You don't have to organise your local OWW events all by yourself ! We have been liaising with various international development agencies and global justice NGOs at the national level (see below) about the theme with a view to linking with their campaigns and sharing resources. The organisations will be alerting their supporters to OWW so you could make contact with them locally where appropriate and plan activities together.
We meet twice a year as the "OWW Working Group" and communicate by email and phone in between.
We work with these organisations through informal relationships which include:
- consultation about the OWW annual theme
- sharing resources relevant to the OWW annual theme
- Working Group members publicising the Week to their supporters to encourage them to make use of it locally, variously by including OWW leaflets in their mailings, articles in their publications, on their websites, though social media, etc.
- some giving grants or donations to OWW to help with running costs
- OWW publicising information and links to Working Group members' campaigns and activities which are relevant to OWW's theme so that OWW organisers who wish to do so may refer to them in their events. Visitors to OWW's website at any time of the year are able to find information about actions with which they may wish to get involved.)
We work with: Action Aid, Black Environment Network, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Global Justice Now, Fairtrade Foundation, Inter Faith Network, Islamic Relief, MADE in Europe; Oxfam, Think Global, Traidcraft, United Reformed Church's Commitment for Life programme, and other NGOs.
OWW is also a member of The Climate Coalition; the Trade Justice Movement;and United for Intercultural Action. (currently updating their data base). They all have a broad membership and some will have branches near you. Some of their members share the concerns of this year's theme and would be worth involving in your plans.
Our themes offers a really good opportunity to involve other organisations in OWW each year.