The "new globalization" and what it means for the preparation of future citizens

Citizenship education seeks to prepare citizens for a future that is often made out to be certain and secure. Citizenship education programs often seek young people's allegiance to existing values and systems as through these will be unchanging. Yet the current geo-political environment suggests that this premise is no longer sustainable. Both the present and the future, just like the present, will be marked by uncertainty, insecurity and a clash of values and systems that suggest citizenship education needs to be reconfigured to meet the needs of such turbulent times. This paper analyses the current environment confronting nation states and suggests new directions that are needed for citizenship education. Copyright © 2003 Pacific Circle Consortium for Education.