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What
is the Student World Assembly?
Our Mission
The
Student World Assembly is a non-governmental, nonpartisan
organization created to represent students globally. It provides
a deliberative assembly where students around the world can exchange
views, vote on global issues through online discussion forums
and in annual international conventions, and translate these views
into meaningful actions.
Our Democratic Philosophy
The Student World Assembly believes that true global democracy affirms fundamental human rights, which include the dignity and worth of all human beings, the equal rights of men and women, social, economic and cultural justice for every person, and the freedom to promote these causes. SWA’s representative democracy offers a powerful instrument for addressing the vital social and political conditions that threaten our global future. The informed wishes of the people, conveyed through the collective of a democratic assembly, need to be heard in the decision-making processes. By giving students from the most remote to the more accessible institutions an equal voice, we are enabling all students to educate, participate and take action, and to begin thinking of themselves as global citizens.
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| Educate
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Pressing
Global Issues
SWA endeavors to educate the world through
its members. Every month, a chapter of the Student World Assembly
highlights a Pressing Global Issue. Once approved by the Issues
& Campaigns Committee, the general membership is provided
with news reports, articles, and scholarly resources through the
website. After reading about the issue, members are urged to engage
in a dialogue with others on the online discussion forum. The
purpose of the discussion forums is to educate and be educated,
to hear and be heard, about the global issues that demand our
immediate attention.
Educational Links & Suggested Readings
The educational links and suggested readings
posted on the website are carefully reviewed for content, authors’
expertise, credibility and accessibility. These resources are
designed to serve as an aid to members as they conduct research
on highlighted global issues and other international topics of
interest.
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| Participate |
Issue
Selection
Members propose issues to be considered for the
International Convention. These issues are identified and deliberated
online by the general membership throughout the academic year.
International
Convention
Every year the international convention
is hosted by a different college or university. At the convention,
delegates will hear expert testimony on the selected issues. They
then vote to adopt resolutions that determine the stance and action
that the SWA will take for the upcoming year. All members are
invited to attend the convention.
Delegates
and Proxy Voting
Members who cannot attend are encouraged
to designate their vote to the delegate who most represents their
views. When delegates vote at the convention, they cast one vote
for themselves and one for each of the proxies they have received.
This allows all members to have a voice in the deliberations.
International
Committees
There are three international committees
that establish the guidelines and procedures for SWA activities:
Issues & Campaigns, Convention & Event Planning and Membership
& Outreach. Each delegate serves on one committee during the
convention and for the upcoming year.
International
Officers
The assembly speaker and vice-speaker
are elected through online voting by the general membership immediately
prior to the convention. They oversee the activities of the international
committees. Committee chairs are elected by committee members
and oversee the business of the committee for the upcoming year.
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| Take Action |
| Dialogue
is only the first step to creating a global community. To make
a positive impact on a global scale, we must act on our collective
positions. It is necessary that all courses of action relate to
the issues officially addressed by SWA and are in line with the
overall mission. Here are a few suggestions:
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Chapters
function as satellites of the SWA organization. Chapters are
given much opportunity to determine their own courses of action
on a local and regional level.
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Students
can log in to the discussion forums, sign online petitions,
join the letter-writing campaigns and organize peaceful rallies.
This can be done individually or with your local chapter.
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Faculty
are encouraged to get involved with their local chapters and
offer guidance and expertise to the students.
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Volunteers
can offer time and resources for events and activities on
campus and in the community.
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Donations
are vital to the work of SWA. With contributions from
individuals and foundations SWA could realize its mission
of building global democracy.
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