Student World Assembly

STUDENT WORLD ASSEMBLY Promoting Global Democracy, One Student at a Time!

Our Mission The Student World Assembly is a non-governmental, non-partisan 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 True 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 voice 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.

Goals of the Student World Assembly:

Educate Spread the word of the SWA. We must rely on word of mouth to spread our message of global democracy. Many other organizations address human rights issues, which is part of our mission. However, we take it a step further and give students the opportunity to participate in a live democratic process.

Pressing Global Issues SWA endeavors to educate the world through its members. Every month, the Student World Assembly highlights a Pressing Global Issue which is proposed by chapters. 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. The online discussion forums are the heart of the Student World Assembly. Click here to learn more about the Pressing Global Issues.

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.

Participate Start a New Chapter Help establish chapters in your area. You can network with and organize students to establish chapters at colleges and universities in your area. Click here to learn about how to start a chapter.

International Convention Students members participate in the international convention either by attending or by assigning their votes to one of the delegates. To read about the most recent international convention, click here. Observers, faculty and other volunteers may wish to sponsors chapters to attend the convention.

Take Action There are many ways to get involved in SWA: - 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. - 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. - Faculty are encouraged to get involved with their local chapters and offer guidance and expertise to the students. - Volunteers can offer time and resources for events and activities on campus and in the community. - Donations are vital to the work of SWA. With contributions from individuals and foundations SWA could realize its mission of building global democracy. - Fundraising is essential to any non-profit organization. Chapters must raise funds to cover administrative and event expenses. How these funds are raised is up to the individual chapters.

Most importantly, find creative ways to make a difference in your culture or community through the Student World Assembly. Use the resolutions from the previous convention(s) as a guide.

Join the Minds that Make the Future!