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Servas International
Servas International ("we serve (peace)" in Esperanto) is a non-profit organization providing a hospitality exchange service. Servas is a nonprofit member organization that builds peace and cross-cultural understanding through day visits or overnight home stays among members who share information about themselves, to help ensure accountability. It was founded in 1949,[2] in the aftermath of World War II, by Bob Luitweiler and other Danish students as an international network for people to meet and where suitable, to be offered a short stay, as part of the peace movement.[3][4] The organisation may now be described as a platform, part of a gift economy. Members can be both hosts and travellers, and hosts do not charge for lodging. Members pay an annual fee to the organization, which is determined locally by country.[5][6] There is an international executive and each country has an elected board or committee to manage membership (including interviews for new applicants), determine membership fees, organise social events, support various peace-related activities. Servas is owned by an accredited Non-governmental organization and has been affiliated with the United Nations since 1973.[6] Servas and the UN together for peaceServas has had observer status in the UN since 1973. There is a team of Servas members in New York, Vienna and Geneva who follow the negotiations in various commissions. The Human Rights Council is meeting in Geneva. Servas and other non-governmental organizations participate in this body with written and oral statements on its current issues.  Two Servas Seeds Planted
Outside of Stockholm, on the way back from Helsinki, I visited a work camp for peace where Gertraud Hertling, a German student volunteer sowed the first seed of Servas. A shapely girl with a ready smile, she said in excellent English, "You cannot imagine how isolated the German youth are. First, as a result of the Nazi regime then during the War, our youth have been cut off. Now the occupation forces allow us to take no more than five dollars out of the country. You can't go far with that. How can our German youth, locked into occupied Germany, learn the meaning of democratic ways?" One of the advantages of traveling alone is the frequent loneliness of being far from home in a strange land. Missing friendly human contact impelled me to talk with everyone I chanced to meet - someone sitting nearby waiting for the train or ferry, someone siting alone in a restaurant; someone sitting in the park or walking near me. Evety kind of person enlarged my knowledge and gave me new insights. The next Servas seed came from a young American whom I met that on the road. He told me at great length and in the strongest reactionary terms how terrible the Swedish Socialist government was. At that time there was almost no country in Europe that cared more for its working people without blocking entrepreneurial initiatives, as the Communist countries did. Sweden's medical services were excellent and mostly free. Their Consumer's Co-operative movement was the envy of thoughtful people around the world. Their educational system was also outstanding. Of equal significance, there were no unemployed or poor people. I was profoundly disturbed up by his attitude. This young man had gotten the most biased picture of Sweden possible from the reactionary rich host family he had been placed with for the summer, by a well known international student exchange program. Ouch! There was certainly a need for a different hospitality system. HistoryServas was founded in 1949,[2] in the aftermath of World War II, by Bob Luitweiler and other Danish students as an international network for people to meet and where suitable, to be offered a short stay, as part of the peace movement.[3][4]When it started in 1949, host details were printed by country and posted by each country to other member countries. Each member country began their own country organization. Servas International formed as a federation of all member countries. It was originally called Peace Builder but later renamed Servas International. In1989, Pat Knowles wrote a useful account of Servas,[7] from its beginnings up to 1989 that focused on peacebuilding and friendship, and networking. Servas International's Peace Secretary was in touch with some international organisations including War Resisters' International, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Quaker United Nations Office, Pax Christi International. In illustration of its UN status, Knowles reproduced Servas International's submission to the UN Special Session on Disarmament in 1978. Knowles also described the initiative in 1986 for Servas groups to recruit a national peace secretary with duties like those of Servas International Peace Secretary. Contributions from the peace secretaries of Germany, Poland and Israel are included. Knowles explores the connection between travel and understanding asking about the early study groups on non-violence techniques and the question 'can we travel too far, too fast?' Incorporation of Servas International At the General Assembly in 1972 the importance of establishing an international legal entity was discussed. It was agreed that it was necessary to have a legal framework for financial, administrative international requirements. Dr. Max Habicht, International Lawyer and International Servas Sponsor prepared the attached "Statutes of Servas International" (Corporation Charter). The Charter was adopted and signed by all National Secretaries at the Conference. Servas Branches unrepresented by Secretaries at the Conference were requested to join the new legal and corporate body, Servas International, and were notified how to do so by the International Coordinator. In 2006 Servas International started a Servas On Line project replacing its paper based system [8] At the General Assembly in 2006 a distant vote procedure was created for Italy and the Statues were updated accordingly. Servas Song National Groups/Member CountriesHost/Membership statistics
Executive Committees2022-2025[10]ExcoPresident: Radha B. Radhakrishna Vice-president: Carla Kristensen General Secretary: Jonny Sågänger Membership & Technology Secretary: Paul Nielsen Peace Secretary: Francisco Luna Treasurer: Suresh Jain Committies/OfficersSI Distant Vote Administrator (SI DVA): Craig Melrose SI Internal Audit Committee (SI IAC): Yukiko Namariyama Gülşen Elyak Ana Rita Gama SI Development Committee (SI DC): Pamela Yang Evren Özkan Neuma Dantas Jamie Robertson Bhudeb Chakravarti SI Youth and Families Committee (SI YFC) Bogdan Ionescu Elena Olivera Begué Mehmet Ateş Raffaella Rota Hiren Goradia 2018-2022ExcoPresident: Jonny Sågänger Vice-president: Carla Kristensen Treasurer: Radha B. Radhakrishna SI Membership & Technology Secretary (SI MTS) : Jim Leask General Secretary: Kiat Yun Tan Peace Secretary: Paige LaCombe Committies/OfficersSI Internal Audit Committee L V Subramanian Phyllis Chinn, Gülsen Elyak, SI Development Committee (5) Lilly Kerekes Beltran, Ewa Dzierzawska, Fidele Rutayisire, Pablo Colangelo, Pamela Yang, Susana Martinez, Raffaella Rota, Natasha Noreen, Aneris Cao, Mar Ferre, Chris Patterson, 2015-2018SI President: Jonny Sågänger (Sweden) SI Vice President: Ann Greenhough (Britain) SI General Secretary: Penny Pattison SI Treasurer: LV Subramanian SI Peace Secretary: Danielle Serres SI Host List Coordinator: Pablo Colangelo Development Committee: Audit committee Servas International Archivist Conflict Resolution Committee: Nomination Committee: SI Job Descriptions and Statutes Committee: Distant Vote Administrator: Chris Patterson Youth Leadership Committee: 2012-2015SI President: Jonny Sågänger (Sweden) SI Vice President: Ann Greenhough (Britain) SI General Secretary: Jaime Romero SI Treasurer: Miroslaw Wasilewski SI Peace Secretary: Danielle Serres SI Host List Coordinator: Arnoud Philippo 2009-2012President: Gary Sealey, Vice President: Pramod Kumar, General Secretary: Penny Pattison Treasurer: Miroslaw Wasilewski, Host List Coordinator: Pablo Colangelo, Peace Secretary: Kim Jong Soo, Finance Committee Conflict Resolution Committee Nominations Committee Newsletter Editor Archivist: Youth Development Officer Youth Coordinator: Job Description/Statutes Committee Distant Vote Administrator 2006-2009President: Gary Sealey, Vice President: Mary Jane Mikuriya, General Secretary: Pramod Kumar, Treasurer: Ömer Özkan, Host List Coordinator: Anna Flammini, Peace Secretary: Nanda, 2004-2006President: Geoff Maltby, Vice President: Bibendra Pradhananga, General Secretary: Honora Clemens, Treasurer: Ömer Özkan, Host List Coordinator: Claudio Pacchiega, Peace Secretary: Gary Sealey, 2001-2004President: Roger Martin, Vice President: Bibendra Pradhananga, General Secretary: Frits Stuurman, Treasurer: Gyöngyver Kudor, Host List Coordinator: Laura Ragucci, Peace Secretary: Marco Kappenberger, West CommitteesTreasurers (Audit) Committee: Appeals Committee: Development Fund Committee Complaints Committee Nominations Committee Job Descriptions Committee 1998-2001President: Chris Slader Treasurer: Gilbert Revault Vice President: Bertrand Bailleul General Secretary: Kevin Newham Peace Secretary: Daniele Passalacqua Assistant General Secretary and Host List Co-ordinator:
Claudia Pinto Servas International Newsletter Editor: Sharon Beldon 1995-1998President: Chris Slader Vice President: Jenny Durand General Secretary: Vibeke Matorp Treasurer: Hazel Barham Peace Secretary: Daniele Passalacqua 1992-1995President: Ray Scott Vice President: Jorge Zoppolo International Secretary: Vibeke Matorp Assistant Secretary: Maringela Brunello Treasurer: Hazel Barham Peace secretary: Harivallabh Parikh 1989-1992President: Bob Luitweiler Vice-president: Janos Kurucz Treasurer: Hazel Barham International Co-ordinator: Antonie Fried Host Co-ordinator: Judy Ross Peace Secretary: Felix Zurita Asian Member: Harivallabh Parikh Latin American Member: Jorge Zoppolo African Member: E.K. Narter-Olaga 1986-1989General Secretary: Antonie FRIED Asst. General Secretary: Yvonne BROWN President: Don FAWCETT Vice-president: Duncan MEIKLE Treasurer: Peter Brock Editor SI Nwesletter: Frede ASGAARD Area Coordinators EUROPE: ULLA OFFER AFRICA: E.K. NARTER-OLAGA EAST ASIA: TAKASHI AOKI SOUTH ASIA: HARIVALLABH PARIKH SOUTH PACIFIC: TOM & ANNIE YOUNG CENTRAL-AMERICA & CARIBBEAN: FELIX ZURITA ACHOA SOUTH AMERICA: JORGE ZOPPOLO CO-OPTED MEMBERS Reva King Maria Soresina BARBARA WHITEHEAD 1983-1985President: Don Fawcett Vice President: Maria Soresina General Secretary: Kay Lazaruz Treasurer: Peter Brock Peace Secretary: Jo Graham Editor, Servas International News: Janine Hall Assistant General Secretary: Lino Bugeja Regional CoordinatorsRegional Coordinator, Africa: Zeru Michael (Africa) Regional Coordinator, SE Asia: Takashi Aoki Regional Coordinator, N America & Caribbean: Rodrigue Aristide Regional Coordinator, Europe & Near East: Antonie Fried Regional Coordinator, Southern Asia: Harivallabh Parikh Regional Coordinator, South Pacific: Nan Smith Coordinator for South America: Jorge Zoppolo 1980-1982President: Graham Thomas Vice President: Don Fawcett General Secretary: Barbara Whitehead Assistant General Secretary Denise Waech Peace Secretary: Reva King Editor Servas International: News Rosalind Schama Treasurer: Denise Waech Regional Co-ordinators Africa: Lydia Jones Southern Asia: Harivallabh Parikh Southeast Asia: Kunio Tanaka South Pasific: Nan Smith South America: Jorgo Zoppolo North America&Carabian : Kay Lazarus Europe and Near East: Antonio Fried 1978-1980President: Graham Thomas Treasurer: Doris Bucher S.I.N. Editor: Donald Fawcett Asst. Treasurer: Denise Waech The following positions were filled by ballot
General Secretary: Barbara Whitehead Vice-president: Martha Simon Asst. Gen. Sec.: Reva King Peace Secretary: Konrad Lübbert Regional Co-ordinators wore appointed us follows: Africa: Lydia Jones Europe: Antonie Fried South America: Narcelo Lorenzo South Pacific: John and Judy Ebner Southeust Asia: Masuo Amano Southern Asia: Harivallabh Parikh 1974-1976President: Reva King Vice President: Harivallabh Parikh Treasurer: Denise Vollenweider Asst. Treasurer: Doris Bilcher Secretary: Birgitte Damnsgaard Asst. Secretary: Ronald Golding Peace Secretary: Hans Werner Emrich News letter Editor: Barbara Acquach Assist. Editor: Martha Simon Resource: SI NEWS #03 1972-1974President & International Coordinator: Kurt Schmid Vice President & Ass't International Coordinator: Reva King Treasurer: Denise Vollenweider Ass't Treasurer: Swiss Servas member to be appointed by Denise Vollenweider Secretary: Birgitte Damsgaard Vice Secretary Maria Soresina Peace Secretary: Jim Ryding Editor of International Newsletter: Maria Soresina Regional Coordinators: Europe: Denise Vollenweider Africa: Titus Mugavana North America: Reva King Latin America Laura Langagne South Pacific Max Hartin 1970-1972The. following persons were elected: International Coordinator~ Kurt Schmid Asst. Intl.Coordinator~ Reva King Asst. IntI. Coordinator in Training: Barbara Trischuk Regional coordinators. The following persons will handle the development of SERVAS in these countries: Harivallabh Parikh Benelux—Indonesia Sweden—Finland and Iceland Barbara Trischuk Joseph Girard International Coordinator—Eastern Europe 1951Founders of Servas were those dedicated people like Bob Luitweiler, Connie Thorpe, Esma Burrough and the others in the Birmingham, England Peace Builder's team, and, Esther Harlan in California. Esma Burrough General AssembliesSERVAS INTERNATIONAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY (The SIGA) is Servas International's highest decision-making body and is modelled on the United Nations’ General Assembly democratic model: one nation, one vote. The SIGA usually takes place every 3 years, in a different location (screenshots from Wikipedia). At the Servas International General Assembly (SIGA), the Servas International Member Groups vote on proposals called motions that have been submitted by the member groups or by SI Exco. Everybody attending the SICOGA is able to attend the SIGA business sessions as observers, but only the delegates from the Servas International Member Groups have the right to speak and vote, according to the Servas International Statutes.[11] 1952 In 2025 the SIGA will be held in Dijon, France, October 3–9.
References
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