Collaborators from New Zealand, Spain, Brazil, Scotland, and Québec at the International Recovery & Citizenship Council conference, May 2018.

What do we mean by “citizenship”?

We define Citizenship” as a person’s strong connection to the Five R’s of rights, responsibilities, roles, resources, and relationships, and a sense of belonging that is validated by others.

The Five R’s form the core of any person’s social and civic identity in the world and are the building blocks of an individual’s life in community.  Each person’s connection to the Five R’s is unique. Through the Five R’s, over time, we all construct our lives, both public and private.

While “citizenship” in political discourse often refers to membership in a particular nation-state, our definition is broader and encompasses many different dimensions of social participation and belonging.