that I
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believe in. That I believe that we all
0:31
live in this beautiful world, that we
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are all part of this world, and that
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whether you're able to travel or not
0:37
able to travel, we can all live our life
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as a global citizen. What does it mean
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to live your life as a global citizen?
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Well, you know, living your life as a
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global citizen doesn't have to be hard.
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It doesn't be difficult. There's plenty
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of simple ways that you can do it right
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now, today. You know that basically just
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being concerned about the world around
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you. Here are 15 ways. I'm going to give
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you 15 suggestions of ways that you
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could do it even without even living
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your leaving your home or your hometown.
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First of all, stay informed about global
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issues. Global citizens make a habit of
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stepping out of their echo chamber. You
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know, they read beyond the borders. That
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means following international news
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sources and hearing from journalists in
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different countries. I do this a lot. I
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listen to a lot of news. I'm American,
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but I don't listen to the American news
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all the time. I listen to the German
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news in English. I listen to the British
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news. I even listen to the Middle East
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news. I listen to all types of news and
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Chinese news. I'll listen to all types
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of news to be able to hear what is going
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on or what is being said in those news
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sources. Means learning about what's
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happening in Sudan or Sri Lanka or Peru,
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not just in your region. The more you
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know, the more you'll see how connected
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the global systems are. climate change,
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supply chains, public health, war and
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peace. I realize that in many parts of
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the world, you know, that this having a
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global viewpoint has become less
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popular. You know, America, you know, as
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an American, we talk a lot about America
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first. But even if you believe in
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America first, it doesn't mean you have
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to believe that you don't have to
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understand or know about the world. Even
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if you believe in your country first,
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this doesn't mean that you need that you
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should just discount the rest of the
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world because we live in an
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interconnected world whether we like it
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or not. Learn another language. Language
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one of the deepest expressions of
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culture. Recently I learned something
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new on AI. I learned that you can say to
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AI chat GGP or Gemini and say um I would
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like to practice my Spanish or my
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Chinese or whatever and they will help
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you practice. So, you know, now it's
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even easier to learn the language than
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it ever was before. You know, you can
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learn, you know, just a few phrases or a
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few things can help you. Travel with
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curiosity, not just with comfort. You
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know, learn to have go on buses that
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maybe you're not sure about or, you
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know, um, you know, learn to travel, not
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just relax. Just don't go take the day
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at the beach. Go and do something else.
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Go to eat in familyrun restaurants. I
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love, this is one of my greatest
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passions is I'm not a big fan of a lot
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of the the big chains in America. I like
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to go to the independent restaurants and
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meet the owners of the people that are
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there. That's my passion. Those are the
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kind of restaurants that I personally
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enjoy eating at.
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You know, be curious, get to know other
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people, challenge stereotypes,
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especially your own. We all carry
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biases, the difference whether we
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recognize and question them. If you hear
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your say people saying people from that
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country are always blah blah blah blah
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blah maybe pause ask where that's coming
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from. Global citizenship means
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unlearning lazy narratives and choosing
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curiosity over judgment. Support ethical
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and local economies. Vote with your
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wallet. You know go to local places. Um
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you know don't buy fast fashion cheap
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electronics or food grown under
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exploding conditions. help fund systems
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and that don't don't go don't help fund
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systems that exploit people. Instead,
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look for fair trade or smallcale
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sustainable options. We can all do this
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in our own communities.
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Engage in a cultural exchange.
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Global citizenship starts at home. You
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don't have to board a plane to
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experience the world. Attend cultural
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festivals in your own city. A lot of
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cities and places have a lot of great
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cultural events that are going on. I
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would grew up in uh Milwaukee which
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always had a great holiday fest that
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went on and we actually danced Swedish
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dancing because my mother was Swedish
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but I used to love going from booth to
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booth and seeing all the different
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cultures and and trying food from all
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over the world.
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You become culturally aware even within
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your own communities. Advocate for human
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rights everywhere. If you care about
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justice, care about it universally. That
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means using your voice when human rights
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are violated, whether in your country or
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halfway across the world. Practice
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environmental responsibility.
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The planet is our shared home. Right
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now, it's in crisis. From rising sea
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levels to deforestation to plastic
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pollution, global citizens recognize
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that climate action isn't optional. It's
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urgent. Reuse, reduce, recycle. We can
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all do that. Especially when you're
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traveling overseas. Don't throw plastic
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bottles or other things on the ground.
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Find a place to be able to throw them
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out. Stand in solidarity, not pity. You
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know, people don't need your saver
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complex. They need respect. Global
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citizenship isn't about helping the
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poor, saving others. It's about standing
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shouldertoshoulder, listening to lived
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experiences, supporting solutions led by
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local voices.
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Educate yourself about global history.
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You can't understand the present without
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reckoning with the past. And this is one
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of the great things about travel is that
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you learn about the history, you learn
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about the past. You know, to really
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understand a place, you need to
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understand its past. You can't just
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understand the present, you need to also
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understand its past, where they're
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coming from. Just the same way that when
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you meet another person to really
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understand them, you need to understand
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a bit about their past, where they're
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coming from, why they maybe think the
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way they do, why they maybe act the way
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them they do. If you understand their
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past and you can understand who they
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are, join and support global movements.
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You can join a movement. Find a movement
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that aligns with your values and
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contribute however you can through time,
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money, skills or amplification. Stay
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humble and keep learning. You know, this
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is such a great thing is that you can
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keep learning. Growth is part of the
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process. And today's world we live in,
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learning is not only it's no longer
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optional, it's now essential. You need
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to keep learning all the time. Use tech
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to connect, not divide. The internet can
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isolate or can unite. It depends on how
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you use it. Follow voices from different
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countries. Listen to podcasts from other
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cultures. Join global forums. Learn
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directly from people with lived
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experiences, not filter through someone
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else's lens. You can learn online now.
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Today, the world is smaller than ever.
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The world is completely flat. And
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because of the internet, you can learn
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from others. support refugees and
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displaced people. There are hundred
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million people worldwide that have been
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displaced by war, persecution, or
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climate disaster.
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That's not just statistic. That's a call
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to action. Help and support them any way
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that you can or if you're able to vote
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with global awareness. Even if you only
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vote in one country, your choice can
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affect many. Trade policies, military
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actions, climate commitments, and
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foreign aid. They all have global
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consequences. Use your vote to not just
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protect your interests but promote
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justice and sustainability worldwide. We
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can all strive to live without borders.
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Even if borders exist, we can, you know,
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so living as a global citizen doesn't
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mean you reject your nationality.
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Doesn't mean you don't you don't that
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you even don't put your country first.
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You can still think about your country
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being first. You know, Germany first,
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England first, or America first,
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whatever it might be. But it means, you
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know, refusing to have walls up. You can
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be proud of where you're from and
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fiercely but yet at the same time be
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fiercely curious about where others come
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from. You can get to know others. You
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can learn from them. You can honor your
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roots and reach across the world.
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You know, you don't need a global you
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don't need a jet or a fancy lifestyle to
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do it. You can live in one town your
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whole life and still think globally
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because global citizenship isn't about
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where you go. It's about how you see,
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how you connect, and how you are. That's
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really the key to all of this. It
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doesn't mean that you have to travel and
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be constantly traveling, going out to
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see the world. No, being a global
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citizen or living your life as a global
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citizen is how you connect, how you are,
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and how you see the world. I've written
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a blog on this. We'll put in the
9:09
description which is entitled what does
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it mean to live life as a global
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citizen? If you'd like to be able to
9:14
read more, you can read our blog on
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this. We've hope that you've enjoyed
9:18
this that you will join with us in
9:19
living your life as a global citizen.
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This is something that I'm very
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passionate about. This is something that
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I love and we hope that you will
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subscribe and join with us and be part
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of this and part of this community and
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part of this drive to live our life
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globally, thinking globally and acting
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globally and understanding that we do
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live in a world that is interconnected.
#Human Rights & Liberties
#Social Issues & Advocacy