Kofi Annan Former Secretary General of the United Nations
IN AN AGE OF INTERDEPENDENCE, GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP—BASED ON TRUST & SENSE OF SHARED RESPONSIBILITY—IS A CRUCIAL PILLAR OF PROGRESS.
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IF WE ONLY HEAR VIEWS THAT AFFIRM OUR OWN, THEN THE STRENGTH OF OUR POSITION & QUALITY OF OUR ARGUMENTS ARE REDUCED.
– Dr Justin Garrick Head of Canberra Grammar School
The CGS Centre for Global Citizenship is devoted to creating a unique programme that draws on the community of our School and outside institutions in Canberra. It means more than just human interaction; it means compassion and consideration towards all living beings and Earth’s environment. We strive to instil these values in curricular activities and other initiatives designed to benefit ourselves and others, promoting peace, justice, equality & sustainability among many communities worldwide.
At Canberra Grammar School, we foster a culture of global citizenship by providing students with various curricular and co-curricular activities to develop their understanding of the world. From literature analysed in English classes that explore contemporary issues such as sustainability to Geography studies on different cultures’ environments, Economics and Business Studies covering sustainable development projects, to Global Studies exploring the UN’s global impact - every lesson empowers young minds towards becoming conscientious citizens!
The CGS Centre for Global Citizenship is helping to shape the future of our society and planet by equipping individuals with an understanding of the global issues we face today - from climate change to technology innovation, democracy building, social justice advocacy and shifts in geopolitical power. Through its comprehensive educational programme, students can take their citizenship beyond classroom walls and engage in various experiences that will make them globally-minded citizens ready to positively affect local communities all around us.
Global citizenship education aims to develop learners who are responsible members of the global community with the necessary skills, knowledge and values to assume active roles locally and globally in building more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive and secure societies.
At Canberra Grammar School, we aspire for our students to be curious, creative, confident, and compassionate citizens of the world.
We promote pedagogies that advance self, others and world well-being within a global citizenship framework. To this end, we seek out and create pedagogical strategies and models that:
• Recognize our mutuality and interconnectedness at all levels
• Promote engagement with difference without striving to assimilate or eliminate it
• Embrace belonging to the same world we are working to change
• Include reflection and critical thinking about our place, responsibility, action and impact in the world
• Are committedly experiential, dialogic, liberatory and otherwise
• Promote creative work in (and in between) multiple genres
• Advocate for the use of non-English and non-colonial languages; and
• Include the deep inner processes that allow us to offer and sustain our best work.
The CGS Centre for Global Citizenship hosts activities, events and educational opportunities for students and the broader community throughout the year. We collaborate with local, national and international organisations to develop values and knowledge based on respect for diversity, social justice, gender equality and environmental sustainability.
We seek to empower students with knowledge and insight from different voices, from academia to lived experience, from government to civil society. We also provide opportunities for students to enact their learning in their local community through mentoring programmes and service-based activities and beyond as participants in competitions and members of international symposiums.
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP DENOTES A BELONGING TO A BROADER COMMUNITY, BEYOND NATIONAL BOUNDARIES, THAT EMPHASISES OUR COMMON HUMANITY AND THAT DRAWS ON THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF LOCAL AND THE GLOBAL, THE NATIONAL AND THE INTERNATIONAL. – from UNESCO
Named for one of the Canberra Grammar School’s most illustrious and influential former students, the CGS Gough Whitlam Address puts forth an innovative platform of stimulating speakers who bring together their expertise and the real-world wisdom achieved through experience. This powerful combination provides students with thoughtful reflection and a strong moral compass to approach their lives as informed citizens and global agents of change.
Keynote Address and Masterclass by Diggory Howitt (CGS 1985), Chief Executive Officer & President Cochlear Limited
Continuing our engagement with current issues and ideas, Economics students attended ABC’s Annual Budget Q&A, filmed at ANU. Students witnessed the debates around Australia’s economic priorities and asked questions as part of the programme’s audience.
CGS Insight Series is a gateway for our community to explore invaluable intellectual discourse. Our unique Speaker Series, Special Performances and Masterclasses extend thoughtprovoking conversation beyond the walls of CGS, offering an enriching experience for all who attend.
CGS students are able to hear from and ask questions of world leaders and innovative thinkers at the National Press Club, an Australian Institution. Students have heard from philanthropists, ministers, filmmakers and academics this past year.
Top: CGS Senior Global Politics students heard the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis and discussed the imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine and the impact on his nation and others.
MIddle: CGS students with Ms Ronni Kahn, Founder of OzHarvest, on Women’s Day 2022
Bottom: CGS students from Years 10 and 11 Aboriginal Studies heard Rachel Perkins and Professor Henry Reynolds discuss Ms Perkins’ three-part documentary, ‘The Australian Wars’.
Performance by John Bell and the Australian Haydn Ensemble, followed by Masterclasses for Music students with the Ensemble and an open forum with John Bell for Drama and English students hosted by the School’s Drama Captain.
INDIVIDUALS ARE MEMBERS OF MULTIPLE, DIVERSE, LOCAL AND NON-LOCAL NETWORKS RATHER THAN SINGLE ACTORS AFFECTING ISOLATED SOCIETIES.
– from the UN, definition of Global Citizenship
The CGS Speaker’s Club was launched as part of a collaboration with CGS Parents and Friends, which saw the Coach for TEDx Canberra deliver a masterclass to students. Now a co-curricular activity, students come together with a facilitator to explore current issues, how expert presenters communicate these, and how these ideas and approaches can be used in their lives. The Centre continues work with TEDx Youth Canberra to identify and collaborate on opportunities for students to take their ideas beyond school.
The Sustainability club works towards raising awareness of Environmental issues through studentled projects. Run by the Geography Department, this club provides opportunities for students to engage in school and community projects, from collecting data on waste to developing recycling projects and hosting film nights.
Students in senior years are given opportunities to enhance their skills in developing arguments and negotiating solutions in real-world situations, while also having much fun. In Mock Trials, students test their wits and dramatic skills in cases developed by the Law Society of NSW. Following this, students can test their intellect and legal knowledge in Mooting.
The Centre runs a model United Nations for students from Years 9 to 12 to engage in current global issues and learn, through experience, how our national, regional and global concerns are addressed through negotiation and international forums.
engage in mentoring Year 6 students from Charles Weston Primary school, helping them reflect on their recent exhibitions and learnings. This also includes a panel discussion, where Year 12s respond to the Year 6 students’ questions and requests for advice.
Montgomery Bell Academy International Symposium (the International Symposium) is a lived experience for CGS students who are selected to represent Australia from a selection of a global group of participating schools. Held annually since 2010, the International Symposium requires the handful of students chosen to come together in an authentic global forum to discuss an issue of great importance to them as young leaders. At the close, students come together to draft The Symposium Accord, a common response to The Symposium Challenge. The intellectual talent and commitment demonstrated by students engaged in this shared global scholarship is extraordinary.
Hosted by CGS in collaboration with the ANU’s Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, the Secondary Schools Global Challenge is a one-day international relations simulation. Teams from ACT and regional schools represent countries, media and non-government organisations in a real-world scenario, developing a collaborative response through negotiations and pitching their solutions to the judges.
Located in the Nation’s capital, there are many ways to engage in global citizenship activities on our doorstep, from national competitions to one-off events and special presentations. The Centre facilitates a range of educational opportunities on an annual and one-off basis, from the UN Youth programmes, including UN Voice and the Evatt Competition, the ACT Legislative Assembly Constitutional convention and special events hosted by Universities, diplomatic missions and government departments. Each event provides students with opportunities and experiences that will develop their understanding of the world and how they can make it a better place for all.
Having a chance to represent the ACT at the 2021 National Schools Constitutional Convention (the NSCC) was an eye-opening experience, providing an enjoyable and interesting understanding of the Australian Parliament and the framework of our nation as set out in our Constitution. Throughout the two days, I was there; I met up with three other students from Canberra who shared similar interests and were great to work with. We discussed topics ranging from the place of Australia within our world to other pressing issues, such as the recognition of a First Nations voice and the role of constitutions within a modern democracy.
The NSCC was a great experience and sure to be even better when not subject to COVID-19 restrictions, as you can meet students from Canberra and all over the country. I highly recommend it to all students.
Reflections by Deklyn CrawfordMy feedback for the symposium is that it was brilliant! Discussing issues relevant to all countries and gaining perspectives from people of all backgrounds was an honour and a privilege. This experience has given me a new view and taught me so much about courage, integrity, teamwork, speaking in front of an international audience, and the impact we as students can have on the future.
At CGS, global citizenship is about ensuring students experience a broad range of perspectives and experiences, which allow them to engage in real-world issues, by exploring ideas from some of the best and brightest thinkers and change-makers through collaborations with peers and the wider community and through experiences by participating in community and national events, international exchanges, and global forums. The Centre provides opportunities for students to share their knowledge, follow their curiosity, challenge themselves and experience the world.
GLOBAL EDUCATION IS EDUCATION THAT OPENS PEOPLE’S EYES & MINDS TO THE REALITIES OF THE WORLD & AWAKENS THEM TO BRING ABOUT A WORLD OF GREATER JUSTICE, EQUITY & HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL. ..THE METHODOLOGY OF GLOBAL EDUCATION FOCUSES ON SUPPORTING ACTIVE LEARNING & ENCOURAGING REFLECTION WITH ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF LEARNERS & EDUCATORS. IT CELEBRATES & PROMOTES DIVERSITY & RESPECT FOR OTHERS & ENCOURAGES LEARNERS TO MAKE THEIR CHOICES IN THEIR OWN CONTEXT IN RELATION TO THE GLOBAL CONTEXT.
– From the Maastricht Declaration on Global Education (2002)
• Exemplifies authenticity and inspires followers with their leadership
• Fosters a culture of diversity, promoting love and kindness through actions
• Possesses a relentless drive to bring about positive change in a meaningful way
• Boasts well-rounded cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioural abilities
• Acknowledges the limitations and imperfections of knowledge
• Leverages their sense of belonging to the human community
• Holds shared values and assumes shared responsibilities
• Demonstrates empathy, solidarity, and respect for diverse perspectives
• Engages in reflective contemplation of the world around them; and
• Acts with civil courage, striving for fairness, justice, and equity.
40 Monaro Crescent, Red Hill ACT 2603
T +61 (2) 6260 9700
E seniorschool@cgs.act.edu.au
CGS.ACT.EDU.AU
CRICOS Provider No 00580G
