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18 - 25 October 2015

One World Week - Ready To Go?

OWW Newsletter September 2015

Just three weeks to go, so we hope you're ready, but don't worry if you're not because we're here to help! In this newsletter are some reminders of what you can find on our website:

  1. A new worship anthology here, for use in churches but with some resources which can be used elsewhere.

  2. Help with publicity and press releases here: There are some useful images you can download for leaflets and posters.

  3. Share on Facebook and put up comments directly.

  4. How to monitor your event - data monitoring and feedback sheets to use at your event, here: More about this below.

  5. Submit your event on the calendar, here: please do this so people can check to see what is happening in their area.

  6. Volunteers needed to help the OWW ‘task force’ – more here

  7. Please keep an eye on the new resources: the OWW pledges from which you can choose what to commit to. Also some quotes which will help in many different contexts.

There’s more about all these below:

1. Worship anthology…

WE now have a wonderful worship anthology on our website. It’s designed for Christian use but many of the resources and stories of hope it contains could be used in a multi-faith context. The Tree of Life film: https://vimeo.com/34371643 shows how a group of artists worked together in Mozambique to make trees from guns into a symbol of hope for the future and shows what we can achieve despite our differences. The anagram for TEAM, Together Everyone Achieves Miracles, is one we can adopt across all beliefs.

The worship anthology, HOPE IN ACTION, has been compiled for One World Week by Wendy Young, of Worship and Theology Partnerships in Christian Aid, and we hope church groups will find it useful for planning services around the theme next month. There must be a lot of actions from individuals and projects to celebrate that have brought hope to our communities, so please take the opportunity to do that.

2. Share the stories of hope…

WE all like to hear good news rather than dwelling on the bad so One World Week’s 2015 theme of Hope in Action provides the opportunity to do that by celebrating action that is giving hope to communities.

It might be the story of an individual or a project but there are many good news stories we can encourage our radio and television stations and newspapers to celebrate. There is no better time than One World Week between 18th and 25th October to do that because the action of the media during this week can inspire much hope!

We see lots of action from different people, which provides hope for homeless people, drug addicts, refugees and asylum seekers, victims of conflict and injustice and many other issues, so let’s encourage a celebration of that action which can be the catalyst of hope.

If you are not organising an event you can still, please, contact your local radio and television stations and newspapers and encourage them to focus for a week on the people and projects whose action has given hope. Let us know if you do it and the outcome so we can share it.

AND don’t forget to send a press release about your event or, if there is more than one event in your area, work together to produce a story for the media so that you can raise maximum awareness of ONE WORLD WEEK. Please see the website (recently added resources in right hand column) for help with a press release and for other resources www.oneworldweek.org.

Still time to plan…

Check out ideas on how your regular group session (youth club, lunch club, book club, school assembly) can be given a different twist during OWW and thus become one of the hundreds of events taking place across the country.

Maybe invite your local Traidcraft rep to run a FairTrade stall? http://www.traidcraft.co.uk.

ONE WORLD WEEK is from October 18th to 25th but it is not too late to plan an event because if you don’t do it during the week it can be at another time of the year. Your action can inspire hope at any time of the year so don’t give up because you don’t think there is time. Starting late is better than never because we can remind ourselves of the amazing action by individuals and groups that continue to bring hope to communities at all times of the year. So keep telling us your plans, sharing your ideas and inspiring us with what you are doing! Don’t stop when the week ends!

On our website you can find advice on planning local events; guidance on planning interfaith and intercultural events; publicity resources and an opportunity to let people know about your event on our website.

3. Be an inspiration!

YOUR story or event can be an inspiration to others and be a very simple action that can provide hope, so please email short stories, comments, pictures, illustrations and videos to richard@oneworldweek.org or sue@oneworldweek.org and they will be posted on OWW's Facebook page, so that we can all be encouraged by the action of so many that is bringing much hope.

4. Monitor your event

We often have to present to potential funders the range of people who come to events – and even what they gleaned from it – so, if possible, please try to keep track of this. Print off our participants’ feedback sheet here to complete at the event.

5. Submit your event…

IT doesn’t matter how big or small your event is, let us know about it.

We have simplified the method of putting events on our website now, so you do not need to log in any more. Just click on the "submit an event" page, here or use the link on the home page.

We need to hear from your school; youth group; place of worship; lunch club; university; place of work; project … whoever you are and wherever you are so that we can demonstrate we are acting together with a common purpose of inspiring hope.

So, visit the One World Week website and submit your event so that people can see what is happening, where and when. We need as many people as possible of all ages, faiths and cultures to have an opportunity of celebrating HOPE IN ACTION!

6. Help us make OWW happen!

We have a fantastic group of volunteers and without them One World Week would not happen, but we need more (see possibilities here). The work continues through the year and if you would like to help please let me know richard@oneworldweek.org so we can find a job for your particular gifts. For example, we shall need help with collating evaluation forms in a month or two.

7. New resources to help with publicity and events

Please check the website (“Recently added resources” in the right hand column of the home page and most other pages) in the next few days for these new resources:

  • Pledges - related to hope and to developing a culture of peace - you could put them on doves and display them as many doves coming together to create a large dove of peace carrying the scales of justice (as on the leaflet)

  • Quotations - about hope and equality – useful as discussion starters

A catalyst of hope…

ONE WORLD WEEK is not a charity with a self-interest, but one that aims to support everyone else with an interest in encouraging action for justice locally and globally which also requires caring for the world’s environment and resources.

One World Week is a Development Education Charity and each year, "The Week" is an opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to come together to learn about global justice, to spread that learning and to use it to take action for justice locally and globally. That’s why we have such a network of national partners at the bottom of the page. As our network of local groups and individuals grows, so more people are encouraged and inspired to take their own action which will provide hope.

Please join us this year and celebrate HOPE IN ACTION but, if you can’t do it in October, make plans for another time.

May your hopes be fulfilled.

Richard Becher, Coordinator,
and the One World Week Trustees

Our Partners:

OWW is a member of:

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One World Week, e: oww@oneworldweek.org w: www.oneworldweek.org
Registered Charity No: 1107762, Registered Company in England & Wales No: 4665250.