Ogonnelloe  NS Green Schools

Following on from the huge success of our ‘One Good Idea’ campaign, our focus now turns towards achieving our sixth green flag. The main focus for the next flag is based around ‘Global Citizenship, litter and waste’.

What is Global Citizenship?

We all have some idea about what citizenship means but the term can be described in a few different contexts:

  • The first, and most widely accepted, definition is in a political and legal context where ‘citizenship’ is used to explain that someone is a member of a political community or state where the citizen has certain rights and responsibilities that are defined in the laws of this community or state.
  • For example, most of us are citizens of Ireland and, among many other things this means that we have the right to vote and the right to free speech. However, we also have the responsibilities that come with being a citizen, such as the responsibility to pay our taxes and to obey the criminal laws enacted by the government. We are also European and Global citizens.
  • Citizenship does not only refer to our rights and responsibilities that are laid down in law but it is also refers to our social and moral behaviour. As a citizen of a community or state, you are expected to exercise your rights and respect the rights of others and you are encouraged to participate in the improvement of the quality of both political and civic life in your community and/or state.
  • This is often referred to as active citizenship, where direct democratic participation and feelings of responsibility for own community is encouraged.

 

Getting Started!

In previous themes we have explored issues such as Waste, Litter, Energy, Water, Travel and Biodiversity. Most of these themes would have related to issues in or near our school whereas Global Citizenship – Litter & Waste issues will cross international boundaries.

This theme will enable us to discover how our work on the Green-Schools programme has positively influenced people and their environments worldwide. It will also allow us to revise the Litter and Waste theme with the whole school. There are different global goals to focus on in order to achieve our targets. These goals are hugely important for us as a society to live by and we can make a huge difference in the world.

The Global Goals

In 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 goals for a better world by 2030. These goals have the power to end poverty, fight inequality and address the urgency of climate change. Guided by the goals, it is now up to all of us, governments, businesses, civil society and the general public to work together to build a better future for everyone

Our global goals

This year, Ogonnelloe NS is focusing on four global goals – no poverty/climate action/life on land/responsible production and consumption. As a school we look forward to challenging ourselves to enable change across our community and across the globe. We are also looking to have a huge impact around the topic of plastics. We want to change our behavior and how we use plastic in our everyday lives. We want this impact to not only be felt around school/at home, but to be felt globally. That is our aim and focus.