Editorial: global citizenship as a pedagogy of hope

Abstract

The four articles that form the basis of this special issue onglobal citizenship as a pedagogy of hope arose from dialogue among academics and researchers within the Academic Network of Global Education and Learning (ANGEL), a symposium on the topic at the British Education Research Association (BERA) Conference in 2022, and the need to showcase current debates within the field of global learning and development education on the importance of including value-based perspectives within the discourse. There has been a recognition in several publications in the field in recent years (Bosio and Waghid, 2023; Kwapong et al., 2022; Sharma, 2018) that too little attention has been paid to the voices of the marginalised and those who present perspectives that reflect philosophical positions that are counter to the dominant Western educational discourse. There has also been a need within the discussions on global citizenship to bring in educational themes that pose goals for the future and are optimistic, and which therefore promote a sense of hope and that change is possible. Linked to these concerns has been perhaps an overemphasis on critiques of existing policies and practices, valuable though they may be, to the detriment of posing narratives that suggest more progressive and optimistic views of the future. This theme of moving forwards can be seen at an international level, where there has been an increasing acceptance of the need to promote debate about the future of education and to ensure