Global Citizens Week: Celebrating Our International Community

Kate North, Editor-in-Chief|April 25, 2023

At an international school, OHS students are presented with a unique opportunity to connect with other cultures.

We should all strive to be global citizens—to look beyond human boundaries and act in the interests of the larger whole. At a school with students from around the world, we are uniquely poised to think about and partake in global citizenship. The philosophy is defined by the Global Citizen Initiative as “being part of an emerging world community whose actions help define this community’s values and practices.”

In service of this mission, OHS Student Government introduced Global Citizens Week to celebrate the worldwide spirit of OHS. Students presented posters at a country fair, shared favorite recipes and dishes, and engaged in international bingo, karaoke, and a talent show.

The Board of Arts hosted “History of Your Culture!” and “Multicultural Art Showcase” events. The freshman representatives screened the movie Elvis at 6 am PT, which was most inclusive of different time zones. The junior representatives hosted a student language showcase, while the sophomore representatives held a California stereotypes and factoids Kahoot. Students were even inspired to host their own geographically-specific events, such as a Pennsylvania Trivia Kahoot.

“I quite enjoyed the assembly and playing Geoguesser, listening to Kaveri sing, and seeing Harmehel’s slide,” says Aiden Bekendam, Board Chair of Events. “Next year we hope to schedule it for a more convenient week so it’s easier for people to make it to events!”

Posters from Harmehel Singh’s Global Citizen presentation display aspects of his culture and life.

Between this year’s event and the next’s, there is still much that can be done in the realm of global citizenship. The unique backgrounds and global perspectives of our community aren’t limited to a single week. From classes to clubs, there are many ways to get involved and continue to explore global citizenship. On April 29th, the Literature Club will be hosting a Multilingual Lit Fest—a time to share and learn more about other languages and cultures.

Every day is a new opportunity to make a difference. Be conscious of your actions and your place in the larger picture and keep in mind the responsibilities of a Global Citizen, as laid out by the Global Citizen Initiative:

“First, the responsibility to understand the ways in which the peoples and countries of the world are inter-connected and interdependent: For example, we need to understand the ways in which the global environment affects us where we live; the ways in which human rights violations in foreign countries can affect our own human rights; how growing income and resource inequalities within and between countries affect the quality of our own lives; how the global tide of immigration affects what goes on in our countries and how our own country’s immigration policies affect other nations.”
“Second, global citizens have the responsibility to understand global issues: Global issues are those that cannot be solved by individual nation-states. For example, we need to understand the impact of the growing scarcity of natural resources on all countries; the challenges presented by the current distribution of wealth and power in the world; the roots of conflict within and between countries and requirements of peace-building and peacemaking; and the challenges posed by a growing global population.”
“Third, global citizens have the responsibility to understand our own perspectives and the perspectives of others on global issues: Almost every global issue has multiple ethnic, social, political, and economic perspectives attached to it. It is the responsibility of global citizens to understand these different perspectives and work to build common ground solutions. A global citizen usually avoids taking sides with one particular point of view, and instead searches for ways to bring all sides together.”

Clubs and associations centered on global identity at OHS include: