So what is a citizen ... and a global citizen?

This article from the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy gives a clear and concise description of the term "citizen" and a good overview of what debate there is around the issue. The most basic definition is: "A citizen is a member of a political community who enjoys the rights and assumes the duties of membership." 

The issue in the 17th century was: "the relationship between the concepts ‘citizen’ and ‘subject’". I.e. a citizen with rights, duties and political influence as opposed to a subject to a sovereign autocratic ruler. In the modern age we assume: "that a liberal democratic regime is the appropriate starting-point for our reflections". So we live in a world made up of sovereign states that constitute political communities. In principle every human being on this planet is a citizen in one of these.

However, in a rapidly globalizing world the once iron cast borders of sovereign states are increasingly eroded  and subverted by the fact that digital communication, flow of information, funds and goods take place on the social internet. Almost like the printed word after Gutenberg’s printing press, the digital word is now undermining the powers that be and the entire system it is built upon. A new global arena, global village or global community, take your pick, has arisen wherein a person could become part of a global community. 

Nothing of the above is exactly epochal. The idea of this diffuse global community becoming a political community however is a fairly recent idea, especially if seen as a political community that may confer citizenship. I do not refer to pressure and lobby groups wanting to change things to make the world a better place, at least not if that is the extent of their ambition. I refer to people becoming conscious of, and actively aspiring to a new kind of political affiliation to a global political community in which they can become citizens in the sense of becoming a: "member of a political community who enjoys the rights and assumes the duties of membership".

My question is, is this possible? 

What form would such a political community take?

Which rights, duties and political influence will citizens in this global political community have or aspire to?

Could the idea of a Global City, i.e. a planetary and not geographical location, be the basis of such a construct, moulding itself on for example the Greek City States?

These in "short" are my speculations and considerations. I look forward to someone taking up the debate with me.

Participatory Culture

A very interesting review of an article refering to "participatory culture". In my view this is an interesting point of departure for a a culture for the GlobalCiti or Global Citizens.

Global Citizen - what, where, who - maybe U?

Well, what a weird and wonderful world we live in.

For many of us at least - not trying to deny there is hurt, injustice and people suffering all around this planet right now. What I'm refering to is how much our world has changed, how fast it has been changing in the last few decades and yet, how not much has changed after all.

Don't worry, I'm not about to get all philosophical on you - just want to try and take a bird's eyeview of where the planet, and us living on it stand. I'll try to manage it in a few paragraphs just to show it is possible to say a lot in a few words. You be the judge of how I fare ...

The term "Global Village" has become rather passé. Yet we do live in an interconnected world and the latest financial crisis has finally proven that without a doubt. Global warming and climate change rams that rod of truth home daily. However, what has really connected us is the digitalisation of most things and the ability for mass communication and interconnectedness that binds us into what I term the "Global Citi".

The connected part of the globe is like a regular city where everthing and everyone is rather close to each other, and it is a place that never sleeps. Those parts of the globe not really connected yet is akin to the countryside outside this city. Our Global Citi is by it's very nature a cosmopolitan metropolis where people from all cultures, all countries and all geographic lareas are connected. As everywhere else the citi dwellers and the "outsiders" in the countryside are disconnected.

It does in many ways resemble the Royal seat of power in ancient empires and later in ancient Greek and other city states. To a lesser extent it resembles ancient Rome. In all cases it is a cosmopolitan metropolis where people from all races, cultures and religions and occupations meet. Yet they are all dominated by the dominant culture which sets the tone, and is tolerant of others as long as it's own primacy is not threatened.

So in short I propose that we already live in a Digital GlobalCiti, that we are interconnected and communicate within the realms of this Global City State and, to the extent we do so, we are slowly becoming Global Citizens wether we realise it or not.

Based on this postulate I wonder what a Citizen in this GlobalCiti is, how will we define and describe this creature? How will these citizens behave, what rights and or power do they have and how will their collective efforts and influence impact on the "old" world of Nation States that still prevail, for the time being?

Feel free to comment, I'm open for debate ...