Beyond Political: New Dimensions of Modern Citizenship

Economic Citizenship: Beyond Political Roles

It should be recognized that in addition to political citizens, we are also "economic citizens." This recognition entails embracing business ethics and fostering corporate social responsibility. Furthermore, it involves exercising our consumer citizenship by implementing an ethic of fair use. Progress in these areas creates more opportunities for citizens to participate meaningfully in the economic decisions that affect them, with the ultimate goal of poverty eradication.

Civil Citizenship: Engaging in Society

Civil citizenship refers to the participation of people in various associations and groups that pursue legitimate purposes of civility. In these freely and spontaneously generated groups, individuals learn to participate in and become interested in public issues, as the political arena can often be limited. The ethical impulse that drives the best of civil society manifests in three main areas:

• The Voluntary or Third Social Sector

  Organized through the gratuity and generosity of citizens in numerous civic and cultural associations, this sector promotes universal solidarity and demands that political and economic powers assume their responsibilities.

• Professions

  Professions are social institutions legitimized by the service they provide to society. Therefore, they must take ethics seriously, avoiding corporate self-interest, corruption, and bad practices that harm both users and the public.

• Critical Public Opinion

  Critical public opinion emerges from an open discussion among citizens, free from arbitrary exclusion, through the public use of reason. It clearly and firmly articulates demands on political power, economic institutions, and professions.

Intercultural Citizenship: Embracing Diversity

Citizenship cannot be exclusively linked to a dominant cultural group, no matter how large it is. To avoid this situation, contemporary societies are gradually opening up to a new dimension of citizenship based on intercultural ethics. This ethic is not content with assimilating relegated cultures into a triumphant one, nor does it merely accept the coexistence of cultural groups in isolated ghettos. Instead, it actively invites dialogue between cultural groups to respect their differences and collectively establish principles of coexistence and fair justice.

Cosmopolitan Citizenship: A Global Vision

Cosmopolitan citizenship is an ideal that perhaps one day can become a reality. It envisions a world where all people are considered full citizens anywhere, feeling an active and responsible part in the progress of the world. It is necessary to extend social citizenship universally, ensuring that all persons have access to goods essential for a dignified life and can participate in community life. This requires upholding universal human rights of the first, second, and third generations, opting for ethical globalization—a globalization of solidarity and justice.