Our Vision, Aims and Strategy

We believe that:

-      In our interdependent world, what each of us does affects all others and the ecosystem that sustains us.  

-      When we understand each other's perspectives, our lives can be transformed and enriched.

-      People are much more likely to take action for change when they have hope derived from experience that their efforts will succeed.

-      Injustice, inequality and prejudice are not inevitable but man-made, so we can change them.

Our VISION of OWW is of:

People working together to build a just, peaceful and sustainable world. 

MISSION - What we want to do:

We want to build a network of co-operating individuals and organisations to provide opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to come together to:

• acknowledge our interdependence;
• learn about global justice, spread that learning and use it to
• take action to increase equality, justice and sustainability, locally and globally.   

AIMS –  How we want to do it:

• establish OWW as a nationally recognised annual event during which organisations hold local events on global issues which involve adults, families and children;

• build on OWW’s existing work which involves faith, black minority, ethnic, diaspora and refugee communities;

• engage the next generation of activists developing new social media approaches;

• build on developing cooperation between OWW and other national organisations to: 

• encourage all our local supporters to work together to use One World Week as an opportunity to deepen understanding of global issues in order to take appropriate action;
• use the OWW website to draw attention throughout the year to partners' campaigns that relate to the OWW theme;

•  promote, strengthen, and encourage local OWW events to:

• reach out to new audience;
• increase the effectiveness of OWW as a week for information sharing, learning and action for global justice at a grass roots level.

A 3 year strategy for One World Week, 2016 – 2019

We always welcome comments from supporters on this strategy (please contact us by email with "Strategy 2016 - 19" in the subject line.) 

This strategy has been developed and approved by trustees drawing on over 30 years’ experience of One World Week (OWW). 

Our vision for OWW in 2019 continues to be of People working together to build a just, peaceful and sustainable world. 

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Context

One World Week aims to promote global justice, in a world of growing interdependence facing pressures from climate change, financial crises, terrorism and wars which fuel migration, fear, and cultural and religious intolerance. While absolute poverty is decreasing globally, rising inequality within states has eroded some of the distinctions between “rich” and “poor” countries so that poverty and extreme wealth coexist in all, including the UK. The growing concentration of power as well as wealth into unelected transnational bodies and companies threatens democracy and human rights. Continuing political developments in Europe and the US are giving rise to increasing social and economic uncertainties.

We aim:

1. To expand perceptions of what it is possible to do to build a just, peaceful and sustainable world;
2. to work efficiently with our partners and others, to make a significant contribution to building an informed, concerned and inclusive public in the UK;
3. to re-affirm OWW as a nationally recognised annual occasion during which organisations hold local events which involve adults, families, youth and children engaging with global issues and local impacts;
4. to share ideas with a wider audience of young adults.

To achieve this OWW will build on its existing work which involves faith, BME and diaspora communities and engage the next generation of activists.  

What we plan to do:

1. Promote the understanding that injustice, inequality and prejudice are not inevitable but man-made, so we can change them;
2. Stimulate, strengthen, and encourage local OWW events to reach out to new audiences and increase the effectiveness of OWW as a week for information sharing, learning and action at a grass roots level;
3. Build upon our partnerships at national level;
4. Develop social media capacity to share stories, hope and ideas for action.

How we plan to do it:

1. build confidence by sharing stories of experiences where people have acted and made a difference 
2. support local organisers in developing One World Week events around an annual theme: with resources delivered mainly through an upgraded website; and by encouraging organisers to share information more with us and with each other.
3. forge new partnerships with human rights and inclusive organisations, incorporating them into the advisory group of national representatives and making OWW available to them;
4. seek out additional volunteers to develop the use of various social media approaches;
5. develop further ways of measuring OWW’s impact.  OWW’s work has impact at different levels: we can measure this e.g. through the number of visits to OWW website; reports from OWW event organisers; reference to OWW events and activities on the internet; and reports back from individuals inspired by OWW to take action, levels of social media use.