One World Week

One World Week (OWW) is the "World’s Largest Student-run International Event" hosted annually at the University of Warwick. The week consists of a variety of interactive celebrations in separate elements, such as Forum, Sports, Arts and Carnival. It is an independent organisation, with a non-for-profit initiative that aims to stimulate personal development and inspire a view based on acceptance and appreciation of the world’s mosaic of cultures.The organisation also aims to promote cultural awareness and action on global issues which affect our One World, while encouraging visitors to learn and appreciate more about the world’s mosaic of cultures.

Mission Statement

The aim of One World Week is:

'To stimulate personal development and inspire a view based on acceptance and appreciation of the world's mosaic of cultures.
To encourage awareness of and positive action on issues which affect our One World.'

Origins

Starting from a small-scale project in 1995, this annual event at the University of Warwick grew rapidly to be eventually regarded as the World’s Largest Student-run International Event, involving 120 nationalities, over 230 blue-shirted volunteers and more than 22,000 participants.

The success of One World Week made it a model for cooperation between students, student unions, universities and institutions across the United Kingdom. It is also a proud actor of UNESCO in its decade for a Culture of Peace. On previous occasions One World Week has had the honour of listening to speakers such as Professor Raghuram Rajan (Chief Economist, IMF), Stephen Tindale(Executive Director, Greenpeace UK), Trevor Nelson (MTV presenter and BBC Radio 1 DJ) and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Founder, Art of Living Foundation).

Ethos

One World Week recognises the importance of the interaction between different cultures and wishes to promote equality between the representatives. We consider the understanding, appreciation and respect of the world’s mosaic of cultures as a key theme and aim to run our activities ethically. Hence, we ensure that all our marketing material is printed on recycled paper, all the food is purchased through a certified fair trade company and promotional T-shirts or sweaters are both fairly and ethically traded. By ensuring any materials used in One World Week are supplied from sustainable sources we aim to help redress the balance of the world of today and show our commitment to the world of tomorrow.

Elements

Forum

The world-renowned Forum attracts high-profile speakers from across the world through a series of panel debates, interactive sessions and the International Film Festival, Forum provides a platform to discuss mainstream topical issues as well as highlighting more personal stories of struggle, change and success. Forum Focus events are high profile conferences addressing a broad range of topics whereas Forum Interactive involves smaller scale interactive events, allowing students to engage in intellectual debate and discussion. This year's theme is Progress: Our Shared Responsibility. Confirmed speakers at this year’s event include Ms Kate Allen (Director, Amnesty International UK), Mrs Wijdan Salim (Acting Minister for Human Rights, Iraq), Mr Georges Haddad (Director of Higher Education, UNESCO) and Hilary Benn MP.

Festival

Being the busiest, most colourful and most visible element of One World Week, Festival hosts the day and night entertainment. It includes the very popular Fashion Show, Carnival and World Party – all three are spectacles of colour and energy; displaying dances, costumes and music from various cultures. Other highlights include the hilarious "Miss World" parody (featuring contestants of both genders), the International Food Festival and One World Week's own version of Eurovision. Highlights of 2007 night entertainment included SensAsian featuring music artists Rishi Rich, Juggy D and Fedde Le Grande.

Arts

Arts surges through One World Week, interweaving aspects of each element which coalesce to become a spectacular exhibition of cultural diversity. One World Week commences with the flamboyant World Music Concert hosted by the Warwick Arts Centre. The concert presents a vibrant mesh of colour and sound, allowing Warwick students and professional music artists to showcase their ability.

Other events comprise campus-wide exhibitions, theatrical productions, dance displays and workshops, encompassing features such as pottery, photography, literature and music. 2007 featured a Graffiti Exhibition, and theatre performances including Whodidit? by Neil Harrison and The Island, set in South Africa’s Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was held hostage.

Sports

One World Week Sports has always been a key element. Through tournaments, competitions, matches and workshops, it promotes both cultural and racial integration as well as sport itself, encompassing both popular and less well-known sports. The sports element of OWW has never ceased to be a point of interest not just for Warwick but across universities in the UK as well.

In 2006, the football tournament made history when it attracted over 230 players, and next year, it promises to offer even more. This year's competitions and workshops include football, water-polo, cricket, and a highly anticipated Pro Evolution football video game tournament. The young Capoeira Society will give an interactive capoeira workshop, a Brazilian fusion of music, dance and martial arts.