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OWW Newsletter August 2016

INCLUDING YOU

Acting Together for One World in Peace

It is just 3 months to the official start of One World Week. Now is the time to be planning local events considering how to bring about a just, peaceful and sustainable world.

In this newsletter we bring you:

  • The 2016 theme

  • Guidelines

  • Leaflet

  • Communications

  • New Website

This year’s theme: Including You - Acting Together for One World in Peace

Our theme was conceived in response to reactions to terrorist attacks and to the arrival of refugees in Europe over the last couple of years. The referendum campaign and the result make it even more appropriate for OWW to emphasise our tradition of bringing people together to hear each other’s perspectives and share common values.

We are all affected by the impacts of migration and refugees, diversity and inclusion, extremism, Islamophobia and racism. Our society needs to think in new ways to understand these issues and address the causes and effects to enable us all to live together in peace.

You may choose to focus on a particular situation in your event, or invite a range of involved organisations to inspire action. The OWW website already has some useful ideas and resources:

Guidelines for interpreting the theme

This is a downloadable booklet. It contains ideas and practical resources including worship resources to help you use OWW as an opportunity to work with others locally to bring people together to:

  • listen to neighbours’ fears and hopes;

  • raise understanding by telling peoples’ stories of why they moved;

  • identify and address underlying reasons for why people flee (environmental ruin, insecurity, poverty, conflict, …);

  • inspire hope to take action by showing how people are offering support and upholding the rights of those who suffer discrimination and abuse.

You may want to involve some different organisations this year, particularly those working locally with refugees - new ones have emerged in the last few months. A good way of introducing OWW to them is to show them the PowerPoint originally developed by the Portsmouth OWW group. It has been updated for 2016; you can download it here

Our former Coordinator, Richard Becher, has been involved in the preparation of a range of United Reformed Church resources for sacred conversations on migration “@ Home in a Strange Place”, including a thought-provoking film you can download and use.

The 2016 leaflet/poster

This is to share with your planning team and other people and organisations you want to involve. It is available for download for domestic printing in colour or grayscale, although we do have a small supply for distribution at events and mailings. Please get in touch before the end of August if you would like some.

Communications

This is the first year we have not sent out a postal mailing, so it is important you maintain an up-to-date email contact with us via oww@oneworldweek.org. With no staff currently and no office, it is best to communicate online via www.oneworldweek.org.

Don’t forget to “like” our Facebook page which, along with our website, is constantly being updated with news items about One World Week and relevant organisations.

Individual donations, including those arising from events, and even Standing Orders, which are most welcome, should be sent via the Donate page on our website, wherever possible. We can also reclaim Gift Aid online as well. However, as a last resort, we do have a volunteer caretaker address to receive cheques at 15 Bryngwyn Road, Newport NP20 4JS.

New Website

Thanks to generous financial support from CAFOD, Global Justice Now and pro bono support from Webber Design and volunteer, Charlotte Taylor, the One World Week website is being revamped so you can access it more easily, whatever device you are using. Look out for notification when this will be launched (hopefully seamlessly) with improved:

  • search facilities for you to find resources relevant to your situation

  • event calendar for you to upload your event details for us all to see, creating the OWW solidarity knowing that each event, however small, is part of a movement for global justice that includes us all.

Meanwhile, please do not hesitate to get in touch with any queries, relevant news items, Facebook suggestions or volunteering offers via oww@oneworldweek.org.

We look forward to hearing about your event plans as they are finalised.

The OWW Volunteer Team:

Alison, Charlotte, Ingrid, Jonaid, Roger, Sarah, Sue.

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.