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We
believe that students represent the future of our world’s
leadership and aim to encourage them to create a better
world by actively supporting the ideals of individual liberty,
informed democratic participation and respect for the diverse
and equally important views of all of the citizens of our
planet.
The SWA provides direct references to relevant books, articles
and on-line resources, a discussion forum where members
from anywhere can discuss Pressing Global Issues ranging
from AIDS prevention to natural disaster relief, and hosts
an annual international convention where members can vote
either in person or by proxy for representatives whose views
best represent their own. Its aim is to inform the leaders
of tomorrow by encouraging their own participation and interaction.
The first method of informing and encouraging our members
is to give them relevant resources from which they can derive
and deliberate the opinions of others, including politicians,
journalists, human rights activists, and politically-concerned
writers. By following links such as ‘Resources’
or the‘Newsroom,’
members can easily find articles, books and images directly
related to world events. Whereas other organizations propagate
their own beliefs and opinions to members, the SWA allows
and urges our members to read, digest and discuss a diverse
range of opinions, so that they can formulate their own
views and respect those of others, which are two necessities
of true democracy.
After reviewing an eclectic variety of opinions, our members
are encouraged to engage in dialectic deliberation. Global
Democracy begins with the fostering of free and informed
discussion. This is realized through SWA’s Online
Discussion Forum.
Using it, members can freely broadcast their own opinions
and debate the issues, creating a network of information
and participation that is directed only by the guiding principles
of the Student World Assembly, which include the beliefs
in personal, political and religious freedom, nonviolent
action and individual rights.
SWA’s Annual
International Convention represents the culmination
of the year’s activities. It is also the third method
of encouraging democratic participation and action in our
members. Every spring the Student World Assembly holds the
Annual Convention in a different part of the world where
members discuss and pass resolutions on selected issues.
Here they also form Committees and elect International Officers
for the year. Those who are unable to attend are not left
without a voice. They can still vote by proxy, using either
our online voting system or contacting our organization
directly to select their delegate of choice prior to the
election. Regardless of nationality, religion, opinion,
or presence, no voice is allowed to be unheard, and all
that are broadcast count.
Members are urged to found chapters in their schools or
local institutions, so that membership and participation
will have no bounds, thereby expanding the reach of democratic
action.
The Student World Assembly uses these methods to further
the cause of global democracy. Unlike other organizations
that share this benevolent aim, we have defined direct methods
to achieve our goal. We do not believe that we ourselves
will lead the world into an era of free democratic participation,
as by its very definition democracy is for the people, by
the people and of the people. We inform and inspire.
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