Be A Global Citizen!

For this next GC talk, I speak with Joana Roque de Pinho who is an environmental anthropologist from Portugal. Her fascinating background and perspective made for a great discussion about what is global citizenship for her. We covered identity formation, bilingualism, human geography, and much more. Plenty to unpack and reflect in this episode. Enjoy! 

We are back with another GC talks! I'm happy to have Vitor Assano join me for a great conversation about Global Citizenship. He is a fellow educator in Brazil and he is currently studying online with a Canadian University in the area of early childhood education. I stopped by his place to record our conversation in person. Enjoy! 

Here is another VCE interview! I'm excited to have Nina Thurau on the podcast. She is a 2nd grade teacher from Brooklyn, New York. Currently, she teaches at a Charter school in Queens, and she is working on her masters in the VCE program. Nina reflects upon her experiences teaching abroad in Spain for five years and how they helped recontextualize her understanding of education back home in the US...

Here is a closer look at the peace proposal that Ikeda wrote in 26 January, 2000. I want to look at each peace proposal and explore the many ideas and concepts he shares about global citizenship. I plan to work up to Ikeda's 2021 peace proposal, before I travel back to his 1983 peace proposal. There are 36 peace proposals from Ikeda so far, so let's dive into them. If you wish to access the full p...

Today's GC Talks has Vicki Mokuria sharing her thoughts on global citizenship. She has a wealth of teaching experience and recently completed a doctorate. She is a passionate advocate of social change and humanistic education. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed making it! 

Here is a great conversation with Dov Rosenmann! Dov has a deep background in the NGO sector and he shares his thoughts on global citizenship with me in this episode. With his unique global background and critical perspective on identity, there is a lot to unpack in this thought provoking conversation. Enjoy! 

More interviews about GC in this new series called 'GC Talks.' My goal is to bring different perspectives around GC from individuals all around the world into dialogue. Let's kick things off with Monse Sepulveda from Santiago, Chile. She is a Gender Specialist and fellow graduate from Soka University of America. I'm excited to have her on the podcast because she brings a rich perspective on GC. In...

We are kicking off season 3 with an interview with Michael Cornell! He is an elementary school teacher in New York and he shares about how his teaching background has led him to foster youth who are global citizens. He outlines important aspects of GC such as inclusion, dialogue, and courage. I hope you enjoy learning more about Michael's own story of becoming an educator, and equally important, h...

After a two month break, we are back with more episodes of Be A Global Citizen!, or BAGC! Enjoy weekly episodes that will introduce new perspectives on GC from various individuals as well as some deep dives into the Ikeda Peace Proposals!

This is the last episode of season 2 of BAGC! and we are ending on a high note! I had a wonderful and inspiring conversation with Candace Kapakos who is yet another amazing graduate from the VCE program. She shares her teaching background with autistic and special needs learners. We discuss topics of mental health, relationship skills, dialogue, local geography education, and more. Enjoy this fift...

Nature and humanity. Nature or humanity? The path human beings are walking has proven to be toxic to our environment. There are limits to our growth on a planet with limited resources. What can we do to curb the dangerous trajectory of unconscious consumerism of modern society? In this dialogue, Ikeda and his two interlocutors from the Thoreau society share insights from the American renaissance....

More VCE interviews!! Woo-hoo! Today's episode is another incredible conversation. Let's get to know Melanie who is the executive director of the North American Waldorf schools. She is a kind hearted and insightful educator and there is much to be learned from her thoughts on GC. Enjoy!

What are cultures of peace? How can we make them happen? On this episode we look to the dialogue between Dr. Elise Boulding and Daisaku Ikeda for insights into global citizenship. It is inspiring to join a dialogue with two individuals who have dedicated their lives to create peace cultures. From their insights, we may understand a little better how to create global citizens and what frameworks ar...

What does it mean to view Covid-19 from the perspective of global citizenship? In the great and tragic wake of the covid-19 pandemic, there has been greater concern over national borders and international exchange. Moreover, the incidents of racial discrimination in various countries like the United States have incited protests that seek greater understanding and justice. On this episode, I share...

Let's dive back into the dialogue with Dr. Harding and Ikeda to discuss their thoughts on global citizenship. In the chapter titled 'Becoming World Citizens' there are excellent discussions on the importance of embracing differences, the relationship between humans and the environment, and the necessity of knowing oneself to foster global citizenship. Enjoy this part 2 episode from 'America Will B...

This is the third interview with a VCE alumnus and it is a fantastic conversation with Alex Munro. Alex is a teacher who has experience in special education and taught at an international school in Bangkok, Thailand. For the episode, he shares some of his educational background and his views on global citizenship. In particular, we discuss the issues of American exceptionalism and the racial divid...

Gandhi, King, and Ikeda have contributed to transforming society and the world through non violence. What can be said about the contributions of each one to build hope for the future? In what ways does the term 'community builder' connect to global citizenship? Let's find out on this episode! Here is a link to the video I reference in the episode: https://youtu.be/l9VexOP9PDg

The current moment in American history is one of heightened racial tensions and political polarization. However, the deep roots of discrimination and racism date back to the United States' founding. Let' fast forward a bit though to the 1950s and 60s. The work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many other civil rights activists sought new pathways toward the expansion of democracy. With the vast ex...

What allows a person to kill? What enables humans to treat the planet like a commodity? What stokes the fear we feel as a nation in moments of crisis? The theory of abstraction helps frame these important questions. Moreover, the process of 'Othering' is dangerous and leds to acts of dehumanization. In this short episode, I introduce Gabriel Marcel's theory of abstraction and discuss the views of...

Here is the second interview from the incredible Value Creating Education (VCE) cohort that I graduated with. Today I speak with Nitesh Sil about his experiences and knowledge on the topic of global citizenship. Not only are we graduates from the same masters program, but also from the same undergraduate program at Soka University of America. We share experiences living abroad, the idea of interco...

For over four decades, Ikeda has engaged numerous world leaders and experts as a way to explore new models and approaches to spreading seeds of hope and change. Many of these dialogues get published into book form and for today's episode we will look at his 2002 dialogue with economist and futurist Dr. Hazel Henderson. Enjoy this discussion on Ikeda's approaches to these dialogues, their insights...

Sustainability has indeed become a buzz word in our current times. We take for granted just how important this term is for addressing larger global concerns like the climate change. The term successfully merges the economic, social, and environmental agendas of development to establish a new precedent for global cooperation and humanity's own self preservation. Let's begin by introducing this term...

Let's dive into more episodes and interviews of Be A Global Citizen! with Season 2. I'm excited to jump back into the swing of things with weekly episodes on this increasingly relevant and important topic of global citizenship. Stay tuned and enjoy! :)

The annual peace proposals that Ikeda writes to the UN are significant in our discussions on Soka global citizenship. On today’s episode, I speak with Dr. Andrew Gebert who has extensive experience and knowledge about Ikeda’s peace proposals. For many years, Andrew has worked to translate them from their original Japanese to English versions. Through this conversation I had with Andrew, I hope tha...

We were all poets at one point in our lives. The carefree demeanor of a child and the insatiable curiosity that comes with youth are emblematic of this spirit. And then as we grow up something happens... Some disconnect between ourselves and the nature. A philosophical void or empty yearning for connectedness and love? What Ikeda calls the poetic spirit is our topic for today's episode. Learn abou...