What is Global Education?

Global Education within GLEN

Global Education is an active learning process which consists of three components at the same time: knowledge, values and skills. It starts with raising a first awareness of certain problems, then creates a deeper understanding of the complex issues behind. Thereby it aims at changing people's attitudes and encourages them to reflect on their own role in the world. Through Global Education people are finally motivated and empowered to become active in a responsible way.

Global Education is based on the universal values of tolerance, solidarity, equality, justice, inclusion and nonviolence. It addresses certain topics, like global justice, environmental sustainability, peace, intercultural communication and human rights and gives tools for action and engagement.

Global Education uses active learning methods. It is partnership-based and tries to create ownership of the learning process by all stakeholders including a global educator who facilitates the whole process. Such a mutual learning shapes skills of all involved actors to become responsible global citizens.

Global Education is learning for the future. The world is becoming ever more connected, that is why it is crucial to encourage people and empower them to be active in order to lead a responsible life.

Involvement and action in Global Education in Europe is the essence of GLEN. By offering a multipliers training cycle, GLEN provides young people with first hand experiences from the South as well as skills and knowledge for Global Education activities on national and European level.

GLEN multipliers contribute to global education with
  • workshops and activity days in schools
  • seminars at university, with NGOs or else
  • contribution to campaigns, festivals, event days
  • newspaper articles, radio or TV documentaries
  • production and dissemination of a films, slide shows
  • photo exhibitions
  • many more

See reports about some examples here.

More introductory information about the concept of Global Education in GLEN and the process of developing and evaluation GE activities can be found in the "GLEN Global Education Guide" (2009).

The European Consensus on Development Education

In 2007, different stakeholders of development education in Europe, NGOs, governmental development agencies, ministires of education, the EU, and networks of global educators, have elaborated the "European Consensus on Development Education". This document outlines a European development education strategy and sets the framework for coherent and co-ordinated action of the different stakeholders in the field. See the document for download below.



GLEN GE Guide
Maastricht Declaration on Global Education