The development of global education as a grassroots movement for educational change has always been subject to the influences of prevailing economic and political forces. Perspectives are offered on how the formative years of global education in the United Kingdom and Canada were shaped, including the impacts of controversies and tensions among proponents and opposition from governments in power. A retrospective assessment of my experiences as a global educator during this period gives rise to some personal reflections on how my perceptions of global education have changed over time and some thoughts on how the movement might tackle some key challenges that inhibit its broader acceptance. In the current era of neoliberalism, it is argued that the visionary goals of global education are now more urgently needed in order to provide future decision makers with the tools required to make ethically sound judgments on matters that will determine the fate of humankind.