Global education

The Maastricht Global Education Declaration (2002) states that:

• Global education is education that opens people’s eyes and minds to the realities of the globalised world and

awakens them to bring about a world of greater justice, equity and Human Rights for all.

• Global education is understood to encompass Development Education, Human Rights Education, Education for

Sustainability, Education for Peace and Conflict Prevention and Intercultural Education; being the global dimension of Education for Citizenship.

The global education project in Australia states that:

• The heart of global education is enabling young people to participate in shaping a better, shared future for the world. Global education emphasises the unity and interdependence of human society, developing a sense of self and appreciation of cultural diversity, affirmation of social justice and human rights, as well as building peace and actions for a sustainable future in different times and places.

• Global education promotes positive values and assists students to take responsibility for their actions and to see themselves as global citizens who can contribute to a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.

The global teacher project from the United Kingdom states that:

• Global Education is not a subject, but a dimension that runs through the curriculum, an extra filter to help children make sense of all the information and opinion the world is throwing at them. It combines methodology - active and experiential discussion based activities, a caring, co-operative and open outlook on the classroom experience, and core concerns- finding out about all the cultures of the UK and of other countries and groups, about the causes of poverty and inequality (here as well as in other countries) and about the environment.
• Global Education is a way of approaching everything we teach and how we teach it. It broadens horizons and encourages exploration of all subjects from a global perspective. It contributes to the whole curriculum and enhances our understanding of the world.

The Global Education Network of Young Europeans states that:

• Global Education is a creative approach of bringing about change in our own society.

• Global Education is an active learning process based on the universal values of tolerance, solidarity, equality, justice, inclusion, co-operation and non-violence.

• Global Education begins with raising awareness of global challenges such as poverty, unfair distribution of opportunities and resources, environmental degradation and climate change, violent conflict and non-respect of human rights. It then creates a deeper understanding of the complex underlying issues. Thereby it aims at changing people‘s attitudes and encourages them to reflect on their own role in the world. Global education motivates and empowers people to become active as responsible global citizens.

Similar types of education

Types of education that are part of or similar to global education include development education, education for sustainable development, human rights education, peace education.{or|section}}

Organisations dealing with Global Education

• CONCORD Development Awareness Raising and Education Forum, and its project DEEEP
• Consortium for Global Education
• Global Education Network Europe
• Early Development of Global Education
• Global Teacher Network
• North South Center of the Council of Europe

Further reading

• Global Education Guidelines of the North South Center of the Council of Europe
• Global Education Magazine
• Global Education page of the North South Center of the Council of Europe