Operation Dayswork (ODW) has since 1964 been active in over 62 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Slogans such as “Youth - Regardless,” “The World is Sick – You Are the Medicine,” and “Education for Liberation!” have made their mark on youth’s school-day.
Since then, ODW has grown and undergone considerable change, and is today Norway’s largest solidarity campaign for youth.
International Week (IW)
Every year the ODW-Day is the last Thursday in October. On that day, Norwegian students can get the day off in order to do a days work, and the money they earn that day goes to the education of youth in the South. In advance of the ODW-Day, the information campaign International Week (IW) is organised. The IW offers an educational program and lecturers dealing with global topics such as solidarity, equality, human rights and education, as well as information on that year’s project. Among other events, 20 youth come from the country or countries to which ODW-funds are to go to that year, and give lectures at Norwegian schools. Prior to the launching of the campaign, ODW also cooperate with youth from the project countries in order to prepare texts for the teaching material that is distributed to the schools.
In 1964, Norwegian students earned 103,000 Norwegian kroner for the reconstruction of school buildings in Algeria. Today approximately 120,000 youth work and earn 30 million kroner annually in order to provide youth in the South with educational opportunities.
Solidarity
The Solidarity Principle is one of the most crucial aspects of Operation Dayswork. For ODW, solidarity is about our shared responsibility for equal opportunities. Having taken part in the information campaign, the Norwegian youths should have the knowledge and understanding to take a voluntary conscious choice whether to work on the ODW-Day.
ODW wishes to contribute to a more diversified picture of the South and to question the sometimes simplistic and occasionally damaging presentation of the situation in Africa, Asia and South America in the Norwegian public domain. We aim at emphasising equality and therefore cooperate with independent local organisations in project countries. We believe that it is the local partners who know best how to improve the situation in their own countries.
Education
The thematic framework of the projects and of the information campaigns in the schools, vary from year to year. ODW has for example worked with; human trafficking, problems related to violence, agriculture, and protection of the rainforest. But education remains the common denominator. ODW is of the opinion that education represents the best road to development, and directs its efforts toward the provision of education for everybody. ODW may support both formal and informal education, training and organisational development. ODW supports educational and training projects which are inclusive, relevant, and developmental. The educational programs should aim at contributing towards liberation, equality and equal rights.
Youth Regardless.
- Youth do not only represent the future but are also a part of the present. We must therefore ask ourselves what kind of world we wish.
Operation Dayswork concerns youth in all stages. The production of the information campaign is based on cooperation between youth in the North and the South. Youth organise the campaign in Norway, youth work on the ODW-Day, and it is youths who are included in the projects in the South.
We, as youth, can demonstrate that we do not accept that other youth are condemned to a life in poverty. The poorest of the poor are naturally those who are in greatest need of assistance. By supporting the poorest we can counter the enormous differences between rich and poor. ODW does not wish to accept that the rich continue to become richer while the poor become poorer. Therefore it is our desire to contribute towards youth in the South getting an education which will provide them with the opportunity of lifting themselves out of poverty.
In summary, ODW bases itself on the following:
- the principle of solidarity in which equality between all groups is central
- working on the ODW-Day is voluntary
- ODW supports educational and training projects in Africa, Asia or Latin- America.
- ODW always supports and concerns marginalised groups and contribute towards girls and boys having equal rights to education.
- ODWs projects are always carried out through local partners in the South. - ODW-supports long-term projects
- ODW is always concerned with, and carried out by, youth.
ODW-structure
Operation Dayswork is a solidarity campaign with several organisational links. Common to most of the links is that they consist of youth between the ages of 13 and 19. Here is an overview of the various ODW-building blocks, and some information on their functions.
The General Assembly of the School Student Union of Norway (Elevtinget).
The General Assembly of the School Student Union of Norway is the students’ Annual National Meeting.
The General Assembly determines what is to constitute the annual ODW-project. The General Assembly votes over three different development projects which have been approved by ODW’s project council. In advance of the General Assembly, all those schools which have participated in ODW are given the opportunity of organising a preliminary vote. This procedure is designed to ensure that also those schools which are not members of the School Student Union of Norway can participate in the selection process. The results of the preliminary vote are combined with the results from the General Assembly when selecting the winner.
The ODW governing body; the board (OD-styret).
ODW’s governing body, the board, is responsible for all activities associated with ODW. This includes among other things, economic, legal, and organisational responsibility. The board is elected at the General Assembly of the School Students Union of Norway.
National Committee (Hovedkomiteen)
ODW’s National Committee (NC) consists of between 9 and 11 members, including the ODW president. ODW’s board appoints the members of the National Committee. The National Committee is chaired by the ODW-president and has day-to-day responsibility for the implementation of ODW’s campaign within the financial guidelines laid down by the board. The National Committee is responsible for the production of information material, for coordinating the campaign at the national level, and for assisting the District Committees in their work. The National Council members work fulltime without remuneration.
District Committees (Distriktskomiteene)
The National Council (NC) divides the country into districts. Each district has a District Committee (DC) which is headed by a DC-leader. In each DC, between five and twelve youth coordinate the International Week within its district. The District Committee enlists schools, arranges seminars for teachers and members of school committees, holds lectures during the International Week, distributes illustrative materials, and organises a lecture-tour for international resource persons. The international resource persons are youths from the project country/ies of that year’s ODW-campaign.
School Committees (Skolekomiteene)
At each school participating in ODW there should be a School Committee. The School Committee is responsible for organising the International Week as well as the ODW-Day at their school.
ODW’s Project Council (ODs bistandsfaglige råd)
The Project Council consists of six experts, with extensive experience from development work, and the ODW- leaders from the last four years. This year’s ODW-leader functions as observer. ODW’s Project Council acts as the board’s advisory body in matters related to ODW-projects. It is responsible for following-up the projects supported by ODW and ensures that the long-term plans are implemented, and that budgets are adhered to.
The ODW- secretariat
The ODW-board hires employees to the ODW-Secretariat. The Secretariat consists of two information- and administrative consultants who has the daily responsibility for ODW’s finances and who assist the ODW-leader and the National Committee with the information campaign. In the Secretariat sits also a project coordinator who follows the projects, and who serves as secretary to the ODW-Project Council.