LISBON, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- The notion of a "global citizen" is alive and well despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the head of a non-profit organization has recently said, while urging more dialogue and partnerships between the world's cultures.
The global health crisis has improved cross-cultural dialogue and understanding as humankind is faced with one common challenge, CEO of the Global Citizen Forum Talimka Yordanova told Xinhua during the annual tech conference Web Summit in Lisbon.
"All of us, simultaneously, we are following the same measures, the same restrictions, the same precautions, and we are all wearing a mask. We're all doing PCR tests, and that's every person in every corner of the world," said the chief executive of the forum, a Canadian non-profit organization.
"COVID made the world smaller, even though it has separated us and we weren't able to physically travel, we connected with each other on a much deeper level," Yordanova said. "COVID created a real global culture for the first time."
During the interview, Yordanova emphasized that the notion of "global citizen" carried more significant meaning during the pandemic.
"The virtual space enhances the global experience tremendously. Did we become less global because of COVID? I think it's exactly the opposite," she said. "I personally was able to attend 10 times more events and more talks in parts of the world that I wouldn't be able to travel otherwise."
Global citizenship is a conviction that people exist within a context of complete interconnectedness, and global challenges are not defined by borders, regions or nationalities, according to the forum.
About 40,000 visitors and more than 700 speakers from technology and Internet companies participated in the Web Summit, which ended on Nov. 4, according to its official website. Enditem
