Servas International

Servas International

Type of site	Non-governmental organization
Founded	July 1949;76 years ago (July 1949) in Denmark
Headquarters	Zurich
Area served	Global
Founder(s)	Bob Luitweiler
Products	Homestay
Services	Social networking service
URL	www.servas.org
Users	15,000 in over 100 countries [1]

A Servas local meeting in Collegno, Italy in 2016

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 peace

Servas 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

• excerpt from Seeds Of Servas, Bob Luitweiler

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. Every kind of person enlarged my knowledge and gave me new insights. The next Servas seed came from a young American whom I met 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.

History

Servas 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

Servas Song

National Groups/Member Countries

^[9]

Country	Host	Member since	reinstated
Albania	8	1995
Algeria	12	1995
Argentina	386	1989
Armenia	2
Australia	614	1972
Austria	229	1949
Bahrain	1
Bangladesh	34	2015
Belarus	49	1995
Belgium	305	1972
Benin	11
Bhutan	1
Bolivia	18	1995
Botswana	22	1998
Brazil	144	1989
United Kingdom Britain	568	1949
Brunei	-	1995
Bulgaria	34	2015
Burundi	4
Cambodia	5
Cameroon	32	2009
Canada	425
Chile	34	1995
China	28	2004
Colombia	99
Republic of the Congo Brazzaville (RC)	31	2009
Congo Kinshasa (DRC)	10
Costa Rica	64	1989
Croatia	17	2004
Cuba	14
Cyprus	1
Czech Republic	152	1989
Denmark	251	1949
Dominican Republic	6
Ecuador	27
Egypt	6
Estonia	3	1995
Ethiopia	7
Falkland Islands	1
Finland	70
France	1935
Gambia	16	1998
Georgia	24	2012
Germany	1949	1949
Greece	24	1983	2009
Guatemala	27	1989
Honduras	19	1989
Hong Kong	36	1992
Hungary	101	1989
Iceland	3	1998
India	260	1951
Indonesia	25	1995
Iran	109	2012
Ireland	78	1983
Israel	183
Italy	1504	1972
Japan	207
Jordan	2
Kazakhstan	24	2009
Kenya	24	2012
Korea	267
Kosovo	1
Kyrgyzstan	20	2004
Laos	2
Latvia	14	1992
Lebanon	4
Lithuania	14	1992
Luxemburg	11
Madagascar	5
Malawi	50	2004
Malaysia	34	2004
Mali	10
Malta	3	1983
Mauritius	5
Mexico	90
Moldova	1
Mongolia	6
Morocco	20	1998
Myanmar	1
Nepal	53	2012
Netherlands	286
New Zealand	294	1972
Nicaragua	1
Nigeria	11	1995
Norway	124
Pakistan	80	1998
Palestine	9
Panama	12	1992
Paraguay	24	1995
Peru	39	1998
Philippines	15	1989
Poland	320	1989
Portugal	63	1983
Romania	45	1992
Russia	102	1989
Rwanda	48	2015
São Tomé and Príncipe	1
Saudi Arabia	14
Senegal	2	1989
Serbia	8
Sierra Leone	25
Singapore	14
Slovakia	35
Slovenia	17
South Africa	70	1986
Spain	739	1983
Sri Lanka	7
Suriname	13
Sweden	328
Switzerland	262	1949
Taiwan	111	2009
Tanzania	28
Thailand	35	1992
Togo	55	1998
Trinidad and Tobago	2
Tunisia	5
Turkey	135	1992
Uganda	38
Ukraine	20	2012
United Arab Emirates	10
United States	1509	1949
Uruguay	33	1983
Uzbekistan	5
Venezuela	43
Vietnam	32	2015
Zambia	15	1998
Zimbabwe	6	1995

Host/Membership statistics

Year	Date	Countries	Host	Member	Reference
2024	August 2024	125 groups, 71 Member Groups	12,591	15,251
2023	August 2023	125 Groups	15,177
2022	August 2022	125 Groups	14,309
2021	March 2021	125 Groups	15,268
2020	March 2020	125 Groups	16,057
1997	1997	108 Countries	12,442		SI News No 40-1998
1995	1995	97 Countries	13,910		SI News No 37-1995
1989	November 1989	117 Countries	13,226		SI News No 33-1991
1989	November 1989	122 Countries	11,700		SI News No 31-1990
1986	1986	95 Countries	9,199		SI News No 27-1988
1983	1983	95 Countries	6,000		SI News No 21-1984
1974	January 1974	32 Countries	No information

Executive Committees

2022-2025

Source: ^[10]

Exco

President: Radha B. Radhakrishna USA

Vice-president: Carla Kristensen Portugal

General Secretary: Jonny Sågänger Sweden

Membership & Technology Secretary: Paul Nielsen Australia

Peace Secretary: Francisco Luna Mexico

Treasurer: Suresh Jain India

Assistant Treasurer:Gülşen Elyak Turkey

Committees/Officers

SI Distant Vote Administrator (SI DVA):

Craig Melrose Australia

SI Internal Audit Committee (SI IAC):

Yukiko Namariyama Japan

Gülşen Elyak Turkey

Ana Rita Gama Portugal

SI Development Committee (SI DC):

Pamela Yang Taiwan

Evren Özkan Turkey

Neuma Dantas Brazil

Jamie Robertson United Kingdom

Bhudeb Chakravarti India

SI Youth and Families Committee (SI YFC)

Bogdan Ionescu Romania

Elena Olivera Begué Spain

Mehmet Ateş Turkey

Raffaella Rota Italy

Hiren Goradia India

2018-2022

Exco

President: Jonny Sågänger Sweden

Vice-president: Carla Kristensen Portugal

Treasurer: Radha B. Radhakrishna India

SI Membership & Technology Secretary (SI MTS) :

Jim Leask Canada (replaced Andreas Becker in February/March 2020). Jim Leask shares the SI MTS responsibility with Paul Nielsen of Servas Australia. Australia

General Secretary: Kiat Yun Tan Malaysia

Peace Secretary: Paige LaCombe USA

Committies/Officers

SI Internal Audit Committee

L V Subramanian India

Phyllis Chinn, USA

Gülsen Elyak, Turkey

SI Development Committee (5)

Lilly Kerekes Beltran, Mexico

Ewa Dzierzawska, Poland

Fidele Rutayisire, Rwanda

Pablo Colangelo, Argentina

Pamela Yang, Taiwan SI Youth and Families Committee (5)

Susana Martinez, Spain

Raffaella Rota, Italy

Natasha Noreen, Italy

Aneris Cao, Chile

Mar Ferre, Spain SI Distant Vote Administrator

Chris Patterson, New Zealand

2015-2018

SI President: Jonny Sågänger (Sweden) Sweden

SI Vice President: Ann Greenhough (Britain) United Kingdom

SI General Secretary: Penny Pattison Canada

SI Treasurer: LV Subramanian India

SI Peace Secretary: Danielle Serres France

SI Host List Coordinator: Pablo Colangelo Argentina

Development Committee:

Audit committee

Servas International Archivist

Conflict Resolution Committee:

Nomination Committee:

SI Job Descriptions and Statutes Committee:

Distant Vote Administrator:

Chris Patterson New Zealand

Youth Leadership Committee:

2012-2015

SI President: Jonny Sågänger (Sweden) Sweden

SI Vice President: Ann Greenhough (Britain) United Kingdom

SI General Secretary: Jaime Romero Colombia

SI Treasurer: Miroslaw Wasilewski Poland

SI Peace Secretary: Danielle Serres France

SI Host List Coordinator: Arnoud Philippo Netherlands

2009-2012

President: Gary Sealey, Canada

Vice President: Pramod Kumar, USA

General Secretary: Penny Pattison Canada

Treasurer: Miroslaw Wasilewski, Poland

Host List Coordinator: Pablo Colangelo, Argentina

Peace Secretary: Kim Jong Soo, South Korea

Finance Committee

Conflict Resolution Committee

Nominations Committee

Newsletter Editor

Archivist:

Youth Development Officer

Youth Coordinator:

Job Description/Statutes Committee

Distant Vote Administrator

2006-2009

President: Gary Sealey, Canada

Vice President: Mary Jane Mikuriya, USA

General Secretary: Pramod Kumar, India

Treasurer: Ömer Özkan, Turkey

Host List Coordinator: Anna Flammini, Italy

Peace Secretary: Nanda, Sri Lanka

2004-2006

President: Geoff Maltby, Australia

Vice President: Bibendra Pradhananga,    Nepal

General Secretary: Honora Clemens, USA

Treasurer: Ömer Özkan, Turkey

Host List Coordinator: Claudio Pacchiega, Italy

Peace Secretary: Gary Sealey, Canada

2001-2004

President: Roger Martin, Norway

Vice President: Bibendra Pradhananga,    Nepal

General Secretary: Frits Stuurman, Netherlands

Treasurer: Gyöngyver Kudor, Hungary

Host List Coordinator: Laura Ragucci, Argentina

Peace Secretary: Marco Kappenberger, West Samoa

Committees

Treasurers (Audit) Committee:

Appeals Committee:

Development Fund Committee

Complaints Committee

Nominations Committee

Job Descriptions Committee

1998-2001

President: Chris Slader UK

Treasurer: Gilbert Revault France

Vice President: Bertrand Bailleul France

General Secretary: Kevin Newham Australia

Peace Secretary: Daniele Passalacqua Italy

Assistant General Secretary and Host List Co-ordinator: Claudia Pinto Brazil

Servas International Newsletter Editor: Sharon Beldon Netherlands

1995-1998

President: Chris Slader UK

Vice President: Jenny Durand France

General Secretary: Vibeke Matorp Denmark

Treasurer: Hazel Barham UK   Assistant General Secretary: Mariangela Brunello Italy

Peace Secretary: Daniele Passalacqua Italy

1992-1995

President: Ray Scott New Zealand

Vice President: Jorge Zoppolo Uruguay

International Secretary: Vibeke Matorp Denmark

Assistant Secretary: Maringela Brunello Italy

Treasurer: Hazel Barham UK

Peace secretary: Harivallabh Parikh india

1989-1992

President: Bob Luitweiler USA

Vice-president: Janos Kurucz Hungary

Treasurer: Hazel Barham

International Co-ordinator: Antonie Fried Germany

Host Co-ordinator: Judy Ross

Peace Secretary: Felix Zurita

Asian Member: Harivallabh Parikh India

Latin American Member: Jorge Zoppolo Uruguay

African Member: E.K. Narter-Olaga

1986-1989

General Secretary: Antonie FRIED Germany

Asst. General Secretary: Yvonne BROWN New Zealand

President: Don FAWCETT USA

Vice-president: Duncan MEIKLE Canada

Treasurer: Peter Brock Germany

Editor SI Nwesletter: Frede ASGAARD Denmark

Area Coordinators

EUROPE: ULLA OFFER Germany

AFRICA: E.K. NARTER-OLAGA Ghana

EAST ASIA: TAKASHI AOKI Japan

SOUTH ASIA: HARIVALLABH PARIKH India

SOUTH PACIFIC: TOM & ANNIE YOUNG New Zealand

CENTRAL-AMERICA & CARIBBEAN: FELIX ZURITA ACHOA Mexico

SOUTH AMERICA: JORGE ZOPPOLO Uruguay

CO-OPTED MEMBERS

Reva King USA

Maria Soresina Italy

BARBARA WHITEHEAD England

1983-1985

President: Don Fawcett USA

Vice President: Maria Soresina Italy

General Secretary: Kay Lazaruz USA

Treasurer: Peter Brock Germany

Peace Secretary: Jo Graham USA

Editor, Servas International News: Janine Hall France

Assistant General Secretary: Lino Bugeja Malta

Regional Coordinators

Regional Coordinator, Africa: Zeru Michael (Africa)

Regional Coordinator, SE Asia: Takashi Aoki Japan

Regional Coordinator, N America & Caribbean: Rodrigue Aristide Guadeloupe

Regional Coordinator, Europe & Near East: Antonie Fried West Germany

Regional Coordinator, Southern Asia: Harivallabh Parikh India

Regional Coordinator, South Pacific: Nan Smith Australia

Coordinator for South America: Jorge Zoppolo Uruguay

1980-1982

President: Graham Thomas

Vice President: Don Fawcett USA

General Secretary: Barbara Whitehead

Assistant General Secretary Denise Waech   Switzerland

Peace Secretary: Reva King USA

Editor Servas International: News Rosalind Schama

Treasurer: Denise Waech   Switzerland

Regional Co-ordinators

Africa: Lydia Jones

Southern Asia: Harivallabh Parikh India

Southeast Asia: Kunio Tanaka Japan

South Pasific: Nan Smith

South America: Jorgo Zoppolo Uruguay

North America&Carabian : Kay Lazarus

Europe and Near East: Antonio Fried

1978-1980

President: Graham Thomas United Kingdom

Treasurer: Doris Bucher   Switzerland

S.I.N. Editor: Donald Fawcett USA

Asst. Treasurer: Denise Waech   Switzerland

The following positions were filled by ballot General Secretary: Barbara Whitehead United Kingdom

Vice-president: Martha Simon USA

Asst. Gen. Sec.: Reva King USA

Peace Secretary: Konrad Lübbert Germany

Regional Co-ordinators wore appointed us follows: Africa: Lydia Jones

Europe: Antonie Fried Germany

South America: Narcelo Lorenzo

South Pacific: John and Judy Ebner

Southeust Asia: Masuo Amano Japan

Southern Asia: Harivallabh Parikh India

1974-1976

President: Reva King USA

Vice President: Harivallabh Parikh India

Treasurer: Denise Vollenweider   Switzerland

Asst. Treasurer: Doris Bilcher   Switzerland

Secretary: Birgitte Damnsgaard Denmark

Asst. Secretary: Ronald Golding Australia

Peace Secretary: Hans Werner Emrich Germany

News letter Editor: Barbara Acquach United Kingdom

Assist. Editor: Martha Simon USA

Resource: SI NEWS #03

1972-1974

President & International Coordinator: Kurt Schmid Austria

Vice President & Ass't International Coordinator: Reva King USA

Treasurer: Denise Vollenweider   Switzerland

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 USA

Latin America Laura Langagne

South Pacific Max Hartin

1970-1972

The. following persons were elected:

International Coordinator~ Kurt Schmid Austria

Asst. Intl.Coordinator~ Reva King USA

Asst. IntI. Coordinator in Training: Barbara Trischuk United Kingdom

Regional coordinators. The following persons will handle the development of SERVAS in these countries:

Harivallabh Parikh India—Afghanistan, Ceylon, Australia, Kenya, and Ethiopia

Benelux—Indonesia

Sweden—Finland and Iceland

Barbara Trischuk United Kingdom - Tanzania and Fiji

Joseph Girard France -~Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia

International Coordinator—Eastern Europe

1951

Founders 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 UK the first European Servas secretary. Seeds Of Servas

General Assemblies

SERVAS 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 Germany Hamburg First Peace Builders International Conference, Out of which came the name "Servas" ^[12]

In 2025 the SIGA will be held in Dijon, France, October 3–9.

#	Year	Country	Place
#1	1952	Germany	Hamburg [12]
#2	1953	Denmark	Askov
#3	1954	Netherlands	Epe
#4	1955	Germany	Schuluchsee
#6	1958	Austria	Landeck (Tyrol)
#7	1959	Netherlands	Oosterwijk
#8	1960	Belgium	Ghent
#9	1964	France	Paris
#10	1965	Austria	Vienna
#11	1966	Denmark	Copenhagen
#12	1967	Czechoslovakia	Bratislava
#13	1970	Austria	Vienna
#14	1972	Germany	Wetzlar
#15	1974	Switzerland	Arcegno
#16	1976	United States	San Francisco
#17	1978	Denmark	Elsanor
#18	1980	India	Gujarat
#19	1983	Israel	Nahariya
#20	1986	Italy	Roma
#21	1989	Canada	Montreal, Quebec
#22	1992	France	Paris
#23	1995	Australia	Melbourne
#24	1998	Guatemala	Antigua Guatemala
#25	2001	Thailand	Nakhon Nayok
#26	2004	Spain	Barcelona
#27	2006	Italy	Latina
#28	2009	Argentina	Mar Del Plata
#29	2012	Poland	Piaski
#30	2015	New Zealand	Matamata [13]
#31	2018	South Korea	Seoul [14]
#32	2022	India	Panchgani [15]
#33	2025	France	Dijon [16]

References

1. "Servas International".
2. "How Sleeping On A Stranger's Couch Became A Moral Dilemma For Travelers". buzzfeednews.com. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
3. Glusac, Elaine (March 13, 2017). "The Other Airbnbs: Alternative Home-Sharing Rentals" . The New York Times .
4. Glusac, Elaine (March 24, 2017). "Competition for Airbnb as other home-sharing sites target niche audiences". The Irish Times .
5. Hull, Dana (July 14, 1996). "SERVAS WITH A SMILE". The Washington Post .
6. Fardelmann, Charlotte (September 22, 1980). "Servas -- a letter of introduction to another culture". The Christian Science Monitor .
7. Knowles, Pat (1989). SERVAS 1949-1989. An Experiment in Peace Building. Printed by Church Enterprise Print. Typeset by Graphic Point (Birmingham UK). pp. 1–148.
8. Stellin, Susan (July 9, 2006). "SGo to Strangers (and They'll Come to You)". New York Times .
9. "Servas group on servas.org | Servas Online". servas.org.
10. hservas.org/en/community/board-and-management/si-exco
11. "International conferences | Servas Online".
12. "THE SEEDS OF SERVAS Opening Doors for Peace" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2022.
13. "SI Conference and General Assembly 2015". servas.org. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023.
14. "Conference theme: Connecting people and cultures for Peace" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 31, 2023.
15. "Welcome to the 32nd Servas International Conference and General Assembly - SICOGA 2022 | SICOGA 2022". ga22.servas.org.
16. "Youth News Bulletin" (PDF). Serves International. Vol. 31, no. 1. 2024.