"In the context of increasing globalization and a shared, endangered environment, global citizenship is now firmly on the political agenda. Activists claim to be global citizens, teachers discuss education for global citizenship and political theorists debate whether the concept is coherent. In international politics, recent developments in international law and the erosion of state sovereignty have made it more plausible to think of a world community of individuals." "This book provides a comprehensive overview of the meaning of cosmopolitanism, and world citizenship, in the history of western political thought, as well as in the evolution of international politics since 1500. April Carter also explores possible interpretations of global citizenship today, examining issues such as global obligations, the theory and practice of universal human rights, migration and refugees, the development of European citizenship, the problems of citizenship beyond the nation state, and conflicts between regionalism and globalism."--Jacket.