Friday, 11/10/23: You’ve Probably Never Heard of SERVAS, right?

The first morning of the SERVAS meeting in Mendoza, Argentina, I counted about 40 members present.  They came from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, and Mexico and most appeared to range in age from 40s to 70s. 

One of the first presentations was given by the President, Radha Radhakrishna (an Indian-American) that I found quite helpful in better understanding what the organization is all about.  Other than a picnic in Denver a few months ago, I’d never been to a SERVAS event nor did I know any SERVAS members before I joined except my friend Bill in Portland, Oregon.  Radha gave his presentation in English (he recently started studying Spanish) which was ably translated into Spanish by a member (Merisa) from Uruguay.  Here’s some of what I learned.    

SERVAS is one of those groups doing good stuff for the world that most people have never heard of.  It was founded 75 years ago with the vision of promoting world peace and international friendships by getting travelers and hosts from different countries together through homestays.  A survey of attendees at the 2022 international meeting of the group in India revealed that the host/traveler contacts and promotion of peace were considered the most important functions of the organization.  The younger attendees also wanted the group to focus on “care for the planet”. 

With some 15,000 members worldwide, SERVAS is organized by country with SERVAS International providing support through its website, help with conferences, and promotion of programs especially for youth.  It’s entirely run by a diverse group of some 40 volunteers with no one country’s members dominant.  International conferences are held every three years.

 

Several worthwhile programs within SERVAS include:

- An on-line Spanish language learning program for adults and kids.

- Learning how to take better pictures (certainly a high priority for travelers!)

- An eco-camp for youth in Brazil

- Youth language exchange program

- Walks for peace

- Cycling for peace

- Peace school in Turkey (on-going for 16 years)

- Art and singing programs

- Provision of 3-wheeled bikes for disabled Africans

[Help me out, SERVAS members.  What did I forget?]

SERVAS is affiliated with the United Nations including the commissions on the Status of Women and on Sustainable Growth. 

In the afternoon, there was a presentation by Francisco Luna of Mexico City on how SERVAS can better promote peace.  While trying to listen intently to his Spanish, my mind drifted off into wondering why SERVAS doesn’t have more name recognition and members.  Well, as I pointed out earlier, most people have probably never heard of it.  I also suppose that most people are not interested in hosting foreign travelers (usually a 2-day stay) or lodging with local families when they visit another country.  A Hilton is an easier option for staying within one’s comfort zone.    

By the way, to find out more check out the SERVAS website: https://servas.org/