1. Active Citizenship
Active citizenship as defined in Hawthorn (2019) is a core concept concerning the rights and
responsibilities of citizens. Active citizenship pushes people to be more engaged in the world around
them. The involvement of individuals in public life and affairs is also referred to as active citizenship (An
Introduction to Active Citizenship.
n the regional and national level, on the other hand, active citizenship may be from exercising the right to
vote, to being involved in campaigning groups or to becoming a member of a political party. In the
international level, a global active citizen is someone who is involved in movements to promote
environmental sustainability or fair trade, to reduce poverty or to eliminate people trafficking and slavery
(An Introduction to Active Citizenship). Kofi Annan popularized a quote which says, “No one is born a
good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a
lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts off its youth severs its lifeline”
(Gazzola, 2018). This implies that active citizenship is not only for adults. Being young does not mean that
you cannot do anything to contribute for your community.
2. Active citizenship involves the following competencies according to
the Children as Active Citizens: Commitments and Obligations for
Children’s Civil Rights and Civic Engagement in East Asia and the
Pacific.A Policy and Programme Guide.
1. Social, emotional and moral skills and responsibilities
■ Develop good social relationships, including mediation and
negotiation skills and non-violent conflict resolution
■ Respect differences between people and accept decisions by
other people
■ Decision-making and problem-solving skills
■ Communication skills ■ Develop self-confidence, self-esteem and
responsibility ■ Self-awareness and critical-thinking skills
■ Coping with emotions and stress management
3. 2. Community involvement and
volunteering
■ Develop respect for the environment
and promotes sustainable development
■ Develop responsibilities for
community life and citizens
4. 3. Political literacy and skills
■ Strengthen respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
■ Legal literacy: human rights, criminal and civil law, justice and the
rule of law
■ Promote tolerance for others, gender equality, equality of ethnic
and religious groups, persons with disabilities, people with different
sexual orientations and people living with HIV/AIDS
■ Government and politics, electoral systems, taxation, democracy,
budget
■ Media education should be introduced in school curricula for
children to develop critical understanding of all media forms and
nurture a healthy environment for debate.
