CHAIRMAN’S LETTER GLOBAL CITIZEN PUBLISHER Anna Loizou EDITOR Irena Komitova – i.komitova@premium.bg SUB EDITOR Emilia Koleva – e.koleva@premium.bg ART DIRECTOR Peter Parnarov – p.parnarov@premium.bg GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alexander Karaleev – akaraleev@gmail.com CONTRIBUTORS Martina Zaharieva, Ina Gerdjikova, Emilia Koleva, Andrea Pountcheva, Irena Komitova, Victor Papazov, Magdalena Gigova, Etan Smallman, Tahira Yaqoob PRINTED BY DPC d.o.o., Montenegro www.global-citizen.com www.issuu.com/global-citizen www.facebook.com/GlobalCitizenMag
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he world order seems more disturbed than ever. Elections and referendums have confounded establishment expectations. Destructive weather events have destroyed nations. Violence wracks entire regions, driving communities to flee in search of safety. People feel unsafe. In the midst of this we find ourselves talking about global citizenship. This is not, as some would have you believe, an abstract concept of global government and world peace. As I have discovered this year, travelling the world investigating global citizenship, a consensus is emerging. A global mindset is connecting real world problems with action and global solutions. Of course, more and more people can afford to travel. Thanks to good government and diplomacy more people are free to travel visa free and without restrictions. But just because somebody is denied that opportunity by accident of birth does not mean they should be denied meaningful connection with the world. Just because somebody is poor does not mean they should not participate actively in the global economy. Just because they suffer under bad government doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have their voices heard. Thinkers and do-ers from across politics and business recognise that the ‘Age of Uncertainty’ presents a class of global problems that demand careful thought and urgent global action. Political shocks, natural disasters, and economic changes must be examined in the context of the new normal. Populations connect in ways never imagined before. Technology is transforming our world. Citizen expectations are on the march, in every corner of our planet. We will address some big questions in Sveti Stefan, Montenegro, on 19 and 20 October. Thinkers, experts, professionals, and world leaders will come together in the spirit of free enquiry and reasonable debate. I invite you all to join us. Stand up, speak up, and be counted. This is the issue of our age.
Armand Arton Founder of the Global Citizen Forum
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