One World Week is Changing

“After careful consideration the Trustees decided to close One World Week (the Charity) as soon as possible after the end of the financial year in March 2023, and to take all requisite actions to that end.

The original purpose of OWW was to raise awareness of global issues amongst the Churches and general public. Since the initiation of OWW in the 1970s, much has been achieved:

  • thousands of OWW events have been held in local areas throughout the UK and around the world;
  • our original funders have developed their own education and activity programmes;
  • numerous organisations have arisen to raise awareness and address global issues from climate change to international debt, Fairtrade to refugee issues, promoting interfaith harmony and embracing diversity.  They raise awareness amongst a wide audience and provide resources and opportunities for action nationally and locally.

While funding switched to more specialist organisations, OWW organisers, who often involved these organisations in their events, switched their attention to campaigning with them on a year-round basis.

We pay tribute to those individuals and organisations who still hold local OWW events and encourage them to continue working with other organisations to share perspectives and build the movement for a just, peaceful and sustainable world, choosing their own theme from the range of related issues.

We shall continue to offer, until 2025, existing relevant resources and guidance on this website with links to other organisations sharing our values.

With regard to OWW’s role as National Co-ordinator with the EU Global Education Network, North-South Centre for the Council of Europe, we are excited to be handing over that role to two outstanding organisations who share our values:

In future, from 2023, OWW will officially be celebrated at the same time as Global Education Week, in mid November. This does not, as ever, preclude local groups and initiatives from organising One World Week events whenever suits them best, at any time of the year.