The Global Citizens Course

By Rakeli Gichuki

What is global citizenship?

Well, let us start by looking at the concept of citizenship. Citizenship in simple terms refers to the identity a person derives from a particular state or states in the case of dual citizenship. Global citizenship then becomes an interesting phenomenon simply because the world may not consider itself to be a single unified state. Therefore, whereas citizenship encourage that we identify ourselves with a state, global citizenship encourages that we not only consider our regional situation but to seek to have a worldwide understanding of subjects and issues.  According to ActionAid, the main aim of the Global Citizen's Course is to enhance capacity of the participants to be agents of change in their various countries and provide a platform where the participants can view incidents from not only a local perspective but also from a global perspective.

The Global Citizens Course

I am attending the Global Citizens Course (GCC) organized by ActionAid Denmark. The programme consists of four main subjects in: politics & development, communication & journalism, cultural understanding and creative arts. In addition to the above, there will be toolbox sessions in project design, future workshops, filming and forum theatre.

GCC  2013 Participants

The twenty-four participants come from Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Denmark. The course is schedule to take place in Nanyuki, Nairobi and Tanzania at the respective Global Platforms.  

Motivation for applying to the GCC

Presently, we are three weeks into the programme and so far, the experience is both exciting and insightful. It all started in the in the month of June, when a friend shared with me the call for applications. I sent in my application and on the 26^th of July, I received an interview invitation at the ActionAid Kenya offices. My main inspiration for making the application is the subjects on offer during the programme, which I know will enhance my capacity as a youth leader in my country. I am eager to learn about the correlation of politics and development. Further, communication is paramount to the success of any organization or project and journalism serves as an aspect of advocacy. The skills I gain will enhance not only my ability to articulate the issues of the youth and women but also my capacity to influence change.  In addition to the above, my experience in collective action, has taught me that the success of any project lies in understanding the culture of the intended beneficiaries of the venture. Creative arts on the other hand can be a tool of advocacy and civic education.

The experience

The experience so far, has been simply remarkable. The depth of cultural exchange among my fellow participant is quite interesting. For instance, I now know that the flag of Denmark is referred to as Dannebrog was adopted in 1219 and is the oldest flag in the world in use by an independent state. My Zimbabwe girl friends inform me that both Shona and Kiswahili are Bantu languages. This is in fact seen in some of the similarities between the languages; for instance, in Swahili we say ‘kuanika’ when talking about hanging something like clothes on the hanging line while in Shona they say, 'yanika' when referring to the same concept. Nairobi on the hand is twice as big as Accra but the most fascinating thing about Ghana is the fact that in 2007 the Ghanaian cedis was stronger than the dollar.

Future expectations as far as the course is concerned

Now, three weeks into the course and so far, my expectations have been met, the fact Global Platform Nanyuki provides sharp contrast to the +GlobalPlatform Nairobi in terms of the environment and facilities available, notwithstanding. The method of teaching and the learning spaces provided by ActionAid in the platforms are quite conducive for learning. I am indeed looking forward to an exciting and stimulating time with the fellow participants and the facilitators.