Fostering Global Citizenship through International Youth Forums

While investigation of the global citizenship phenomena has expanded, few studies exist on how global citizenship is fostered vis-à-vis international youth programs. The purpose of this study therefore is to understand in what ways the UNESCO Young People's World Heritage Education Programme has fostered global citizenship. Using an interpretivistic approach, the study has gathered the individual perspectives of former youth delegates (9 delegates from 7 countries) of the 2008 World Heritage Youth Component held in Quebec City through semi-structured interviews. While in some ways differences between individual viewpoints became linked to distinctions in cultural backgrounds and societal contexts, similarities dominated. Practical implications from this study offer a greater understanding into the type of global citizenship that is fostered by international youth programs. This recognition may equip the World Heritage Education Programme in particular to further develop young people as actively engaged global citizens, leading to stewardship and sustainable management of the world¿s most outstanding natural and cultural heritage.