| One of the things I do for the website is I | | | | individual Servas members and will be |
| continuously search out individuals and | | | | completing more indepth interviews with some |
| organizations that have accomplished unusual | | | | of these individuals over the next few weeks. |
| things or made special contributions. Through | | | | I had a chance to spend 2 to 3 hours with 5 |
| my research I had come across an organization | | | | different people and I was truly astounded, |
| called SERVAS, an organization of hosts and | | | | not only at their travel experience, but at |
| travellers world-wide throughout 130 | | | | their dedication to this organization and to |
| countries that intends to foster peace | | | | making a positive contribution to our world |
| through intercultural exchange.Hosts | | | | in general.One of the women I talked to, a |
| throughout the member countries generally | | | | marathon runner, volunteers by taking a group |
| receive travellers for 2 days (or longer if | | | | of blind people out to run on a regular |
| they wish) and accommodate them in their | | | | basis. A young volunteer from Argentina is |
| home. Sometimes if they don't have the | | | | dedicating a huge amount of his personal time |
| facilities, the hosts take their guests on | | | | and energy to build a no-cost language |
| tours of their local city or have lunch or | | | | exchange program for young Servas members in |
| dinner with them, in which case they are | | | | countries like Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, |
| referred to as day-hosts. Many times the | | | | Brazil, Canada and the United States. Through |
| travellers become part of the family, helping | | | | this initiative young people will have the |
| out with chores around the house, or even | | | | opportunity to stay with other Servas members |
| being invited to participate in family | | | | free of charge and learn English, Spanish, |
| reunions or other local activities with their | | | | Portuguese or French at no cost from |
| hosts.The really unique thing about Servas, | | | | volunteer teachers who are also Servas |
| something that sets it apart from other | | | | members.Another very energetic Servas member |
| hospitality exchanges, is that the | | | | from San Francisco volunteers her time to |
| organization's stated mission is to foster | | | | help the local homeless community and to |
| international peace, tolerance and | | | | participate in a variety of peace-building |
| understanding through personal connections. | | | | initiatives. I also talked to a nice couple |
| Every traveller and every host is interviewed | | | | from New Jersey, both teachers, who spread |
| by a volunteer to ensure that the | | | | the message of peace to an audience of young |
| individual's philosophy is consistent with | | | | people and they are also involved in the |
| the organization, and that the traveller is | | | | Sierra Club, to help save our environment. |
| indeed prepared to undertake a cultural | | | | Another interesting person I talked to is a |
| exchange with the hosts, rather than just | | | | diversity consultant and she helps |
| looking for free accommodation. Following the | | | | organizations develop the necessary |
| interview, the traveller receives an official | | | | sensitivities for working with a |
| signed and stamped Letter of Introduction | | | | multi-cultural workforce.Over the last few |
| which must be presented to the host as proof | | | | years I have been spending a lot of my time |
| of the screening process.Travelling with | | | | reflecting on the state of the world, and in |
| SERVAS is definitely not a concept for | | | | light of recent developments like 911, the |
| freeloaders, but a dedicated community of | | | | War in Iraq, the Madrid train bombings and |
| like-minded people who wish to establish | | | | the recent London transit bombings, it is |
| human connections across the globe and | | | | painfully obvious that we are living in very |
| improve global relations one contact at a | | | | violent times. We are in dire need of people |
| time. After I completed my interview with | | | | who dedicate a good portion of their lives |
| Patrice Samara from the US Office of Servas, | | | | towards making this place a better world, |
| she suggested I might want to come out to | | | | towards building peace and understanding, and |
| Vancouver to cover the first Canadian-US | | | | exactly this is Servas' stated mission.I |
| Servas Conference. I had never been out to | | | | admit that I have been losing faith in |
| the Canadian West Coast, and I found the | | | | humanity over the last few years, but going |
| concept of Servas very intriguing, so off I | | | | out to Vancouver and seeing 200 people, all |
| went and used my Airmiles to get myself out | | | | idealists and active volunteers, was a truly |
| to Vancouver.The conference officially | | | | wonderful experience. It restored my |
| started at 5 pm on Friday, August 5. One of | | | | confidence and my optimism, and I felt |
| the first conference events was a welcoming | | | | embraced by these many wonderful enlightened |
| greeting by a local First Nations elder who | | | | spirits. The conference and the people I |
| symbolically welcomed us onto his beach, | | | | connected with will remain in my thoughts for |
| using a metaphor for the ocean-front land | | | | a long time, and it goes without saying that |
| that had been the holy ground of his | | | | I will be joining Servas myself.I started the |
| fore-fathers. As part of the ceremony a woman | | | | conference as a writer, but I left as a |
| was spreading eagle feathers on the crowd, | | | | friend.Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a |
| sharing one of the most treasured possessions | | | | website called Travel and Transitions( Travel |
| among native people, a true welcoming | | | | and Transitions deals with unconventional |
| gesture.Other program points of the | | | | travel and is chock full of advice, tips, |
| conference included a sharing of experiences | | | | real life travel experiences, interviews with |
| about peace and travel, personal experiences | | | | travellers and travel experts, insights and |
| of hosting or being a guest, a very | | | | reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests |
| interesting exploration of what it means to | | | | and many other features. You will also find |
| be from Canada or the United States, as well | | | | stories about life and the transitions that |
| as youth perspectives and experiences in | | | | we face as we go through our own personal |
| Servas. The organization is making a targeted | | | | life-long journeys.Submit your own travel |
| effort to reach out to young people to spread | | | | stories in our first travel story contest( |
| the message of peace through travel to the | | | | and have a chance to win an amazing adventure |
| next generation.I spent the majority of my | | | | cruise on the Amazon River. |
| time at the conference interviewing | | | | |