How to Be an Active Citizen and Spark Change | Gabriel Marmentini | TED

Summary

The speaker challenges the traditional view of citizenship as merely a status conferred at birth, arguing that true citizenship is an active, earned role. They emphasize the importance of political knowledge, plural dialogue, civic empathy, and community protagonism as key ingredients for becoming an engaged citizen. Through personal anecdotes and examples, the speaker inspires the audience to take an active role in solving public problems and shaping society, highlighting that citizenship is a lifelong journey that must be earned and cultivated.

Takeaways

• 👶 Citizenship isn't something you're born with; it's something you must earn through life experiences.
• 📚 Citizenship requires knowledge, engagement, and effort—it's more than just rights and duties.
• 💡 Solving public problems is at the heart of citizenship, not just relying on the state to fix things.
• 🇧🇷 Brazil's democracy is still young, and many citizens are unprepared to fully participate in it.
• 🗣️ Political knowledge is essential—understanding institutions, laws, and how the system works is the first step.
• 🤝 Dialogue with people who have differing views helps us grow and build a more inclusive society.
• 🌍 Civic empathy means seeing your city and community as living entities, identifying problems, and contributing to their solutions.
• 🏘️ Community protagonism is about local action—making small changes in your community can lead to broader societal change.
• 👩‍🏫 You can take on many roles as a citizen, from teaching political knowledge to advocating for local policies.
• 👶 Raising future citizens starts early—cultivating values of democracy, citizenship, and responsibility from childhood is essential for systemic change.

Q & A

What does the speaker suggest citizenship is more than just being a member of a nation?

The speaker suggests that citizenship is more than just having rights, duties, and belonging to a nation; it is also about actively solving public problems and engaging in the community.

Why does the speaker believe many Brazilians are unprepared for citizenship?

The speaker believes many Brazilians are unprepared for citizenship because there is a lack of education and preparation regarding what it means to be a good citizen, which is a relatively new concept in Brazil due to its young democracy.

What is the 'citizen metamorphosis process' mentioned by the speaker?

The 'citizen metamorphosis process' is a concept introduced by the speaker that involves four ingredients: political knowledge, plural dialogue, civic empathy, and community protagonism, which are essential for individuals to transform into active citizens.

What is the first ingredient in the citizen metamorphosis process according to the speaker?

The first ingredient in the citizen metamorphosis process is political knowledge, which involves understanding the country's organization, institutions, political parties, ideologies, and the purpose of taxes.

Why is plural dialogue important in the speaker's view of citizenship?

Plural dialogue is important because it encourages individuals to engage with people who have different perspectives, which can lead to personal growth, a broader understanding, and the breaking down of echo chambers.

What does the speaker mean by 'civic empathy'?

Civic empathy, as defined by the speaker, is the ability to understand and connect with the emotions and needs of one's community and city, recognizing the shared responsibility in solving local problems.

How does the speaker define 'community protagonism'?

Community protagonism is about taking action and initiative within one's community to address local issues, emphasizing the importance of starting local and recognizing the power individuals have to create change.

What are some of the actions the speaker suggests individuals can take after being trained in citizenship?

Individuals can teach political knowledge, facilitate dialogues, conduct awareness campaigns, monitor government actions, create public policies, and advocate for their implementation in their communities.

What is the significance of the speaker's baby image in the context of the talk?

The baby image signifies the importance of raising children with an understanding of citizenship from an early age, emphasizing that systemic change requires cultivating democratic values and a sense of civic responsibility in the next generation.

Why does the speaker argue that citizenship cannot be taken for granted?

The speaker argues that citizenship cannot be taken for granted because it is not an inherent right but something that must be earned and actively worked towards through education, engagement, and contribution to society.

Outlines

00:00

👶 The Concept of Citizenship Beyond Birth

The speaker begins by humorously introducing a Brazilian baby, suggesting that citizenship is often assumed at birth, but this is only partially true. They emphasize that while individuals have rights and duties from birth, true citizenship involves more than just being a member of a nation. The speaker argues that citizenship is a concept that should be earned through life experiences and active engagement in society. They share their personal journey and the idea that citizenship requires effort, knowledge, and real-life experiences. The speaker introduces the 'citizen metamorphosis process,' which includes four key ingredients for becoming an active citizen: political knowledge, plural dialogue, civic empathy, and community protagonism. They challenge the audience to reflect on whether they are just individuals or true citizens, aiming to inspire a deeper understanding and practice of citizenship.

05:01

🗣️ The Ingredients for Citizen Metamorphosis

The speaker outlines the four essential ingredients for the 'citizen metamorphosis process': political knowledge, plural dialogue, civic empathy, and community protagonism. They explain the importance of understanding the political system, engaging in conversations with diverse perspectives, empathizing with the community and its challenges, and taking an active role in addressing local issues. The speaker shares examples of how these ingredients can be applied in practice, including facilitating dialogues, creating awareness campaigns, and developing public policies. They also highlight the success stories of individuals who have used these principles to make a difference in their communities, emphasizing that anyone can become a policymaker and contribute to societal change.

10:02

🌟 The Importance of Earning Citizenship

In the final paragraph, the speaker concludes by reiterating the importance of earning citizenship through active participation and engagement in society. They stress that citizenship is not a status granted at birth but something that must be deserved and conquered. The speaker encourages the audience to see themselves as potential change-makers and to take on the responsibility of being active citizens. They end with a call to action, reminding everyone that systemic change begins with raising children with a sense of citizenship and the values that support it.

Keywords

💡Citizenship

Citizenship in the context of the video is not merely a legal status but a dynamic and active role where individuals engage in society to solve public problems. It is about being more than just a taxpayer or voter; it's about actively participating in the democratic process and contributing to the betterment of society. The speaker emphasizes that citizenship is something that needs to be earned and is not automatically granted by birth, challenging the notion of being a 'baby citizen.'

💡Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis in the video refers to the transformative process of becoming a true citizen. It is used metaphorically to describe the journey from being an individual to an active participant in society. The speaker outlines a 'citizen metamorphosis process' with four ingredients, suggesting that becoming a citizen is an active and conscious choice that involves learning and growth.

💡Political Knowledge

Political knowledge is described as the first ingredient in the citizen metamorphosis process. It involves understanding the structure of one's country, its institutions, political parties, ideologies, and the allocation of tax money. The speaker argues that this knowledge is essential for effective citizenship, as it empowers individuals to make informed decisions and engage in meaningful dialogue about societal issues.

💡Plural Dialogue

Plural dialogue is the second ingredient in the citizen metamorphosis process. It encourages engaging in conversations with people who hold different views, stepping out of echo chambers to broaden perspectives and foster understanding. The speaker stresses that this dialogue is not about agreeing with everyone but about learning from diverse viewpoints to grow as a citizen.

💡Civic Empathy

Civic empathy is the third ingredient and is about understanding and feeling the needs of one's community and city. It involves recognizing the emotions and challenges faced by the community and taking responsibility for addressing them. The speaker uses the concept to highlight the importance of community involvement and the acknowledgment that citizens play a role in creating and solving societal problems.

💡Community Protagonism

Community protagonism is the fourth and final ingredient in the citizen metamorphosis process. It emphasizes taking action and being proactive in one's community to bring about change. The speaker encourages looking to local issues first and then expanding the impact, recognizing that individuals have the power to be change-makers and not just passive observers.

💡Public Problems

Public problems are issues that affect the community or society at large and are a central focus in the video. The speaker argues that true citizenship involves identifying and working to solve these problems, rather than relying solely on the state. This concept is used to illustrate the active role citizens should play in shaping their communities and societies.

💡State

The state, in the video, is portrayed not as the sole hero or problem-solver but as one actor among many in addressing societal issues. The speaker challenges the common expectation that the state will handle all public problems and emphasizes the need for collective action involving various sectors of society.

💡Individuals

Individuals are contrasted with citizens in the video, with the speaker suggesting that while everyone is born an individual, becoming a citizen is a process that requires effort and engagement. The term is used to highlight the distinction between passive members of society and those who actively participate in democratic processes.

💡Democracy

Democracy is presented as a relatively new and evolving concept in the context of Brazil, where the constitution is only 35 years old. The speaker uses this term to emphasize the importance of learning and adapting to be effective in a democratic society, suggesting that being a good citizen is crucial for the health and progress of a democracy.

💡Citizen Metamorphosis Process

The Citizen Metamorphosis Process is a concept introduced by the speaker as a framework for individuals to transform into active citizens. It includes four ingredients: political knowledge, plural dialogue, civic empathy, and community protagonism. This process is central to the video's message, illustrating the steps individuals can take to become engaged and effective citizens.

Highlights

Citizenship is not an innate quality but something that must be earned through life experiences and effort.

Being a citizen involves more than just having rights and duties; it's about actively solving public problems.

The concept of citizenship is often reduced, but it should be seen as a broader, more active engagement with society.

In Brazil, the lack of preparation for citizenship is a common democratic behavior, indicating a need for change.

Citizenship is a journey that requires acquiring knowledge, engaging in real-life experiences, and making a conscious effort.

The speaker humorously reveals that their mother was not prepared to be a citizen, reflecting a broader societal issue.

The 'citizen metamorphosis process' is introduced as a simple yet effective way to transform individuals into active citizens.

Political knowledge is the first essential ingredient for citizenship, requiring understanding of one's country's organization and political system.

Plural dialogue is crucial for growth, encouraging individuals to engage with diverse perspectives beyond their comfort zones.

Civic empathy involves understanding and addressing the needs and 'emotions' of one's community and city.

Community protagonism empowers individuals to take action and be proactive in solving local issues.

The speaker shares personal experiences of applying the 'citizen metamorphosis process' through civil society organizations.

Individuals can become policy makers, not just policy takers, by creating and advocating for public policies.

Real-life examples are provided, demonstrating how ordinary citizens can develop and implement public policies to solve community issues.

The importance of raising children with a sense of citizenship from an early age is emphasized for systemic change.

Citizenship is a lifelong project that requires continuous cultivation of values and active engagement in democracy.

The speaker concludes by stressing that citizenship must be earned and is not a status granted by birth.

Transcripts

Here you can see a Brazilian baby.

Cute, huh?

And he isn't just a baby.

It's a baby citizen.

Once we are born, voila!

Magically, we are already citizens, right?

Partially right, at least for me.

Yes, we do have rights, duties, we belong to a nation.

When growing up, we are probably going to pay taxes and to vote.

And all these are well-known characteristics for good citizens.

And indeed they are relevant, they are true.

But thinking just this way,

we are reducing a beautiful concept of citizenship.

Because citizenship is way more than that,

and I’ll explain why soon.

By the way, I am this baby.

(Laughter)

I mean, I was.

And I was smiling in this picture because mommy told me

that I would be a great citizen one day.

(Laughter)

And I would do a TED Talk to share my ideas.

(Laughter)

But unfortunately, this is not true.

My mom never told me that.

How could she?

No one prepared her to be a citizen.

Then she wouldn't know what is to be a great one, right?

People in my country are mostly individuals rather than citizens,

like my mom and myself in the past.

And that's the point here.

The unpreparedness for citizenship

is the most democratic behavior among us Brazilians.

It doesn't matter where you came from, your gender, your age,

your professional background, or any other thing.

The probability that you are a prepared citizen is really low.

And for the context, I am 30 years old

and our constitution is just 35.

So it's really new, right?

We are still figuring out how to be a democracy.

You probably already got my point here.

We are not baby citizens, no one is born as a citizen.

We are just individuals.

And citizenship is something

that we might conquer through life experiences.

Citizenship requires effort.

We need to acquire knowledge.

We need to pass through real life experiences where we put our hands on.

And maybe we can be called a citizen one day.

And that's my idea worth spreading here.

The only takeaway I want you to bring back home

is the reflection about you being a citizen or just an individual.

And for those who think that can strengthen your journey

to be a better citizen or to start being a citizen,

I have here the citizen metamorphosis process to share with you.

It's just four ingredients, it's really basic stuff.

You're going to see that there is nothing mind-blowing there.

What is mind-blowing in my ingredients

is that we are just not putting them in practice,

and I don't know why.

They are simple, fun and necessary.

But before entering the citizen metamorphosis process,

I need to align with you three assumptions.

Citizenship for Gabriel in my conception is about solving public problems.

So if you're not going toward solving things that are bothering you in society,

if you're not choosing a problem that resonates with your heart

and with your mind and really try to solve it,

you are not a citizen for me.

Secondly, the state is not a hero.

We rely and we expect a lot of things,

that someone is going to solve our problems,

especially the state, in some countries.

And the state, of course, is important, but it’s just one actor.

We need to unite all sectors to solve public problems together.

And finally, we are a complex society.

We can see wicked problems everywhere, every day.

Just take a look at the UN agenda for 2030.

Maybe we are just copy and pasting the SDGs and trying again

because we are failing a lot.

So we need to solve public problems together.

That's about being a citizen.

So now I have my ingredients here to share with you.

It's just four.

Nothing mind-blowing there.

Remember, basic stuff.

In Brazil, we like to call basic stuff as the rice and the beans.

It’s a delicious dish that we eat a lot.

So we need to look forward for the rice and the beans

to do something as citizens.

First, political knowledge.

We are raised listening to bad things about politics, right?

It's something that is corrupted, it's boring, it's difficult to understand,

so we must avoid it.

That's wrong.

Politics is beautiful,

and it's a beauty tool for transformation.

But we need to understand how to use it.

And when you dive into this concept,

you need to acquire the basic knowledge to understand your country,

how your country is organized,

which institutions are there,

what they do,

what are the political parties,

the ideologies,

why you're paying taxes,

where your money is going.

All these basic answers you must have to be a citizen.

If you don't have it, you need to look forward for it.

Especially in a world of misinformation, this gets quite important.

So political knowledge as the first ingredient.

The second one is plural dialogue.

It's really comfortable to talk about people we love and we agree with.

And finding divergency,

people that will make us feel uncomfortable somehow

is just making us grow.

Going outside the bubbles, the echo chambers and all this.

It’s important, and I promise you, you’re going to learn something new.

It's not about tolerating everything

and agreeing with everything people will say,

but it's about trying to understand how they got to this perspective

and what can you learn from them.

Thirdly, we have civic empathy,

and I bet you've been listening to the word empathy a lot recently.

But I'm not talking about empathy with human beings.

That, of course, is something important.

But are we exercising empathy with our neighborhood,

with our community, with our city?

Trying to see our city as a human being for a moment

and understand there’s emotions there, [suffering].

We need to help it to be better

and to identify our city gaps is our role as citizens

and acknowledge that all problems that are surrounding us

and that are bothering us, we made them.

Somehow, we contributed to the existence of these problems.

So this is civic empathy.

And finally, community protagonism.

And I love this, because what is the point of having knowledge,

knowing how to dialogue,

understanding your city gaps,

if you're not putting your hands on to do something?

And these beautiful words here tell us two things:

community first.

You need to look local and then maybe you can go global.

The big revolution comes from small revolution.

So look to your community and that's good.

And protagonism because you have the power.

You can do whatever you want, you just need to move on for it.

So I've been applying this recipe for a long time

in two civil society organizations I cofounded in Brazil with my team.

And I can assure you that it's possible to mix up these ingredients

and do a good recipe

where you're going to take people that are just individuals, spectators,

and bring them to a side where they can find themselves

as change makers, as solvers, as citizens.

And especially we do this better when we design a journey that is simple,

fun, meaningful and tangible.

Creating safe spaces where people really feel that they belong

and that we can embrace mistakes as part of the process.

And here are the kind of things that you can see possible

after being trained for citizenship.

You can teach other people about the political knowledge

that you just acquired.

You can put people to dialogue,

facilitating conversations about tough topics

where people are going to broaden their tolerance and open their minds.

You can do awareness campaigns

to put emphasis

and spreading messages that are relevant for you.

You can monitor the government

and work with it as peers to improve your society.

You can formulate local diagnosis of public problems

to understand your city gaps,

and put in practice the civic empathy that I just told you.

You can use these city gaps to create public policies from scratch

using our methodology, for example,

that is free and available for everybody online.

Telling people what is the life cycle of a public policy.

You can take your ideas as public policies

and advocate in your municipality,

doing some kind of lobby to see your ideas coming through.

And that's precisely the spotlight that I want to put here,

because we all were taught that the state,

the government has this monopoly of building these public policies.

And everybody here can be a policymaker, not just policy takers.

Magda and Vitor, for example,

developed a public policy where they created a mobile application

to help the elderly to find their rights really easily

and also access to basic services in their municipality.

The proposal was approved by the city council,

and it's just awaiting for the executive branch to approve the budget.

They did that from scratch.

Secondly, we have Rafael.

That, in the other hand, created the skateboarding week.

Besides being an Olympic sport now,

it's really important for kids in Brazil to have better opportunities.

So he presented to the city councilor,

they approved and it's happening in his town now.

Finally, we have Folashade.

She just presented a public policy

to stimulate the cultural tourism in her region,

putting the original and traditional communities

into the center of the process

of creating courses and experiences to the tourists.

The proposal hasn't been approved yet,

but has been presented.

The first step has been taken.

We must celebrate it.

If all these people, and baby Gabriel, now a man,

became citizens and are involved [in] solving public problems,

everyone can be one as well.

But the reason why I brought my baby image here

is not because I found myself beautiful.

It's because we all need to remember

that the systemic change will only happen

when we start raising our kids as citizens since the beginning.

Politics, democracy, citizenship

are not concepts that are out there that we can’t touch.

We need to feel them, we need to live them.

They are a set of values that we need to cultivate inside us

since the beginning.

It's a lifetime project.

Remember, citizenship cannot be taken for granted.

You must deserve it.

You must conquer it.

Citizenship must be earned.

See you on the other side.

Thank you so much.

(Applause)