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