One World Organizational Structure and Administrative Roles

One World programs are run by committed coordinators and volunteers who serve in various capacities. All past participants are encouraged to become a members of the organization and participate in decision making, program facilitation and various working groups.

The Board
As a body of many members, the board ensures that the human and material resources needed to maintain the program are in place. The Board 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 Board have previously participated in at least one One World program.

Working Groups
Working Groups are committees of past participants which address areas such as: current program facilitation, community development projects, community events, new program development, administration, and crisis and safety.

Program Facilitators
Program Facilitators are past participants who travel with a group in order to share their expertise and heighten the groups level of analysis through workshops and support. The primary task of a Program Facilitator is to faciltate the training and education of current participants. Program Facilitators also provide support to individuals in the group, help to encourage leadership from within the group, and assist the group in times of conflict or difficult decisions. Program Facilitators are present throughout the preparation period. They meet with the group in-country on a weekly basis.

Group 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, 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 Board, 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.

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. One World strives to be a non-hierarchical organization where all major decisions are arrived at through a process of consensus decision making.