New Year’s 2014 Message:

by David Gallup

“As a Citizen of World Government, I affirm my awareness of my inherent responsibilities and rights as a legitimate member of the total world community of all men, women, and children, and will endeavor to fulfill and practice these whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself.”

 –from the World Citizen Affirmation

World Citizenship means not only recognizing our universal rights, but also recognizing our universal responsibilities to each other and to the earth.

World citizens endeavor to make our communities and our world a better place to live. We call upon all world citizens to self-organize for the benefit of each other and the earth. We can take action to enhance our own lives and those of everyone around us. This process is about creating an independent and self-reliant knowledge-based system of world citizen interaction. Each of us has special knowledge and skills that we can share.

At WSA’s World Citizen Yahoo Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldCitizen), at its Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Service-Authority/149086282356) or through other social media, world citizens can reach out to each other to lend a hand.

Fulfilling our responsibilities may mean writing a letter on behalf of another person who has been refugeed by war. It may mean contacting a government ministry to expose a violation of someone’s right to residence or work. It may mean providing clothing or shelter to someone in need whether in your neighborhood or around the world.

Using social media or in person, we can provide assistance to each other outside of the national monetary system. By minimizing the use of national payment systems, we can chip away at the flow of money and taxes that go to waging wars. 

We can barter and exchange ideas, skills, services, and knowledge. For example, a carpenter could help a teacher with some home repairs, and the teacher could teach the carpenter a new language. Or we can share or give away items that can still be used by others. We can help each other with assistance that we need whether it is architectural, linguistic, scientific, mathematical, legal, artistic, mechanical, technological, etc.

The World Citizen Credo affirms that “As a global person, a World Citizen relates directly to humankind and to all fellow humans spontaneously, generously and openly. Mutual trust is basic to his/her lifestyle.” By sharing skills and knowledge, we relate to each other “generously and openly,” and we establish trust by working together.

As we start this new year, let us make our world better for everyone by reaching out to our fellow humans and organizing as world citizens. Let us each ask, “How can I help you as your neighbor and fellow world citizen?”