Exemplary Global Citizens: Glocalization

Today's post in the exemplary global citizens series addresses the synergy between the global and the local:

Seven, an exemplary global citizen appreciates and understands the tension between a global citizen and a local citizen, and plays both roles in a synergistic fashion. The local is always related to the global, and vice versa. A global citizen takes seriously the words of Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health, who said, “Humanity is the only true nation.”

We hear it all the time now - the world is getting flatter, smaller, and more competitive. What we do at home no longer impacts those just in our community; we need to think about the impacts and influences from partners and competitors all across the world.

The combination of global and local has created the hybrid word "glocalization". By its definition, a glocal citizen thinks globally and acts locally. This citizen takes perspectives and potential consequences from around the world and integrates them into his/her decision making.

Indeed, one can be global in his/her day-to-day activities, especially when consciously internalizing and learning from past experiences with different cultures. Many believe that they are not not “global” unless all they do is fly to different places. However, whenever you go somewhere or hear a new perspective, you internalize it and make it a part of your own. You make the global relevant to the part of the world where you are at the given moment.

When I think of glocalization, I think of the traffic situation display that air traffic controllers view. You see planes from all over flying out and coming in, with various points as hubs. This video gives a good idea of the concept, for the entire world:

Imagine that you are a dot on the map, right where you are now. I will pretend I am a dot in Washington, DC. Right now, my central focus point is in DC - all planes go to me and come out from me at that point in DC. I can carry influences from all over, but my impact is in DC. Now, let's pretend that you physically take a flight on a plane to a different point in the world, such as to Lusaka, Zambia. Suddenly, the point that is "local" for you changes. To act locally, you would be acting in Lusaka and no longer in DC. You would still bring influences from all over, but a place you once thought of as global would become the local.

The Periclean program changes the focus point for students and makes the global local through service that creates broader perspectives. Through the program, I have found that yes, you can have a greater global impact by engaging in the world through service in many different areas. However, you can have a different (and in many cases, equivalent) impact by bringing perspectives from all over into your local community. When we made our countries of focus our "local" for a period of time, it enabled us to bring stronger multicultural perspectives to our homes - places that are local for us year-round.

How do we work to spread glocalization? Not everyone can go on a Periclean trip, but everyone can speak up and work locally. Challenge those who think that their little world, their own activities do not impact everyone else. Help those around you to see the bigger picture and the necessity of becoming glocal - in a way that makes sense to them.