[TheDude]

I think this depends on what you mean by "world citizen." As Wikipedia points out, the term has many different meanings.

I'm not sure in what context you are referring to the term, but your quote seems to come out of the Bahai community.

I found this site which seems to further explain the statement that you quoted and the conclusion really stuck out to me.

In conclusion, world citizenship is a concept as challenging and dynamic as the opportunities facing the world community. We, the peoples and nations of the world, would be wise to embrace courageously its underlying principles and be guided by them in all aspects of our lives -- from our personal and community relations to our national and international affairs; from our schools, work places and media to our legal, social and political institutions. We, therefore, urge the Commission to encourage the entire UN system to incorporate the principle of world citizenship into the full range of its programs and activities.

I'm sure this is not an authoratative explanation but it seems a bit idealistic and a lofty goal. Also, I'm an atheist and this feels to much like any other religion trying to tell me how I should live my life and how my society should be run.

I think a more simple way to be a good global citizen is to do what you can to contribute to a better world. And in many cases, you can benefit from that effort as an individual.

For example, one bright method for a sustainable future is to develop clean, renewable energy sources. Governments can help these industries get off the ground in a variety of ways. Schools can generate more interest in science and engineering so that students can one day help tackle the techological challenges. Local communities can educate jobless workers in green technologies so they can find employment in this relatively new and fast growing industries. For entrepreneurs, this space is a goldmine.

I don't think being expats necessarily makes us better world citizens in this regard. Though there are unique opportunities as described in the Wikipedia article.

In a non-political definition, it has been suggested that a world citizen may provide value to society by using knowledge acquired across cultural contexts[1]. In its most obvious scenario, the savvy businessperson who has travelled the world would be able to use knowledge about resources and products found abroad to create business where value can be maximised. In another scenario, the savvy world citizen would leverage cultural knowledge from his/her numerous trips to create bridges of knowledge, also creating value.

However, expats have to actively engage their knowledge in a way to benefit their society. I don't think expats have any more capability to be good world citizens than people who have yet to leave their home countries though.