One World Organizational Structure and Administrative Roles

One World programs are run by committed coordinators and volunteers who serve in various capacities. There is the Collective, which oversees all aspects of the program. There are Working Groups that oversee things specific to one of the programs – Ghana, Central America, Kenya or Mexico. And there are also Coordinators who work to coordinate day to day tasks and to implement aspects common to all of the programs, such as correspondence, finances, gatherings, Preparation and Debriefing, etc. In practice, the lines between these various groups and roles are blurred. People may serve in several capacities, according to One World needs and people’s availability. One World is often thought of as the “One World Community”. Although most of us live far apart, and in many cases only see each other once or twice a year, we feel that we are somehow interconnected through the program. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, One World strives to be a non-hierarchical organization where all major decisions are arrived at through a process of consensus decision making.

The Collective
The Collective tries to gather and utilize the collective knowledge of the One World community to improve the program. As a body of many members, it tries to ensure that the human and material resources needed to maintain the program are in place. The Collective also takes responsibility for ensuring that the goals and objectives of the program are being met and will continue to be met.  Most members of the Collective have previously participated in at least one One World program and have volunteered their time with a Working Group.

Working Groups
Much of the work of running and coordinating One World programs is done by Working Groups and their respective coordinators. Working Groups look after tasks that are country-specific once participants have been selected. Members of a Working Group usually have experience in the country in question (Africa, India, Central America, Mexico).
Working Groups are involved in setting up the overseas itinerary for their program in collaboration with overseas hosts. They are also responsible for monitoring the programs from the time when applicants are selected up until the end of the program. This includes helping participants prepare for their journey, staying in contact with them and their hosts while they are abroad, and helping with the debriefing process after they have returned to Canada.

Program Facilitators
Facilitators are members of the groups that go abroad, and are for the most part seen as program participants. They are not group leaders, but rather individuals with more experience with cross-cultural travel and group dynamics. The primary task of Facilitators is to be a readily available, easily accessible internal resource to the group that they are facilitating (Africa, India, Central America, or Mexico.) The role of Facilitators is to encourage leadership from within the group (that is, from the other participants), to assist the group in times of conflict or difficult decisions, and to help the group reflect on their experiences. It is hoped that the experience of Facilitators will help their group rise to many of the challenges it will face while participating in a One World program.

Administrative Coordinator(s)
The Coordinator oversees and coordinates the overall running of the One World organization and its programs. The Coordinator corresponds with all groups and individuals and ensures good communication between participants, hosts, Working Groups, the Collective, and community supporters.  The Coordinator is also responsible for promotion and recruiting participants, fundraising, maintaining communication with past participants, and coordinating events, gatherings, and reunions. The Coordinator is the only paid position in the One World community.

One World programs are made possible through the continual collaborative effort of many different people and organizations. There is no one person, or one specific group of people who makes decisions. The decision makers and directors are those who value the One World programs, the community and the philosophy enough to want to actively help One World carry-out and improve its programs and achieve its objectives.