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Become a global citizen without leaving your hometown
As a student, as a leader, and as a modern citizen, developing a dynamic and informed connection to our global community is one of the most important things you can do. This connection will make your life significantly richer (in all senses of the word). Your work will be better informed, your vision as a leader will be clearer and more compelling, and your ability to connect to people as a modern citizen will be greatly enhanced.
Below are five ways to become a global citizen without ever leaving your hometown. If you do one of these activities each week, in just a few months you will become a well informed and well connected global citizen.
1) Next time you meet someone from a different culture, take a bit of time to get to know them. Learn about their family, their job, their dreams, how they spend their time, and how life is different for them here. Ask about their childhood, their schooling, and their hobbies.
2) Rent a film or a documentary from a different country. If you are looking for a recommendation I suggest the South African gangster movie "Tsotsi" as a good starting place. Though intense, it is well worth watching.
3) Read a book or short story that was written by a foreign author. I am personally a fan of the Japanese author Haruki Murakami’s, and the Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s work.
4) Go to an ethnic restaurant and order a traditional meal. Ask your server or chef to prepare the meal as it would be in its home country. In most cases they will be excited by the request.
5) Flip through a travel guide like “Lonely Planet” for a country that you are interested in. Read about the different customs, holidays, festivals, and beliefs. This has the added bonus of being very likely to inspire you to travel.
The important part during all of these activities is to create a mental connection to the people behind the culture. Try to imagine what experiences inspired the author or filmmaker to write their story; think about the lives of the people in the documentary you are watching and imagine leading that type of life yourself; appreciate that people half way around the world are enjoying the same meal that you are enjoying as you eat it.
As you broaden your global perspective you will begin to notice something that is both simple and profound: people around the world are extremely similar to you. Once you truly understand this you will be able to connect with almost anyone you meet which will make all of your endeavors more fruitful and exciting.
Although traveling will always be the best way to connect to the world around us, by doing the activities listed above, you will be joining our global community without ever leaving your hometown. In doing so you will be developing a robust and infinitely valuable perspective.
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