18 - 25 October 2015
Celebrating the Action That Gives Hope!
OWW Newsletter September 2015
WHAT an exciting time to be able to introduce myself as the new National Coordinator of One World Week as we get ready to celebrate Hope in Action! I am joining a great team of volunteers, trustees and supporters and hope we can continue to build on their amazing work for which we thank them all.
More about me later but the immediate focus must be on the launch of HOPE IN ACTION. As the traditional week of activities and events start on October 18th we hope you will take the opportunity to encourage others by sharing your stories of where action in your organisation, project or faith group has provided hope.
We hear so many people complaining that nothing changes or nothing is being done but we know that there is a lot of action bringing hope and helping to build a more equal and peaceful world. So let’s hear your stories of HOPE IN ACTION which can become amazing catalysts of change in the world.
Please go to the One World Week Facebook page and post your stories, comments, pictures, illustrations and videos so that we can all be encouraged by the action of so many that is bringing so much hope.
It might be an interview with a refugee who has found hope through the action of your project; or the story of someone who was homeless or unemployed. It might be a message from someone in Africa who has found hope through the action of a faith group in the UK or a story from someone in Palestine who has seen a light of hope in their darkness.
Whether it be from home or abroad please use the Facebook link to share stories from which we can learn and be encouraged.
If you don’t use Facebook just send us the story so we can make sure it is shared as we celebrate the action that IS bringing hope to the world.
Get writing!
WE hope you will also take the opportunity to plan an activity to celebrate HOPE IN ACTION which can be something big or something small or just something in between. It might even just be a letter that you write from the school classroom, university lecture hall, youth club, bible study group or from home but it can be an action that gives someone, somewhere a bit of hope! It might even be a letter that says thank you for the action that has given hope. Get writing — and let us know about it please.
Deliver the message!
WHAT you do can be part of a meeting you already have so simply needs a speaker to be invited who can talk about hope in action and how to build a more equal and peaceful world. Or it can be the theme of a school assembly or an act of worship. For the Christians among you I am sure there must be plenty of preachers who can deliver an inspiring message on how our action can bring hope to the world! I note that the suggested bible reading for Sunday October 18th is Luke 10 verses 1-9 which is about Jesus sending out 72 people with a message of hope and the following week it is Mark 10 verse 46 to the end where the action of Jesus gives hope to the blind Bartimaeus.
If every place of worship could deliver a message of HOPE IN ACTION to celebrate One World Week it would be an amazing coming together to offer encouragement. Let us know if you can raise your voice for hope in One World Week. We would like to hear your stories, quotes, prayers and readings from your religious traditions to share and inspire.
Tell us about your plan!
THERE isn’t a lot of time to plan an event for One World Week as it is already September but we will help publicise it if you let us know about it.
THE October week is also just the launch of a theme which can last for the next 12 months and people always need to be encouraged by action which brings hope so consider an event for some other time of the year.
Seven days in a year…
GIVE THE WORLD A WEEK is a new thought you might like to consider which means you do seven things during the year which focus on the theme….. Your first event might be an act of worship which launches your “week in a year” and others might be around HOPE IN ACTION at significant festivals or events in your calendar. It also means you might plan a HOPE IN ACTION street party in your community next summer. So how about giving our one world seven days in a year with action which can lead to hope!
Turn thoughts into action!
THINK of what you can do to celebrate HOPE IN ACTION and do it! Don’t worry about when it is, but plan it and please let us know.
Quick and simple…!
NOT everyone has time to read the information from so many organisations that bring hope to our communities through their action but film and dialogue with illustration can be powerful tools with people of all ages so here are a few pointers to look at:
Street Associations (www.streetassociations.org) Some ideas on how streets can come together to build community so be inspired by the video.
Love Marlow (www.lovemarlow.co.uk) The story of how a town came together to celebrate and listen for how action brought hope to the community.
CAFOD: How do you see the world? One Climate, One…: http://youtu.be/B9l3BjfyS9Q is an informative and easy to watch video for young people
Equally Ours is an organisation with three video stories on their website which can be the focus for asking the questions about what action can inspire hope. www.equally-ours.org.uk
Even it up is on the Oxfam website. www.oxfam.org.uk and click on the video.
Traidcraft provide a good video in their resources which can raise questions in a discussion group: worship resources with video for use in churches www.traidcraft.co.uk campaigns
The Story of Stuff is good for all age groups and explores a number of themes http://storyofstuff.org/movies/lets-ban-the-bead/ and http://storyofchange.org a couple to start with which are about six minutes each. Find both in Resources.
The Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership is becoming a controversial issue and difficult to get a balanced view because it is so secretive but there is a good video by 38 Degrees https://youtu.be/Y4OQeekSD6s which might help.
Just a few to start with! You can show one or more and as a discussion starter ask the question: So what action can we take to inspire hope for our One World?
Jump on the Oxfam bus…!
Oxfam start a bus tour from Glasgow on September 26th and it ends in Birmingham on Saturday October 24th so if you live in either of those cities, or London, Liverpool and Cardiff jump on board for another view of the One World Week theme. Go to the website and see the full programme http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/our-campaigns/inequality-and-poverty/even-it-up-bus-tour
Exciting challenge!
I am excited by the role I am taking on. I hope that we can work together as a One World Week team of volunteers and supporters to enable silent voices to be heard alongside the voices of the powerful so together we can all hear grow into a One World Family.
I am an ordained minister in the United Reformed Church who retired at the end of December 2014 but I had many experiences before entering the church ministry. I was a journalist before working with Vietnamese Boat People with Save the Children Fund and Refugee Action; was involved in village development work in Kenya before managing a children’s home in Nairobi and then managed a project for homeless young people in Birmingham before being ordained. I have also made visits to Zimbabwe, Malawi, Jamaica and India which have given me further insights into issues across boundaries of faith and culture.
I am based in Birmingham where some of my time will be devoted to supporting my daughter, Laura, and her husband, Danny, look after a granddaughter named Isla. My daughter’s mum used to be Coordinator for One World Week in Birmingham in 1990 so it seems I am walking in her footsteps after all these years. Sadly, she died in 2000 but I am now remarried.
I look forward to working with you all as we try to make our contribution together to building a more equal and peaceful world.
Richard Becher,
One World Week Coordinator
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