Throughout Week Nine Lancaster University will initiate this year’s One World Week, a festival made up of cultural and communal activities to help raise awareness of the world we live in.
A different theme will be allocated to each day from Monday to Friday and celebrated by students and staff in both an educational and social approach. Although still early days, the preliminary schedule for One World offers five main themes: Peace, Green Issues, Water and Sanitation, Liberation and International Day.
Each themed day will be made up of activities such as talks from CND, partnership with SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) to organise a cycling day and interactive actions with the SPEAK society expatiating on water and sanitation poverty. Furthermore, social events including a Latin themed cocktail party offering an opportunity to raise awareness of social justices in Latin American countries, a Love Music Hate Homophobia open mic night at County Bar and a Global Cafe organised Easter egg hunt are planned for the week. The organisers hope that this, along with entertainment from quality live music in Grad Bar, should make One World an exciting and fun as well as an educational experience.
With last year’s One World Week a success, Torri Crapper, LUSU VP (Equality, Welfare and Diversity), who is helping organise this year’s One World along with the Campus Festival which will follow on from International Day on the Friday into the weekend, sees this year as a chance to be “bigger and better, with different charities and events to help build this year’s One World as a real success.”
Outside the university there is support from local organisations. A farmers’ market will hopefully open a fresh fruit and veg stall during the week, strengthening the atmosphere of community and solidarity. Davy Garland, an organiser of One World Week, trusts that this, along with the social activities and the potential opportunity for a bicycle workshop, will be a “step aside from just drum thumping on issues”, and allow practical solutions to the realities the week aims to focus on.
As the organisers have only just begun to draw up the final blueprint for the week SCAN was unable to confirm all the events that will take place at this moment. Nevertheless it is hoped that, like last year, One World will be an opportunity to learn about the issues that face the world in the 21st century and simultaneously celebrate our own diverse and culturally rich society at Lancaster University.
More information can be found on the One World 2010 Facebook page.
