Form a new local OWW group!
You have read about One World Week and are really interested in putting on an event...fantastic!
But there's just one thing...you can't seem to find anybody else who shares the same commitment to global issues.
Where have all the people gone?
Do not despair, help is at hand!
Almost everywhere in the country there are people to be found, who share your same values and concerns, ready and able to help you make a start.
See our DOING OWW page for more advice on how to organise an event. Our Hand book Piecing Together One World contains all you need to know about organising an inclusive event and how to form a local OWW group - Download it from here
Who should I contact?
Contact your nearest Development Education Centre (DEC). If you live in Scotland you can find them here. In England, there are fewer than there used to be but here are a couple: South Yorkshire and Cumbria and Beyond
What is a DEC?
DECs specialise in raising awareness about global development issues, and may be able to point you in the direction of individuals and / or groups who are active in local community work and may be interested in being part of OWW.
Ask your local council, library or voluntary action group if they have a list of representatives from various ethnic groups and organisations.
Contact churches in your local area to find out whether there are any existing groups (e.g. Justice and Peace) or local branches of the National organisations that work centrally with OWW (list here) or other groups dealing with global issues; they might be interested in getting involved.
Contact local climate action groups and Greening groups - climate activists are aware of how climate change affects the whole world and can be ready allies - and would be glad to work with OWW groups who have links with diverse cultural groups.
How to contact new people and bring them into your planning committee or event? These notes: "Practical Suggestions for bringing new people into OWW", and a PowerPoint, "Introducing OWW" are based on a case study with Portsmouth One World Week, which you can update and adapt to your own circumstances.
See also the Case Study on "Setting up a New Multicultural Group" here
Advertise!
Prepare a poster / leaflet in which you explain that you are looking for people to organise a OWW event with.
In your publicity and displays looking for new OWW organisers, be clear, concise and as catchy as possible. Select a good image to capture people's attention.
Download the OWW logo from the website, and an appropriate image, to add to your leaflet.
Consider putting different locally spoken languages on your publicity.
Advertise as widely as possible: local libraries, community centres, gyms, churches, schools, local colleges etc. (always ask permission before placing advertisements on notice boards, as it may not be allowed).
Where will you hold your meetings and events?
Think about where your meetings and events will be held. It can be quite intimidating for people to go somewhere where they wouldn't normally go, so think about taking your events to different places in your area.
Organise a preliminary meeting with all the people you hope to involve, to agree on a joint agenda.
Specific interest groups will be interested in particular themes, Traidcraft in fair trade issues, for example. If you wish your event to take a particular slant, it could be useful to get in contact with an organisation which shares in this. You could invite a member of an awareness-raising or aid organisation along to a meeting. Ask if they could publicise your One World Week events in their newsletter or website.
Be patient!
Remember, good relationships take time to grow. Involving new people can be a slow process but is as important a part of one-world building as what happens during the week itself.