SCI Annual Report 2010 by Ingrid ter Maat

ANNUAL REPORT 2010

International Secretariat (IS) Sint Jacobsmarkt 82 2000 Antwerp Belgium Tel. 32.3.2265727 E-mail: info@sciint.org www.sciint.org Antwerp, Belgium – June 2011

servicecivilinternational

sciint

Picture cover page: SCI volunteers working to turn paths of war into ‘paths of peace’ at the No More War camp in Austria.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the support received in 2010 from (in alphabetical order): ● Council of Europe – European Youth Foundation ● European Commission ● Private Donors ● SCI Branches ● SD WORX

We would also, and most of all, like to acknowledge the valuable support received from numerous volunteers and staff persons from all the branches of our international organisation.

Council of Europe – European Youth Foundation

This publication has been funded with support from the ‘Europe for Citizens’ programme’ of the European Commission. It reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Table of Contents Acknowledgements

Table of Contents

Foreword from the International President

Introduction

Structures of SCI

International Voluntary Projects 2010

10 10 12

Short Term Projects Long Term Projects

Where did SCI work in 2010?

14 14 16 19 20 22 23

Europe Asia-Pacific USA and Canada Latin America Middle East and Mediterranean (MIDI) Africa

Thematic Focus

24 24 32 34 36 38

Peace Education SCI 90 years anniversary Social Inclusion North-South Exchange Sustainability and Climate Change

International Coordination

39 39 40 41 42 45

International Secretariat International Executive Committee Strategic Planning International Meetings Communication and External Representation

Appendices

47 47 51 52

Annual Accounts 2010 SCI Branches and Groups in 2010 SCI Partner and Contact organisations in 2010 International Coordination in 2010

Foreword from the International President The story continues… 2010 was a special year. Exactly ninety years ago, shortly after the First World War, an international group of volunteers, among whom Pierre Cérésole, the founder of SCI, started to work on the reconstruction of a small village near the French-German border. This action marked the beginning of Service Civil International that is nowadays one of the oldest and largest international volunteer organisations with branches and partners all over the world, dedicated to promoting cultures of peace. Every year thousands of volunteers leave their countries to work on one of the many projects organised by SCI branches and partners. They contribute in a very concrete way to local communities through a wide range of activities, but most of all they learn to overcome obstacles and prejudice by working together towards achieving common goals, with volunteers from different countries, cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. And that is the simple but very effective SCI method of creating a culture of tolerance, mutual respect, intercultural understanding and peace. A method that worked ninety years ago when people from former enemy-countries worked together on the first SCI project in a war-torn village in France and… it still works today! The founding of SCI was remembered and celebrated throughout the whole year by SCI branches that organised a variety of activities. There was an international campaign called ‘Volunteering for Peace and Intercultural Understanding’ that was coordinated by the SCI International Secretariat, the International Archives and the No More War team. The main aim of the campaign was to look back at the values and ideas that inspired the founding of SCI and demonstrate how these are still valid in our present work. In 2010 SCI continued to be a major and active volunteer organisation in the world, placing thousands of international volunteers on short term projects as well as sending many Long Term Volunteers to work for a variety of projects in different countries. There have been all kinds of meetings, trainings and seminars organised in different areas such as Peace Education, North-South Exchange, Sustainability and more. One more organisation, CEMIAC Mexico, became a full member (branch) of our network thus bringing the number of SCI branches and groups to 41 and confirming SCI's global coverage. Another important achievement in 2010 was the finalisation of the Strategic Plan 20112014 which will ensure further cohesion of our international movement and clarify our priorities for the years to come. We are therefore looking forward to continuing the success story of international volunteering in anticipation of the 100th anniversary of SCI!

Mihai Crisan SCI International President

Introduction Service Civil International (SCI) is one of the world's largest international volunteering organisations with more than ninety years of experience in coordinating international voluntary projects. Through these projects SCI helps break down barriers and prejudices between people of different social, cultural and national backgrounds and promote a culture of peace. SCI’s vision is a world of peace; social justice and sustainable development, where all people live together with mutual respect and without recourse to any form of violence to solve conflict. SCI’s mission is to promote a culture of peace by organising international volunteering projects with local and global impact. SCI’s was founded by Pierre Cérésole, a Swiss engineer who established a peace and humanitarian movement in the aftermath of the 1st World War and laid down the foundations of SCI in 1920. From the modest size in the 1920s, SCI has developed into an international peace movement and international volunteering organisation with 42 member organisations in countries all over the world. SCI has established an even greater number of partnerships with like-minded organisations from all continents. SCI is open to all. It was one of the first organisations to divest itself of all political or religious affiliations in its work of promoting peace and intercultural understanding through practical action. Every year, SCI enables thousands of volunteers to participate in its work. Living and working together in an international group gives the volunteers a chance to create a network of international contacts. The voluntary work is designed to introduce volunteers to the range of problems that communities face in the struggle for peace and social justice. The work aspect, as much as the social contact with local people, is a unique way of acquiring a deeper understanding of problems that people are facing in one’s own country and abroad. There is a great diversity in SCI’s approach to voluntary work. Apart from short term international voluntary projects (usually 2 -3 weeks) there is also a medium and long-term programme under which volunteers can be actively employed for several months or even years. While international voluntary projects remain SCI’s main activity, other work is being developed in a broader socioeconomic context through various projects and campaigns. Trainings and seminars in the field of non formal education are also becoming an important aspect of SCI’s work. To ensure the unity of and cohesion within the organisation and in order to pursue a coherent policy, SCI has set up national and international coordination structures. However, the emphasis is placed on the grassroots base of our organisation: the volunteers and their practical work initiatives.

Structures of SCI The highest decision making body in SCI is the International Committee Meeting (ICM), which meets once a year. All the branches of SCI are members of the organisation and they all have voting rights in the ICM. SCI branches can send one delegate and one or more observers. The International Executive Committee (IEC) and the International Secretariat (IS) are responsible for preparing the ICM. In December 2010, this important meeting was held in Poland, hosted by the SCI branch OWA Poland. The members of the International Executive Committee, including the president, vice-president and treasurer, are elected at the ICM. The IEC is responsible for implementing the decisions made at each ICM and it has a mandate to make in-between policy and management decisions. In 2010 the IEC consisted of the following persons: Mihai Crisan Heinz Gabathuler Grazyna Pulawska Paolo Pagano Stephen Nah Low Kok Chang

International President Vice President and acting International Treasurer Member Member Member Member

At the ICM 2010 that took place in December Klaudia Bencze was elected as a new Member, additional to the above mentioned members. Organisations that want to become a member of SCI can apply for SCI Group status. If they meet certain conditions SCI Groups may apply for SCI Branch status if they have been active for at least 2 years, have evidence of administrative stability, are officially registered with the authorities in their own country and undertake moral and financial obligations in support of the movement. The ICM grants branch status upon recommendation of the IEC. In countries where SCI has no branches SCI cooperates with partner organisations. Partners are likeminded organisations that are selected according to a fixed procedure and furthermore evaluated on their annual activities. Most of the partners are based in Eastern Europe, North and Latin America and Africa. Apart from groups, branches and partners, several international working groups are active within SCI. When a group starts its activities it can apply for working group status in SCI. Once received the official working group status, it needs to present an activity report, financial results, budget for the coming year, and an action plan at each ICM. The ICM votes whether the working group status can be maintained. The following international working groups were recognised and active in 2010: • • •

LTEG (Long-Term Exchanges Group) SAVA WG (Balkans) Youth and Unemployment WG

• • • •

Abya Yala WG (Latin America) Africa WG Asia Iternational WG Midi WG (Mediterranean region)

All branches can choose which international working groups they want to support and join. A branch that joins an international working group as a member carries a financial responsibility for a possible deficit of that working group. Besides the officially recognised working groups other informal structures were active in 2010 on different issues: • • •

GAIA - sustainable development and climate change (GAIA became an official working group at ICM 2010). Peace Messengers No More War

Other bodies in the SCI international structures are the Financial Advisory & Consultancy Team (FACT) and the International Insurance Commission (IIC). Both meet once a year and advise the international treasurer and/ or the IEC, the ICM, separate branches and international working groups on respectively finances and insurance matters.

SCI branch delegates at the International Committee Meeting 2010 in Poland.

International Voluntary Projects 2010

Short Term Projects

Short term project in Sri Lanka……………………………………Short term project in Belgium SCI organises short term international voluntary projects, commonly known within SCI as ‘workcamps’. These projects are organised in cooperation with SCI’s network of branches, groups, partners, and contact organisations which in turn cooperate with local organisations and communities. A short term international voluntary project is a unique form of volunteering, bringing together people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds to live and work together with local communities for a period of 2 -3 weeks. The projects aim to break down barriers between people and to develop international understanding. In this way, there is always a study element to the projects and a strong emphasis on intercultural learning.

“This workcamp allowed me to meet people I would probably never have otherwise. Thanks to the renovation project, our paths crossed and we had incredible moments of sharing stories, a few testimonies, and a lot of coffee and tea, giving "brotherhood" its concrete sense!”

“The project consisted of clearing an immense field of bushes, trees, etc. with a machete! Outside of working hours we had many discussions (in a mixture of English, Swahili, Pocomo, mimes, facial expressions and demonstrations) on our cultural differences and similarities. Dancing was the spark for each meeting – a powerful spark, unifying and full of joy of life, where everyone gives and receives!”

Marie Morgane Hieule, Volunteer in Kosovo

Charlotte Van Parys, volunteer in Kenya

The Online Placement System (www.workcamps.info) The Online Placement System (OPS) is the online database and placement system for international voluntary projects. The OPS is not only a public search engine, it also allows the volunteer to register for a project which in turn connects them to the branch responsible for the selection and placement of volunteers. The OPS website itself receives more than 50, 000 visitors each month and there are more than 20, 000 volunteers registered. First implemented in 2009, the OPS was further developed throughout 2010. The beginning of 2010 saw the creation of an OPS Team. This team worked on the tasks of making the OPS 2010 operational according to the inputs collected as a result of the Exchange Evaluation Meeting (EEM) 2009 and designing and developing a permanent version of the OPS for the placement season 2011. These tasks were specifically related to security, performance and usability. As well as this, the OPS Team was busy in supporting the branches in using the new system. A user guide was developed to be distributed amongst branches and presented at the Placement Officer Training (POT) meeting. Some of the team members were able to attend the POT 2010 to personally train the Placement Officers.

“The OPS is now one of the most (if not the most) advanced placement systems for international volunteers and one of the largest databases for international volunteer projects. We are not paying anybody for the development and maintenance of the system; it is totally developed on a voluntary basis.” Paolo Pagano

“As a placement officer and an international exchange coordinator at SCI Serbia, I want to make sure that both volunteers and placement officers have a proper tool to work with and therefore I want to contribute to its development in a team. Ever since I joined SCI I wanted to contribute to its mission and goals and this is just one of the ways I could fulfil my task. This tool strengthens relations between branches and volunteers, branches and branches and I am glad I am a part of the forces of victory” ‘Jimmy’ Ernest Kovach

Long Term Projects SCI's Long Term Volunteering (LTV) programme provides volunteers with the opportunity to stay abroad from 2 to 12 months and support a variety of projects and activities, such as working with disabled people, disadvantaged youth or ethnic minorities, to working in an office or run daily activities in an eco-village. Long Term Volunteering is more than just work. The long lasting commitment that LTV’s make to the projects enables sustained work for peace, both on a concrete level for the branches and partner organisations and on a personal level for the volunteer and the members of the local communities. It is the experience of living abroad and learning from different cultures and people, while getting deeply involved with a concrete project that is for the benefit of the local community. All LTV's that work in SCI are provided with food and accommodation, some pocket money and a basic SCI health insurance. Travel costs to the project are generally covered by the volunteer him/herself. In 2010 various LTV projects in SCI were financed by the European Commission through the European Voluntary Service (EVS), which is part of the Youth in Action programme and aims to support young people's participation in various forms of voluntary activities, both within and outside the European Union. Under this Action, young people take part individually or in groups in non-profit, unpaid activities.

Impressions of an EVS Long Term Volunteer “My time as an LTV at the International Secretariat is slowly approaching its end. So it is time to think about the future. However, it is kind of hard to juggle between everyday tasks and duties and organising ones own future. As an LTV you find yourself engaged in accomplishing all sorts of work tasks, while at the same time dealing with daily recurring things like household issues, and then there’s the language course, the need to socialize, the need to do some physical exercise and very important: the need to cook your own meal (as an LTV you can not afford to eat out frequently). Of course there are also your flatmates to talk to about daily stuff and life in general (and this often takes quite a while ☺) and then you are just tired. I can not imagine how it would be to have children… When to have energy and time to write all these jobapplications? I have to say this has been an interesting adventure till now – although more from an inside than an outside perspective. A period of self-development. When you live alone and abroad away from your friends and family you get to know yourself better. I already lived alone and abroad before, however that was quite a different experience, since I was studying intensively and always occupied with student life. Now my life is more about peace and tranquillity, at least that is how I live here. In a situation like that you are more connected to yourself and have the opportunity to figure out what is important to you. After spending almost one year as an LTV, I can say that I like what I am doing at the International Secretariat very much… And that I would be very happy to continue doing something similar in the future. We will see: how, where…” Lidija Jularic, Long Term Volunteer

Long Term Exchange Group (LTEG) LTEG is an international SCI working group that contributes to SCI’s mission by promoting, strengthening and improving the Long Term Volunteer (LTV) activities in SCI, involving more branches and partners in LTV exchange and seeking recognition of the importance of LTV exchange for the organisations, communities and volunteers involved in it. In 2010 the LTEG Annual Meeting took place together with the North South Platform Meeting (NSPM) in Finland (October 6th -10th 2010). This allowed LTEG cooperate intensively with North-South working groups, while at the same time discuss long term issues and the future of the working group itself. LTEG also prepared and implemented the ‘Bridging Yourope’ training that took place between 3rd – 11th March 2010 in Dublin. It was not only a placement training, as it also included sessions about project management. The meeting was a success! The volunteers were mostly satisfied with the training and the branches happy about the preparation that their volunteers received for the placement season. During the training volunteers expressed their need of further knowledge about project management and PR as well as their wish for more practical skills in communication, conflict resolution, and more. It was decided to improve the interface of the long term database in order to include all long term projects (also from the ‘South’) and to give regional working groups access and possibilities to control their projects, as well as to provide a restricted online search tool for volunteers that includes additional features such as collecting data for statistics and quality control. LTEG Steering Group 2010 Magdalena Kaj Marta Sykut Sarah Gerster Snezhina Kozareva Philippe Marti Virigine Duval

Where did SCI work in 2010? Europe In 2010 SCI organised both short and long term volunteering projects all over Europe, as well as trainings, seminars and several international meetings. Projects were organised and implemented by 28 European branches and 31 partner and contact organisations. The International Secretariat of SCI, located in Antwerp, Belgium, facilitated and co-ordinated several activities and projects. Unfortunately, in 2010 some SCI branches had financial difficulties, like VIA Belgium. However, the article below describes how VIA Belgium was able to overcome these difficulties thanks to the never ending spirit of motivated and dedicated volunteers.

VIA Belgium in transition On New Year’s Day 2010 VIA Belgium - the Flemish branch of SCI in Belgium was facing many challenges. Due to a severe reduction in financial resources and consequently in staff, the organisation had only two options: merge with another like minded organisation or continue its activities on a much smaller scale. After some exploring talks with other organisations, the new committee decided to go forward and not look back. On June 30th the last staff members left the office and volunteers took over, assisted part time by Isabelle as the only staff person. In September the spacious office was also abandoned and a new room was occupied in an old building near SCI’s International Secretariat. It was not easy at all to organise activities without the support of a well staffed office. While the end of the long term exchanges under the ICYE-programme was already decided in 2009, VIA was forced to reduce the YUWG-activities as well. Fortunately, another NGO called ‘Intro’ was found willing to continue this valuable programme. The VIA committee started to organise the so-called ‘work and meet’ evenings on Wednesdays, an idea that was taken from VIA Netherlands, where volunteers discuss, eat, and work on ambitious plans. The results? At the end of 2010 VIABelgium was ready to start a new life with a new coordinator, a smoothly functioning committee and a group of enthusiastic and energetic volunteers. By VIA Belgium

Several working groups were active at European level, such as LTEG, GAIA (both described elsewhere in this report) and SAVA: the working group called after the river that flows through the Balkan.

SAVA Working Group SAVA is an international SCI working group that coordinates volunteering activities in South-Eastern Europe, mainly in the Balkan region. It was formed in 1992 during the wars and conflicts that took

place in this area. SAVAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to promote peace values, intercultural understanding, acceptance and environmental awareness, through promoting volunteering and empowerment of individuals and communities of the Balkans. From the 24th to the 31st of October a SAVA study session was held in Budapest, Hungary. The session was organised by the member organisations of the SAVA Working Group in cooperation with the European Youth Centre Budapest and supported by the Council of Europe (CoE), Directorate of Youth and Sport (DYS). The study session was developed to provide more space for reflection and development of skills of youth workers. The aim was to support learning processes within international voluntary projects. A team of very experienced facilitators designed and carried out the programme.

Participants at work during the SAVA study session in Budapest PVN Albania implemented the Peace Messengers - Travelling workcamp together with SCI Switzerland. SAVA also supported partner organisations in developing workcamp descriptions (infosheets). SAVA Steering Group 2010 Helena Poucki Milica Milovic Katerina Stoyanova Stefan Manevski Lukas Kreinbuehl

Asia-Pacific In 2010, the Asia-Pacific region saw many activities organised under the Asia International Working Group (AIWG), the Asian Development Committee (ADC), the Asian Development Programme (ADP), and the Asian Platform Meeting (APM). More about the Asian Platform Meeting can be found in the section â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;International Meetingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Here you can read about some of the activities that took place in the Asian region with SCI.

Asia International Working Group (AIWG) Established in 2006, the Asia International Working Group (AIWG) is the SCI platform for activists and branches working in and for the Asian region. Its aims are to achieve a better cooperation and development of exchanges between Asia and the rest of the world through common projects and exchange and to reinforce the links between Asian branches and branches in the rest of the world; to deal with issues surrounding new Asian groups, partners, and contact organisations; and to facilitate the evaluation process of North South exchanges. One of the main activities for the year 2010 was the coordination of the Asia Europe Exchange Programme (AEEP). The working group selected 8 participants but due to visa issues only one was able to actually join the programme. AIWG organised an evaluation for incoming volunteers and was involved in the workcamp selection for most of the partners and contact organisations of SCI. AIWG was also in constant communication with the Asian Platform Meeting (APM) and the Asian Development Committee (ADC). Finding new steering group members was another important task. AIWG managed to find two new steering group members from Finland and Nepal. The annual meeting took place in Finland, alongside the North South Platform Meeting. It was a very good opportunity to sit together with some of the partner organisations from Asia, and discuss the matters together with the rest of the SCI branches and evaluate partnerships and workcamps. Among the main outcomes of the meeting was the proposal to have the Hong Kong Group (HKG) as a new contact of SCI at the International Committee Meeting (ICM). AIWG Steering Group 2010 Sooriya Bandara Low Kok-Chang Kazi Mursalin Chiniya Duwal

Asian Development Committee (ADC) The ADC is comprised by branch representatives from the Asia Pacific region and Mauritius. This includes Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Australia and Mauritius. Each branch or group has one or two nominated representatives as core members of the ADC. There is a rotating Chairperson selected from its members. The 2010 Chairperson was Jayaprasad Kumar from SCI India. The ADC reviews, recommends and supports common regional activities and programmes. Communication throughout the year takes place during the Asian Platform Meeting (APM) and thereafter during the year via email, Facebook and Skype meetings. The activities developed by the ADC during the Asian Platform Meeting are broadly categorised under the Asian Development Programme. In 2010, the ADP consisted of various projects, one of

which was the Asia Pacific Peace Education Seminar (APPES). The project is described in detail in the ‘Thematic Focus’ chapter under ‘Peace Education’. In Sri Lanka a ‘Post Conflict Project’ was organised in the form of a regional workshop that took place from 13-18 December with SCI Sri Lanka. This also coincided with SCI Sri Lanka’s 50th Anniversary and SCI’s 90th Anniversary which was celebrated on the 13th December. The workshop was attended by 26 participants from Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and Germany. Participants heard from speakers on topics such as “Human and Women’s Rights – Post Conflict Challenges” and “Post War Peace Building in Sri Lanka - A Civil Society Perspective”. The workshop was managed by Sameera Jayasinghe. One of the highlights was the awarding of Honorary Memberships to who had rendered special services to SCI Sri Lanka. Special Memento's were also awarded to senior members of SCI Sri Lanka and a few foreign delegates. There was also a two-day field trip organised to the northeast of Sri Lanka to meet with members of Non Governmental Organisations. Participants were then introduced to different groups working with the local community.

Volunteering in Sri Lanka - Post Conflict Project “Last year in December, I got the opportunity to participate in the regional workshop organised by SCI Sri Lanka to mark the 90th anniversary of the international movement and the 50th anniversary of the Sri Lankan branch. The workshop mainly focused on the challenges faced in peacemaking in the modern world with special reference to Sri Lanka's post conflict environment. We had some eminent professors from the University of Peradeniya to speak on various issues related to the conflict such as language, geo-political constraints and enablers in reconciliation and even women's role in peace making. It was quite an interactive session and helped me in knowing some of the root causes and the impact of the conflict. The main objectives of the workshop were to promote regional promotion and identify possible areas and actions of intervention. (…) We even had a field visit to Mutur, Northern Sri Lanka, where we the volunteers were divided into teams and got the task of interviewing Muslim women and religious leaders. They expressed their strong feelings and their loss in the conflict. Indeed, it was an enlightening experience for me where I had the privilege to meet people from various social backgrounds”. By Ria Banerjee, India

The Bilateral Cyclone Project is an ongoing project organised by SCI Japan and SCI Bangladesh to build a cyclone shelter in Bangladesh for use as an evacuation shelter and a clinic. This “International Design Competition” was initiated in 2010. So far it has seen the participation of 62 people from 18 countries. Five architects will be selected, taken to the site, and finally one architect will be selected to design the winning project. For more information you can visit their website http://comp.atelierpax.jp/en/ The Asian Voices Newsletter is a grassroots initiative to raise the visibility of Asian projects. This newsletter highlights the many activities in Australia, Bangladesh, India, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Malaysia, Mauritius and Sri Lanka.

Post Conflict Project â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sri Lanka

USA and Canada In 2010 SCI organised exchange activities in USA and Canada through the SCI branch SCI-IVS USA and with the partner organisations Nocono Canada and Volunteers for Peace USA. Below you can read the story of one of the most popular workcamps in this region, Mission: Wolf.

A Visit to Mission: Wolf Have you ever awakened to the sound of fifty wolves, all howling in unison? I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, either, until I stayed overnight at Mission: Wolf, one of SCI-IVS oldest workcamp sponsors. (...) Mission: Wolf is an institution in Southern Colorado, started by a visionary named Kent Weber as a place for wolves and humans to meet. For ten years, SCI-IVS has been holding summer work camps here, helping to construct buildings and wolf enclosures. For all of those years, this has been one of our best-attended camps, drawing animal-lovers from all over the world. Mission: Wolf is a refuge and sanctuary for wolves which for some reason are not able to live in the wild. Maybe they were injured and rescued by some wild-life agency, or they were adopted as a cub by some family who thought they would make a nice pet but found out differently. Some wolves there were acquired by Hollywood to be used in the film Dancing With Wolves but no plans were made for their welfare after the movie. These camps always get rave evaluations, even though the work is hard. (...) During the summer, when the sanctuary has lots of visitors, there may be as many as a dozen staff volunteers, in addition to the SCI work campers. Since the sanctuary only has three permanent buildings - a visitor centre and two staff cabins - some of the Summer staff live in several tepees on the grounds. Some lucky staff members also get to go on tours of the USA, as the sanctuary runs its Wolf Bus to different parts of the country each Summer, educating the public about the reality of wolves. During the Winter, the staff is reduced to only a few hardy (and compatible) souls, as the centre may be snowed in for weeks at a time. The volunteers who come here have to be a hardy group, as there are few of the comforts of civilization. No TV, no Coca-Cola (the fridge is too small ), no showers, no washers for clothes, and only an outhouse in place of a bathroom. As housing is scarce, the campers have to live in tents. If you are ever in southern Colorado, you too can visit Mission: Wolf, and learn the truth about wolves. For curiosity or detailed travel instructions, log on to www.missionwolf.org. While there, pick up a copy of The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig for your children, the answer to wolf detractors everywhere. Dave Axtell, Colorado

Latin America In Latin America SCI worked in close cooperation with the Mexican organisation CEMIAC - which became an SCI branch at the ICM in December 2010 - and SVI Brazil - a recognised SCI Group - as well as with several partners and contact organisations in Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Nicaragua and Guatemala. In 2010, 24 volunteers from UK, Belgium. Switzerland, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Hungary and Switzerland were placed on short term projects in Latin America.

SCI Volunteers at a workcamp in Mexico

Abya Yala Working Group Abya Yala is the working group of SCI that promotes and encourages political awareness, short term voluntary projects and exchanges regarding Latin American issues. Abya Yala supports SCI branches and groups that work in different ways to develop exchanges, international solidarity campaigns, international, national and regional seminars and informative material related to the social and political situation in Latin America. In 2010 Abya Yala was active mainly placing volunteers on short term projects. Abya Yala also worked on PR and communication in 2010 due to the fact that volunteers tend to travel less to this part of the world, which is partly caused by language barriers (basic Spanish or Portuguese language skills are required) but also because of the lack of diversity in the camps that are offered. Therefore Abya Yala reached out to new partner organisations with the aim of increasing the number and variety of workcamps in the region.

Abya Yala Steering Group 2010 Ricardo Olvera Luhana Madeira Alessandro Schiano

Volunteer Story from Ecuador Arriving in the Chiriboga Foundation house in Quito was almost like reaching home. The two sisters in charge of the project were very welcoming, with lots of experience with international volunteers and well organised! The first night was spent learning of the history of the Chiriboga cloud forest and the foundation, and what work we would do there. I also met the other volunteers; four Spaniards, three Germans and one Irish. The work was physically tough and tiring, the forest was wet and slippery and difficult to move around through (…) We sang and joked around to keep our spirits up, played with the dogs that followed us everywhere or watched out for toucans and hummingbirds and other wildlife. (…) I learnt about the forest and the species within it, how to make bracelets from vines and maybe most importantly, about Ecuadorian culture and food and traditions and how to interact with them. The rough terrain made progress slow but by the end of the two weeks, I felt we had achieved something worthwhile. The teaching part of the project was in Jipijapa, a small town in coastal Ecuador. The other volunteers and I were in different schools that were run in very different ways so each of us had a unique experience. I taught three mixed-age school groups English every day. It was tough at times, when my Spanish wasn’t good enough for the slang and quick speech of some of the kids or when it was so hot I felt I couldn’t think, let alone teach! The kids were innocent and good, always willing to listen or sing or play games and even do the tests the school principal asked me to set. They learnt a lot - their English pronunciation improved 100fold! I lived with a local family, three generations in the one house. (…) We met so many people and were included in every town event for the two weeks. It was incredibly welcoming! I gained a huge insight to urban life in the poorer regions of Ecuador, away from the touristic centres. (…) It was a fantastic experience: for my confidence, my awareness and my Spanish. A volunteer from Ireland A

Middle East and Mediterranean Midi working group An official international working group of SCI, the Mediterranean Working Group (MIDI) is responsible for ensuring a smooth exchange of volunteers between the Mediterranean region and the rest of the SCI movement, in an effort to propose a just peace as an alternative to violence and oppression. It seeks to communicate and strengthen the broader SCI movement’s solidarity with its partners and their communities in times of need. Currently, MIDI is responsible for exchanges with Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco. It remains open to take the responsibility for countries geographically and culturally linked to those mentioned when the need or opportunity arises. MIDI also gathers the evaluations from the workcamps, in order to share information about the partner organisations. They try to have a common strategy and coordinate the exchange of information about this region. They also share ideas about projects and prepare common tools for pre-departure trainings. Throughout 2010, members actively worked in the expansion and quality improvement of the group. The annual meeting took place in October in Finland at the North South Platform Meeting, where evaluation of partners and their projects took place. 2010 saw a search for a Jewish partner organisation in Israel. A list of possible partners was compiled and several members of MIDI visited these organisations. This is still work in progress. MIDI was responsible for involving partners in SCI multilateral and bilateral projects such as that coordinated by SCI branch, Zavod Voluntariat Slovenia, “Mediterranean United” (www.medunited.net). On exchange issues, MIDI provided assistance to branches looking to send volunteers to the region and supported preparation workshops for these volunteers. MIDI was also involved in several awareness raising activities on the situation in the Middle East and Maghreb region. MIDI volunteers promoted the BDS Campaign (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions). Those branches that support MIDI took part in various local and international activities. For example, SCI Italy worked with other Italian organisations to send volunteers to help Palestinian farmers with their olive harvest. Support was given to the SCI contact organisation, Tent of Nations, Palestine, following a demolition order from the Israeli authorities. MIDI Steering Group MIDI does not have an official steering group. It is a self-organised working group in which everyone takes responsibility and works together as a team on an equal basis.

Africa During 2010, volunteers from 17 SCI branches (in Austria, Belgium, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Madrid, Italy, Ireland, Finland, Slovenia, France, Poland, Catalonia, Netherlands, Hungary, Sweden and Croatia) took part in short term voluntary projects organised by partner organisations and contact groups in 12 different African countries (Botswana, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia). These placements were coordinated and facilitated by the Africa Working Group.

Africa Working Group The Africa Working Group (AWG) promotes dialogue, cooperation and solidarity between SCI and its sub-Saharan partner organisations and develops, and builds upon SCI’s work in this region. Camps were organised for the first time with new partners in Cameroon and Gabon. There was also a new (but experienced) partner in Uganda (UPA). In Europe the number of outgoing volunteers to Africa increased in some countries, especially in the SCI branches from Eastern Europe that had never before participated in North South exchanges. The AWG annual meeting took place at the North South Platform Meeting in Finland in October 2010. The main issues which the AWG took care of during 2010 were: the utilisation of the Online Placement System (OPS) in the frame of North South exchanges, long term volunteering in the South, the “Impact of the Exchange” study carried out by VSI Ireland, the internal and external communication of the AWG and the communication tools used, the new staff exchange programme organised by SCI Belgium and SCI Germany. The group also created and maintained communication with possible new contact and partner organisations. AWG Steering Group 2010 Tom Ryder Pascal Duterme Lisa Monhoff Matteo Testino Kolawole Aganran Ben Mongi

Volunteer in Togo

Thematic Focus 2010 Peace Education During 2010, there were a number of activities related to peace education, which is an important aspect of SCI’s work two informal working groups, the Peace Messengers network and the No More War Team, focus on. Here are some of them.

Peace Messengers The Peace Messengers are a network composed of SCI volunteers who organise peace education workshops - mainly during short term international voluntary projects - to raise awareness about SCI’s values of peace. The Peace Messengers place emphasis on linking the values of peace to the international voluntary project experience. The Peace Messengers were very active in 2010 with the organisation of a training seminar, online trainings, travelling workcamps, and meetings. Peace Messenger Autumn Meeting On 1-3 October 2010, the Peace Messenger Autumn Meeting took place at Petite Chapelle, Belgium. Participants came from SCI Belgium, SCI Austria, PVN Albania, SCM Mexico and the SCI International Secretariat. In the meeting participants evaluated the activities of 2009-2010, discussed the structure of the Peace Messenger network, drafted a Plan of Action 2010-2011, and discussed the development of the Peace Messenger network, in particular how to set up and establish Peace Messenger working groups in Mexico and Albania. Peace Messenger Online Trainings During 2010, the Peace Messengers carried out two online training courses in June and November. The aim of the online trainings was to introduce participants to the Peace Messengers and to peace education, by using both theoretical approaches and practical tools and to experiment and see to what extent an online course could be an alternative to international seminars. The courses took place over a number of weeks and included sessions such as “what is peace for me” and “peace in action in SCI”. Peace Messengers Training EU’s Youth in Action programme co-financed the training course “Voluntary approach towards a culture of Peace” which took place in Budapest, 16-22 May. The training , which was hosted by Utilapu, the Hungarian branch of SCI, involved 19 participants from different European countries. Its aim was to increase knowledge of youth workers in peace education and cultural diversity in order to be able to apply their newly acquired knowledge in different SCI international voluntary projects, and thus contribute to the building of intercultural understanding and peace. Balkan Travelling Camp For the third year in row, a Peace Messengers travelling workcamp was organised in the Balkan region by PVN Albania along with other organisations in the SCI network: VCV Serbia, CID Macedonia, ZID Montenegro and Zelena Glava Bosnia and Herzegovina. A training course for Peace Messengers took place at the beginning of the camp to prepare participants for the study part of the workcamps. The training focused on peace promotion issues, especially in Human Rights, social issues surrounding disadvantaged groups, multi-ethnicity, as well issues related to the 90th Anniversary of SCI such as anti-militarism, non-violent conflict transformation, and the roots and history of SCI. The

Peace Messengers were then divided into two groups to visit different workcamps. Following this, the Peace Messengers gathered again for the evaluation of the project.

A Peace Messengers’ story - Travelling Workcamp 2010 “We stayed in Martin Niemoeller's house in Berlin, where we spent the first week of our training. There were the teamers Anne and Felix, eleven volunteers from eight different nationalities and two trainers: the amazing Kathy Schroeder and Lorena Rodriguez. After five days of training we were ready to become Peace Messengers. It was time to form our own teams in order to create the workshops on Peace, Violence and Conflict Resolution that would be presented at different international voluntary projects. What followed were two weeks of intense travelling by train with Zosia and Ana. Our route took us to Sanzkow, where we joined a group of volunteers taking part in the initiative "Bürgerhaus e.V.". Meeting the first group of volunteers helped us to shape our own discourse and by the time we reached Glücksburg, the second project, our confidence had been established. (…) In this project, the group of volunteers was far more eclectic than in the previous one. There were people from Japan, Russia, Ukraine, France, Italy and Germany and it was very interesting to observe the different reactions to certain aspects of Peace and Violence depending on the cultural background. Our third and last workcamp was Tagungshaus in Wernsdorf. Speaking for myself, this was a huge discovery. We found an amazing group of people already living and working together, far from power-based structures. It really seemed rather pointless to do a workshop on Peace when we could learn so much about it from the group itself: people who were already living peace. Nevertheless, after a day's work, the time to do our workshop arrived and we presented it to the volunteers working there, a very enthusiastic audience ready to participate and help. The next day we were going back to Berlin to close the circle. (…) I am sure that I can speak for the majority of us when I say that we enjoyed it enormously and there are many unforgettable moments. Personally I learned a great deal about Peace, Violence and Conflict Resolution and about other people. But above all, I learned about myself.” Alex Graupera

No More War (www.no-more-war.net) The No More War Team is an informal SCI working group. In 2010, the group initiated a world wide campaign to highlight SCI's values of anti-militarism and non-violence and also to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of SCI. The activities in 2010 consisted of an international camp coordinators training hosted by SCI Germany, the production of a study toolkit on peace education, the organisation of No More War camps by SCI branches and partners all over the world and a seminar in Albania entitled "Can Pacifists Build Peace?" The backbone of the activities initiated by the No More War team consisted of special Intercultural Meetings which were soon called ‘No More War Camps’ organised by several SCI branches, groups and partner organisations. The No More War Camps are projects which have a special study theme and a work element that is mostly related to the topics of war, peace and non-violence as well as social justice, sustainable development and intercultural understanding. In 2010, the camps were organised in Germany (2), Austria (2), Italy, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, USA, Finland, and the Ukraine. A peace education seminar in the framework of the No More War activities was also organised in Nigeria, supported by SCI Switzerland. In order to effectively organise the No More War Camps, a special training was held in May 2010 for No More War camp coordinators and other activists interested and motivated in carrying out substantial peace education during workcamps. An extensive No More War toolkit was produced and published in May, containing background information about the origins of SCI, the No More War campaign and - methodology, and peace education workshops. Some of the participants on the No More War Camps created videos of their projects which were brought to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. At the end of September, a video editing workshop, led by professional editors, took place. This was made possible thanks to cofinancing from the European Commission for the project “Volunteering for Peace and Intercultural Understanding: learning from the past and building for the future”, which the No More War campaign was a part of. No More War members gathered for an evaluation and planning seminar in Albania for October 2010. This seminar contained topics such as conflict transformation and non-violence. The seminar was facilitated by the No More War team and PVN Albania, along with an outside trainer. It brought together over 20 people from Europe to discuss and share their experiences and ideas for further work on promoting non-violence. Intercultural Meetings - No More War Camps Austria: During World War I, extensive networks of paths were created between alpine valleys and the military positions located on the mountain ridges in Austria. The passage of time rendered many of the mountain trails unusable. As a consequence of this deterioration, many scenically beautiful and historically interesting locations became inaccessible. The idea was born to restore these paths of war into paths of peace with the help of international volunteers.

USA: SCI volunteers took part in a Concord Peace Camp project during the last two weeks of July. They were able to learn about peace in the tradition of African “Diembe” drumming, and reconnect with nature while learning about universal tolerance. The volunteers took part in evening workshops on peace education through open dialogues on peace related issues.

Germany: SCI volunteers took part in a project at Kurve Wustrow, a centre for training and networking on non-violent action in the Wendland region of Germany. They carried out renovations on the peace centre building and various other restoration work.

Finland: Food Not Bombs is an international grassroots anti-military movement whose aim is to promote disarmament and social justice. One of the main activities of Helsinki's Food Not Bombs group is to cook and serve meals on the streets and market places in Helsinki. SCI volunteers were able to help with the cooking and serving of these meals and also with the important task of cleaning up afterwards.

Nigeria: SCI Switzerland and SCI Group VWAN Nigeria organised a peace education seminar as part of activities to celebrate the 90th Year Anniversary of SCI. Volunteers met at at the monumental city of Idanre in Ondo State Nigeria to discuss and explore more possibilities for living and working together in harmony and peace.

Italy: The project was part of an ongoing partnership between the two organisations SCI Italy and ‘Aspromonte Liberamente’ with the goal of redeveloping the area of a former US military base in Monte Nardello, thereby transforming a symbol of the Cold War into a symbol of peace and international cooperation. SCI volunteers carried out general maintenance work on the area and created murals on the theme of peace.

Sri Lanka: The No More War camp in Sri Lanka took place during a project at the Centre for Children’s Happiness in Jaffna in the last week of July. The objectives were to rebuild the connection between North and South, and promote peace among the people living in the area. This was the first opportunity for the SCI international volunteers to experience life in the Jaffna peninsula - which was a prohibited area for 30 years, because of the civil war.

Are We Ready for Peace?/Готовы ли мы к миру? In September 2010, SCI Germany organised a project entitled “Are We Ready for Peace”. This project was a follow up to the previous “Cooperation, not Confrontation” study visit to Russia that had previously taken place. Both projects were funded by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe. The main purpose of the programme was to reach a better understanding with the Russian partners of SCI and other organisations in SCI’s network, on what we understand by peace work and peace education, how we can best achieve it, and leading on from that, developing more quality and cohesive activities together which actually help to further that aim and satisfy the needs of both sides. The 16 participants travelled to Germany, Russia, Belgium, and France in search of the answer to the question “are we ready for peace?” There were four Key Questions: What does peace mean for the participants personally and what does it mean for the participating organisations? What role does peace education play in our organisation’s work? Can we identify common interests and find fields where it is fruitful to cooperate? How can we put the experience that we gain in this project into practice? “We definitely did not manage to provide ready-to-take answers to the title question; we rather confirmed our intuitive hunch that finding only one right solution and guideline is not feasible, we need to learn tolerance and accept ambiguities. On the contrary, the project explored and opened up new dimensions for reflection, wonder, surprises and uncertainty. So, we can only believe our project contributed to better understanding each other and to finding effective ways of working together for peace”. The prepteam

APPES (Asia Pacific Peace Education Seminar) The Asia Pacific Peace Education Seminar (APPES) was held in Katoomba, Sydney, Australia 13-17 July, 2010. Eight SCI branches were represented, in all 20 participants from 13 countries attended. Delegates came from as far away as Mauritius and Sweden as well as India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia, East Timor and Australia. This was the first time that SCI group, IVP Australia, had the opportunity to organise a major regional meeting. The seminar received partial

funding from SCI’s Asian Development Programme. Different peace education workshops and presentation were held, such as the introductory session “What is Peace” but also workshops on “Communication and Active Listening” or discussions about “Intercultural Dialogue” as well as more practical sessions regarding volunteering for peace opportunities in the Asia Pacific region and how to recruit more volunteers. “I managed to learn more about myself, my values and my personal culture and at the same time question the values I have.”

“I discovered that you don’t have to be an expert to work towards peace, you just need the interest and the motivation.”

A participant

Participants of the Asia Pacific Peace Education Seminar - APPES

The forgotten among the forgotten Since 2008, SCI Italy, together with SCI Romania, SCI Germany, Centrul National de Cultura al Romilor and Romedia Fundation (CESD) and Arcilesbica have been carrying out the project “The forgotten among the forgotten – Remembering the past to build future cohesion”, about the persecution of gay, lesbian, Roma and Sinti communities during the nazi fascist period. An ongoing project that provided the opportunity to strengthen the cooperation of SCI and Roma and Sinti communities and analyse the common past of persecution. Considering the growing intolerant and racist context which is characterising Europe, and starting from the positive results of the actions realized in 2008 and 2009, SCI Italy, together with the project partners, decided to develop a follow-up to the project: “The forgotten among the forgotten II: an indepth in the places of Roma and Sinti persecution”. This project, co-financed under Action 4 of the Europe for Citizens Programme, focuses on Italy, Romania and Germany to re-discover the places where the persecution took place and at finding new ways of promoting - through a common past the present recognition of equal dignity of the communities. Workcamps, events, workshops and visits were organised in the three countries that highlighted the common past between Roma and Sinti as well as Italian, German and Romanian communities during the Nazi period. The idea that we are all communities living in the same countries, with equal dignity, though with different cultures and languages, was reinforced. The history of Roma and Sinti people during Nazi-fascism has almost always been told by non-Roma and non-Sinti. During the Nurnberg Process, not a single Roma or Sinti was called upon as a witness. With this project SCI volunteers re-discovered the – almost entirely unknown - places that were used as concentration camps for Roma and Sinti in the past. This gave the victims the opportunity to tell their stories and make testimonies available for today’s and future generations. The project provided them with the opportunity to regain dignity as well as evidence to the common experience of persecution. At the same time the project is a valuable contribution in the process of the elaboration of memories to make sure that the silence and carelessness of yesterday are not reproduced today: an ongoing commitment for SCI. The project was chosen to be presented at a conference on "European projects in favor of the Roma community", which took place in Brussels on 10 and 11 March 2010. All project results can be found at www.theforgotten.eu.

Yourope for Rights The European civil society has recently been marked by a double-sided phenomenon. On one hand there are increasing discriminating policies against immigrants at state level, aimed at increasing control of migration flows and state borders, and on the other hand there is the worrying growth of racism and xenophobia at grassroots level in many European countries. In this sense for SCI Italy it seemed essential that an international organisation like SCI - which has been committed for 90 years to promoting intercultural dialogue and meetings between people - responds to this scenario and adapts its tools to the changed situation and the new challenges. Workcamps are experiences of strong citizens' participation and they aim at activating people from the grassroots in order to work for a fair and sustainable society where equal rights are guaranteed to everybody. Therefore we thought that workcamps could be placed in the framework of activities focusing on opposing racism, facilitating opportunities to get closer to immigrants raising awareness on the issue.

The project “Yourope for Rights” co-financed by the Europe for Citizens programme of the European Commission and developed together with Zavod Slovenia and OWA Poland, was thought to work in this direction. In summer 2010 four workcamps took place within the framework of the project in Italy, Slovenia and Poland. The camps were opportunities to have direct contact with refugees living in different areas of the country and to promote antiracism, as well as human and civil rights for immigrants. Activities focused on awareness raising, sharing of experiences from refugees as well as workshops and public conferences, with a specific focus on the subject of asylum seekers and refugees. This project was awarded with the Golden Star Award for Active Citizenship 2010. All the material can be found at: www.yourope4rights.eu.

Workshop in Poland: ‘Together for Rights, The refugee case’

Open Your Mind to Diverse World The Intercultural Learning Training: Open Your Mind to Diverse World project, which was funded by the European Youth Foundation, had the objective of creating a multicultural competencies portfolio, complemented by a manual, with new innovative methods for intercultural learning. This project was about providing people with life long skills to function in multicultural societies. The above-mentioned documents were the result of a training that took place in Poland and a consultation process that drew from that with a multiplying effect ensured by dissemination, both internally and externally.

SCI 90 Years Anniversary In 2010, SCI was proud to look back over 90 years of promoting and building peace, intercultural understanding, mutual respect and solidarity through concrete voluntary actions. To celebrate this, many activities were organised by SCI branches all over the world. Apart from these celebrations, SCI organised an EU-funded campaign “Volunteering for Peace and Intercultural Understanding: Learning from the past and building for the future.”

Volunteering for Peace and Intercultural Understanding: learning from the past and building for the future On the one hand the campaign looked back over past experiences through exhibition on the history of SCI and its founder, Pierre Cérésole. While on the other it demonstrated how SCI’s values and methods from the past are still relevant in modern societies through the organisation of intercultural meetings which took place during the summer of 2010 Pierre Cérésole: A Lifetime Serving Peace On Saturday 25 September, 2010, the exhibition 'Pierre Cérésole - a lifetime serving Peace' was officially inaugurated in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Around fifty visitors from Australia, France, Germany and Switzerland came to the Municipal library of La Chaux-de-Fonds in order to see the ten panels about Pierre Cérésole and SCI. In addition there were seven display cabinets installed with photos, documents and objects from the first SCI workcamps. A brochure was published, in French and English, alongside the exhibition. After the official opening the Pierre Cérésole Exhibition ‘travelled’ to Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Spain and Austria where it was hosted by SCI branches and the International Secretariat. These organisations added activities such as workshops and lectures to the exhibition, which allowed for a deeper discussion and reflection of SCI’s historical values.

Opening of the exhibition in Switzerland Intercultural Meetings The intercultural meetings were coordinated by the No More War team and soon became known as ‘No More War Camps’ (see the section on Peace Education - No More War). The meetings took place in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, USA, Finland, Ukraine, Nigeria and Austria and included intensive peace education workshops that reinforced SCI’s vision of promoting peace, non-violence, social justice, sustainable development and intercultural understanding through volunteer work

projects all over the world. SCI Germany developed and printed study material for the intercultural meetings. The intercultural meetings were also documented as part of a video production project. SCI Germany was responsible for carrying out, coordinating, and producing the video while VIA Netherlands hosted the video-editing and production training, along with the evaluation meeting for the intercultural meetings.

Other Activities & Celebrations Many other activities were organised in different countries, such as the Pierre Cérésole memorial walk that retraced the steps taken by Pierre Cérésole in 1933 when he travelled over the Swiss border into Germany. There were also open days, presentations about volunteering in past and present, workshops, SCI 90 years parties and movie nights, photograpic exhibitions of voluntary projects and much more organised by different branches in Europe, Asia and Australia.

Volunteers at the Intercultural Meeting in Wustrow, Germany

Social Inclusion Youth and Unemployment Working Group (YUWG) YUWG is a platform for activists working with and for the social inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities. The group was established in 1985. The purpose of YUWG activities is to support young people in overcoming obstacles that may prevent them from being an international volunteer. These young people include: young offenders; young asylum seekers separated from their families; young people in state care; young people with a history of homelessness, drug or alcohol abuse; young people who experience economic, geographical or physical exclusion. The core focus of 2010 for YUWG was evaluation, monitoring, communications and funding. In 2010, nine youth exchanges were organised within the YUWG framework by branches and partner organisations of SCI. Approximately 200 young people took part in these projects. Themes covered included sustainable living, human rights, peace and conflict, and environmental conservation. YUWG also hosted a number of seminars, trainings and meetings. 2010 also saw the revamping of the “sheltered placement programme” with a number of YUWG members cooperating in short term EVS projects for this target group. SCI branches, VSI Ireland, SCI France Région Nord, SCI Italy and VIA Belgium, and SCI partner organisation, De Amicitia Spain, took part in these projects.

YUWG Autumn Meeting 2010

YUWG Steering Group 2010 Grace Walsh Snezhina Kozareva Irina Debenjak Eva Veroli Katrien Meussen

Art Exhibition â&#x20AC;&#x201C; YUWG YUWG projects are sometimes seen as being part of a separate world from the mainstream projects of SCI, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clear from a number of projects that took place in 2010 that the ethos and values of SCI are very much reflected in the practice, methods and content of the various YUWG activities taking place around Europe. One such example can be seen in a project organised by SCI branch, VSI Ireland. Over 10 days in July, VSI Ireland took over the seaside town of Greystones, just outside the county of Dublin with 30 young people, aged between 16 and 21, coming from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and Spain. The group was taking part in a youth exchange funded by the EU Youth in Action Programme. Through a combination of non formal peace education workshops, art classes, team building activities and discussions, they explored human rights, the effects of conflict on the rights of children and ways to tackle issues of conflict in our own communities. The group, which represented 16 countries in all, ended the project with an art exhibition which displayed images they had created in response to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The group itself was incredibly diverse, as many of the participants were second generation migrants, or young asylum seekers who had travelled alone to Ireland because of conflict situations in their home countries. The Irish group alone came from Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Somalia, Kenya, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, and therefore all have direct, first-hand experiences of the effects of conflict on the lives of young people. VSI works intensively with this group through its YUWG programme and aims, through peace education and development education workshops, to empower these young people to articulate some of the challenges and issues they have faced and are facing as asylum seekers in Ireland. It also gives them space to grow, meet people from different backgrounds, and to experience a period of respite from some of the situations they find themselves in. Despite the challenges presented within the group, of mixed literacy levels, and mixed English language abilities, it was possible for the group to actively engage in a series of workshops on the projects themes. Local volunteers were also present to provide language support, and the workshops utilised non formal learning methods and participative methods. The learning methodologies ensured the experiences of the group were shared, as this is where a huge part of the learning occurs in such a diverse group. Projects such as this, along with the numerous other Youth Exchanges, Sheltered Placements and short term EVS placements organised throughout the YUWG network, ensure that activities of SCI continue to promote inclusion for young people who are marginalised in society.

North South Exchange Incoming Programme The SCI Incoming Programme is a North South solidarity exchange that takes place every year. Volunteers from SCI partner organisations in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East are invited to participate on an exchange programme which lasts eight to ten weeks throughout August, September, and October. The volunteers join a four-week programme in two different hosting countries, which includes an orientation seminar with an introduction to SCI and the invited countries, participation on a workcamp organised by a branch of SCI, and an evaluation of the project. The programme also includes participation at the SCI North South Platform Meeting in October. The objectives of the SCI Incoming Volunteers Programme are to deepen mutual knowledge for a better collaboration; exchange information to improve the quality of preparation trainings for SCI volunteers and hosting conditions in workcamps (including programmes, study themes, etc) for partner organisations; learn about the daily work of SCI branches and partner organisations, offer opportunities for South partner organisations to encounter and collaborate; facilitate contacts and collaborations with other European organisations; exchange with European volunteers (for example in workcamps) and learn about European reality. In 2010, the Incoming Programme was hosted by SCI Germany and SCI Belgium. There were 12 volunteers from Ghana, Thailand, Vietnam, Morocco, Botswana, Israel, Brazil India, and of course Germany and Belgium itself. The topic selected was “One World – One Climate” and dealt with climate change as well as climate justice. The programme in Germany is a socio-political educational project in cooperation with schools whereby participants design workshops for school pupils on topics that deal with responsibility in a global world. Three days of theatre workshops took place in Germany, followed by workshops run by the participants themselves in schools with 15-18 year olds.

The incoming volunteers at the North South Platform Meeting in Finland “During these 70 days that I spent in Europe I had my best experience ever. I learned so many things and I acquired great skills that I will use through my voluntary work. And I have built strong relationships and friendships with people and activists from all over the world which helps to achieve our aim to promote peace and solidarity and international understanding. Everything that I did during all the programmes that I took part in had a lot of funny times and a lot of joy and laughs. I would like to thank VIA Netherlands and SCI Germany for giving me this wonderful opportunity to represent my organisation and my society during this programme.” Ameer Zureik

Camp Leader Exchange The Camp Leader Exchange Programme is a North South Exchange that is organised each year by SCI. Volunteers from SCI partner organisations in the Global South are invited to Europe. These volunteers take part in trainings and workshops. They are also involved in the activities of the SCI European Branches. Following this, the volunteers work as a leader on a camp together with a camp leader from a European branch. They then return home to take part in trainings in their own country, and consequently to lead another camp. The objectives of this programme are to improve partnership between southern partners and SCI branches; to reinforce SCI’s mutual capacities in training (Camp Leader Training and North South Training); to increase the intercultural dimension of workcamps; to foster the capacities of SCI volunteers in group dynamics and group leading; and to improve the partnership between the European branches working on North South exchanges. In 2010, SCI Belgium and SCI Germany invited Kwami Yao from the SCI partner, ASTOVOT Togo, and Jethron Sabula from the SCI partner, KVDA Kenya.

“This was a good exchange which brings real experience between Africa volunteer work and European and also is a benefit to me and my organisation to have ideas on how volunteers are prepared before joining workcamps in Africa. It was also a way to foster global peace friendship and understanding by meeting different people working together. It was also an eye opener for me to understand how to mobilise allpurpose resource to action. Attending this programme will bring a lot of change in my life and to people around me because of good gained skills in self organisation and conflict resolution plus group dynamics.

Africa can have this chance to come to Europe and also to talk about real life in Africa. This is also an eye-opener when people from different cultures, family backgrounds and continents meet in a small village to build up a voluntary resource that brings realistic feelings and emotions that promotes global understanding and development. I will always do what I can do through volunteer work to leave this world better than I found it. Special regards to SCI and KVDA for giving me such a special opportunity and chance that will always live in my memory to cherish and love. Kind regards for your humanity. “

For me it could be better if this exchange can proceed on and on so that more people from Jethron Sabula

Sustainability and Climate Change GAIA Gaia was officially recognised as an official SCI working group at the International Committee Meeting (ICM) 2010. The aim of the group is to improve SCI’s consciousness and response to the challenges of sustainable living and climate change. As sustainable living is a key aspect of GAIA’s vision, the group intends to raise awareness and build capacity on this issue among volunteers, partners, and outside our movement. GAIA believes that sustainable living and climate change are more than “environmental issues”. They are also issues of peace and social justice. GAIA has the opportunity and the responsibility to contribute to these issues with activities such as short and long term voluntary projects, and non-formal education. The main objectives are to develop a thematic group that supports local initiatives, raises awareness about branch initiatives and clarifies the connection between SCI, peace and the environment. GAIA also wants to contribute to reduction of the ecological footprint of SCI activities, enhance the handprint by raising awareness of SCI volunteers, establish relations with environmental NGOs and strengthen the role of SCI within movements of like minded NGOs. The GAIA WG will continue to consider opportunities for partnerships and cooperation with other grassroots and environmental NGOs, including through the participation in international events such as international projects related to the issues addressed by this group. GAIA Steering Group 2010 Bao Daon Sebastien Duck Lidia Krinova Frank Ormel Yvonne Poland

Volunteer’s experience “In December 2010 I participated, on behalf of SCI, in the Youth Climate Justice Convergence in Brussels, which was organised by Young Friends of the Earth in parallel to the UN negotiations on climate change in Cancun. This was my first climate related event after the COP15 in Copenhagen. (…) Participating in the Youth Climate Justice Convergence was rather refreshing, motivating and inspiring. People seemed to be strong in climate justice demands and especially young people seemed to be informed, empowered and united. Without being part of the GAIA group, I would not have had the chance to experience both sides of the climate story, on the one hand the UN talks which were rather disappointing, and on the other hand the Climate Justice Movement. And here we are today, running new campaigns, green and climate friendly workcamps, talking and doing a lot for the environment, justice and peace. “ Helena Poucki, volunteer with VCV Serbia and GAIA

International Coordination International Coordination of SCI is organised through several bodies and meetings. In 2010 the most important international coordination body, the International Committee Meeting (ICM), took place in Poland in December 2010. The International Executive Committee (IEC) met three times to discuss policy matters and strategy as well as the work of the International Secretariat (IS), which focused on administration, exchange support, communication and PR, campaigns and project management, finances and insurance.

International Secretariat Staff There were many staff changes in the International Secretariat in 2010. First of all a new International Coordinator, Margherita Serafini, took over from Johan Westra in March 2010. The position of Fundraiser, filled by Ingrid ter Maat, was changed into that of ‘Programme Officer’ as this title better reflected the broadened scope of the position. Steffi Koch was recruited to support the Finance and Administration work, while the Finance and Administration Officer, Johan (Wannes) van Stappen, left in September. The position remained vacant until the end of the year.

Long Term Volunteers In 2010 the following Long Term Volunteers worked at the International Secretariat: - Róisín Traynor from Ireland - Lidija Jularic from Slovenia - Namil Nizam from Sri Lanka

Focus areas in 2010 It was felt that the work of the IS needed to be restructured. Therefore three teams were established in the field of coordination; communication and projects; and finance and administration. The newly established teams led to an enhanced profile of the IS internationally speaking within SCI, since the IS was better suited to meet the needs of the organisation as well as to communicate with the outside world. For example, in 2010 the international working groups all had a specific support person in the IS to better serve their needs.

International Executive Committee Mihai Crisan Heinz Gabathuler Grazyna (â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ginaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;) Pulawska Stephen Nah Paolo Pagano Low Kok-Chang Klaudia Bencze

International President Vice President and Acting International Treasurer Member Member Member Member Member as of December 2010

Communication The main communication channel of the IEC with the organisation has been the IEC-INFO mailing list. Individual members of the IEC also communicated directly with branches or working groups according to their areas of responsibility and they participated in various international meetings.

Focus areas The IEC dealt with several issues in 2010, such as the development process of the Strategic Plan, staff management, exchanges and North-South issues. The IEC also worked on the update of the lists of partners and contact organisations of SCI.

The IEC also felt the need to revive the Financial Advice and Consultancy Team (FACT). Three excellent and committed new FACT members were recruited in spring to support the IEC on financial matters. The Insurance Commission (IIC) had its yearly meeting in May. The Administrative Assistant, Steffi Koch, was the IS focal point on insurance matters for most of the year. The IEC appreciated her work as she ensured continuity even when the position of Finance and Administration Officer became vacant.

Strategic Planning The making of the Strategic Plan 2011-2014 At the ICM 2009, a Strategic Plan team was established to further develop the then draft Strategic Plan also through a participatory consultation with branches so that a final version could be presented to the ICM 2010 for adoption. The Strategic Plan team consisted of six persons representing different branches. They worked together via Skype and email, and had the opportunity to meet twice in person. One of the most important tasks of the team was to ensure a high level of participation and input from SCI branches and working groups, in order to achieve a high level of ownership of the plan at the grassroots level. This was achieved in various ways, but the most important one was the organisation of two consultation rounds where branches had the opportunity to comment on drafts. In between the consultation rounds, it was also possible to contact the team members and share ideas with them. Thorough discussions took place at all levels of all the organisation, which all helped to shape the final draft that was presented to the branches shortly before the ICM 2010. The Strategic Plan was officially adopted at this meeting.

Presentation of the Strategic Plan 2011-2014 at the ICM 2010

Strategic Goals 2011- 2014 Through educational practices at the local level, SCI wants to contribute to a non violent approach to global issues, by developing a more peaceful dialogue within society and raising awareness about social injustice and sustainable lifestyles. SCI wants to achieve this by organising peace education workshops, trainings, seminars and study sessions.

SCI also wants to empower people to take an active stand for a culture of peace in the world by facilitating acts of solidarity at global and local levels. Through the coordination and organisation of international voluntary projects this goal can be reached, as these projects are concrete acts of solidarity with people and communities that suffer social injustice, while at the same time these projects are a means to raise awareness about the current situation in the world. Finally, SCI wants to increase its capacity in order to get better at what we do and how we do it. SCI wants to permanently work on improving certain key areas, such as volunteer and staff management, financial management, communication to be able to implement the strategic plan and establish a culture of peace for all. For more information about the SCI Strategic Plan please visit www.sciint.org.

SCI Volunteers joining demostrations for Climate Justice

International Meetings Exchange Evaluation Meeting The Exchange Evaluation Meeting (EEM) is an annual meeting that aims to evaluate the international voluntary projects that have taken place throughout the year and to discuss ways to improve the quality of future voluntary projects. The meeting also aims to share the interesting and creative stories of international youth and volunteer work. In 2010 the meeting took place from 19-24 October in Lviv, Ukraine. The main part of the programme centred on interactive workshops that allowed participants to express their opinions and exchange experiences. The workshops included topics such as inclusion, sustainability of workcamps, evaluation tools and more. After two long but very productive workshop days the participants enjoyed an intercultural evening. A number of proposals were also voted upon. These included proposals relating to the uploading of camps onto the OPS, the start of the placement season, a compulsory structure for workcamp description, and mixed age camps. The Practical Procedures 2011 were approved at this meeting. The programme ended with a presentation of the results of the workshops in the plenary and a discussion on future developments for international youth and volunteer projects.

International Committee Meeting The International Committee Meeting (ICM) is the annual meeting of SCI. It takes place once a year and is attended by representatives of each SCI branch and recognised group. Branches and groups can also send participants to observe the meeting. In 2010, the ICM was hosted by SCI branch, OWA Poland, in Mikuszewo, Poland.

The venue of the ICM 2010 in Mikuszewo, Poland

North South Platform Meeting The North South Platform Meeting (NSPM) is an annual meeting that brings together participants active in the North South Working Groups of SCI (Africa, Asia, Abya Yala, and Midi). This provides a platform for the North South working groups to hold their annual meetings. 2010 also saw LTEG, the long term volunteer working group, join the meeting. This year the meeting took place from the 6th10th October in Päivölä, Finland. The meeting was hosted by SCI branch, KVT Finland. KVT Finland was supported in the organisation of the meeting by an international prep team consisting of staff and volunteers from branches and the International Secretariat (IS). The meeting was attended by over 50 participants, eight of whom were taking part in the Incoming Volunteer Programme (see also the section on Incoming Programme in ‘North-South Exchange’). “Spice it up! Volunteering with Immigrants” was chosen as the theme of this year’s meeting. As a result, the common sessions were dedicated to discussions on how to involve migrants to a greater extent in the North South Programme. This led to a session on “Working Together”, which looked at how the North South Programme could include people from the South and migrants living in the North in its activities. As well as individual case studies on branches that have worked on projects with migrants, there was also a broader presentation on the results of a questionnaire “Volunteering with Migrants within SCI.” The plenary also discussed a recommendation to be voted on by the International Committee Meeting 2010. It was recommended that SCI branches or groups planning to start cooperation with a new contact organisation should inform the relevant Working Group and the existing local partner organisation in that country.

Participants discussing North-South issues at the NSPM 2010 Asian Platform Meeting The Asian Platform Meeting is a regional meeting which takes place twice a year. In 2010, this meeting took place alongside the Asia Pacific Peace Education Seminar (APPES) in Australia. A second meeting took place just before the beginning of the International Committee Meeting (ICM). The meeting provides the opportunity for the key members of the Asian Development Committee to meet and go through the Agenda items that have been developed.

Communication and External Representation Communication Plan The Programme Officer, Ingrid ter Maat, worked on the development of a Communication Plan in 2010 that addresses both internal and external communication needs of SCI. The plan was approved in August 2010. The Communication Plan aims at creating order in the communication flows between SCI and its different target groups. It also looks at making communication more effective and the organisation more visible by creating and adopting a housestyle, streamlining external communication, improving existing communication tools, such as the website, and developing new ones (such as audiovisual and photographic material). The plan also aims at improving SCI’s learning capacity, by dissemination, collection and storage of the enormous amount of information, ideas and resources that exist at all levels of the organisation. The communication plan is linked to and supports the strategic direction, mission, vision and values of SCI as described in the SCI Strategic Plan. Most of the activities under implementation will take place in 2011 and 2012.

Social Media In 2010, the International Secretariat focused on expanding and improving its share in online social media. The existing Facebook page was improved with the result that by the end of 2010 there were more than 1000 fans, a number that continues to increase. A Twitter and a Picasa account were opened, and time was spent on making a Facebook-scan and a report regarding usage of Facebook in SCI. Based upon the information from both the scan and the report, a presentation was prepared for SCI Branches and partners that demonstrated how to make better usage of Facebook. The presentation was not only shared on-line but also at several meetings and trainings at the international level.

External Representation In 2010, like in previous years, SCI focused on External Representation by participating in international platforms and networks of NGOs and attending international meetings along with international and regional organisations. The aim was to promote international voluntary services as a method to build cultures of peace and contribute to discussions on peace education, voluntary service and international exchanges. European Youth Forum SCI is one of the member organisations of the European Youth Forum (YFJ, from Youth Forum Jeunesse), which aims, among others, to increase the participation of young people and youth organisations in society. In 2010 SCI attended the COMEM (Council of Member) meeting, which took place in Brussels in April, to discuss youth-related issues such as climate change and the role of volunteering in building active citizenship. SCI also attended YFJ’s Annual Assembly, which took place in Ukraine in November. Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service SCI is also a member of the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), which provides a platform for meetings and discussions on volunteering from a global perspective. In 2010, SCI attended several conferences organised by CCIVS, like the 4th Global Meeting and the International Congress of Voluntary Service, which was the first event of the project “Volunteering 2011: Global Strategies for Global Challenges”. This initiative, of which SCI is a partner, aims at discussing and deciding upon the main priorities and strategies of the international voluntary service movement both for and beyond the year 2011. The reason for this is that 2011 has been declared

European Year of Volunteering and also marks the 10th anniversary of the UN International Year of Volunteers. United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY Peacebuilders) UNOY Peacebuilders wants to link youth inspired by the call for a Culture of Peace and Non Violence willing to take their responsibility to make a change in their communities. As a member of UNOY Peacebuilders, SCI shares this vision and actively promotes and supports youth initiatives in the field of peace building and conflict transformation. UNESCO SCI has maintained the status of being an international NGO ‘in operational relations with UNESCO’. Council of Europe SCI is member of the Advisory Committee of the Youth Directorate of the Council of Europe which advises on topics concerning youth to the governing board. European Commission In 2010, SCI participated in a conference called “Youth on the Move – achieving mobility for all!” which consisted of plenary sessions and workshops. The event focused on the challenges for European and global mobility, more specifically on the EU2020 flagship initiative ‘Youth on the Move’. Among the mobility issues covered were incentives, funding, types, quality, employability on the labour market, and global mobility. ASEF In October, SCI attended the 4th Connecting Civil Society Conference organised by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), which was an official side event of the ASEM8 summit. More specifically, SCI participated in the second workshop, called “Creating skills and competences for living and working in the ASEM area” during which the role of non-formal education was discussed in relation to lifelong learning opportunities. UNFCCC Because of its work on sustainability issues, SCI attended two sessions of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which was organised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and took place in Cancun in December 2010. They were the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) and the sixth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 6). UNV The United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) is the volunteer arm of the United Nations. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the UN International Year of Volunteers, UNV established the IYV+10 Working Group, which SCI joined.

Appendices Annual Accounts 2010

Budget Item – Income 09 FINAL 10 BDG 10 FINAL FIN/BDG Branch Contributions 44.000 41.000 44.907 110% VEF 20.000 20.000 11.637 58% Insurance Premiums 74.120 100.000 99.992 100% Fees for Office Work Done 1.644 5.000 9.380 188% Participation Fees 4.865 3.460 4.755 137% Grants 155.941 133.530 133.720 100% Donations 5.678 5.000 7.114 142% Interest and Dividend 7.429 5.000 3.122 62% Other Income 700 0 28.593 Extraordinary Income 6.657 0 35.258 Total Income 321.034 312.990 378.477 122%

Budget Item – Expenditure 09 FINAL Staff Costs Office Costs Taxes Travel Costs Meeting Costs Membership Fees Financial Costs Miscellaneous Project Costs Premiums and Claims Paid Extraordinary Expenses Total Expenditure From Funds and Reserves Addition to Funds and Reserves

10 BDG 10 FINAL FIN/BDG 178.424 178.546 100% 34.064 43.921 129% 500 3.595 719% 22.610 26.532 117% 2.050 8.071 394% 0 2.312 250 876 350% 200 3.521 1760% 0 22.910 73.000 45.562 62% 0 22.740 311.098 358.586 115% 0 13.700 19.965 146% 324.798

total

378.551

117%

EXPENSES PER COST CENTRE ICM IEC FACT GENERAL COORDINATION INSURANCE OPS ARCHIVES STRATEGIC PLAN ADP Projects

09 FINAL 10 BDG 10 FINAL FIN/BDG 18.520 13.750 12.999 95% 11.250 8.930 9.922 111% 11.233 680 851 125% 188.553 212.488 260.796 123% 86.772 75.250 51.146 68% 4.000 1.033 26% 1.000 4.122 412% 5.000 2.335 47% 3.700 3.827 103% 31.521 316.328 324.798 378.551 117%

SCI Branches and Groups in 2010 Europe PVN Albania SCI Austria New Group SCI Belarus SCI Belgium VIA Belgium CVS Bulgaria Volunteers Centre Zagreb KVT Finland SCI France SCI France RĂŠgion Nord

SCI Germany IVS Great Britain SCI Hellas UTILAPU - Hungary VSI Ireland SCI Italy AVI Moldova VIA Netherlands ID Norway SV Zavod Voluntariat - Slovenia

SVIT Ukraine SCI Madrid OWA Poland SCI Romania VCV - Serbia SCI Catalunya IAL Sweden SCI Switzerland

SCI Japan SCI Malaysia SCI Nepal

SCI Pakistan SCI South Korea SCI Sri Lanka

Africa SVI Mauritius VWAN Nigeria

Asia-Pacific IVP Australia SCI Bangladesh SCI India

North & South America SVI Brasil CEMIAC - Mexico SCI-IVS USA

SCI Partner and Contact Organisations in 2010 Sub-Saharan Africa Union de la Jeunesse Fraternelle de Diébougou - Burkina Faso Botswana Workcamp Association DUNIA Arts and Culture – Ivory Coast Conseil National de la Jeunesse du Gabon Voluntary Workcamp Association of Ghana Kenya Voluntary Development Association Lesotho Workcamps Association AYISE Malawi AJUDE Mozambique

Les Ententes - Senegal La Fenagie –pêche - Senegal PDEF -Senegal Voluntary Workcamps Association of Sierra Leone ASTOVOT - Togo UVIKIUTA –Tanzania Uganda Pioneers Association Zimbabwe Workcamp Association Youth Association of Zambia

Europe HUJ Armenia AYAFE Azerbaijan DUHA Association - Czech Republic INEX-SDA - Czech Republic MS (Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke) – Danmark EST-YES Estonia YGE (Young Georgians for Europe) - Georgia VJF (Vereinigung Junger Freiwilliger) – Germany WF Iceland SEEDS SEE beyond borders- Iceland BSF - Balkan Sunflowers – Kosovo GAIA Kosovo Association Amitié Portugal-Luxembourg SIW (Internationale Vrijwilligersprojekten) – Netherlands IPJ (Instituto Português da Juventude) – Portugal

Eco Centre Zapovedniks – Russia SFERA – Russia Siberian Creative Group – Russia World4U – Russia Center for Support of Democratic Youth Initiatives (Youth Memorial) – Russia Passage Zebra RU – PZ – Russia Sodrujestvo, Cheboxary –Russia Center for Intercultural Dialogue – Macedonia Youth Cultural Center- Bitola – Macedonia Volunteer Center of ADP-Zid – Republic of Montenegro Voluntary Service Serbia (VSS) De Amicitia – Spain INEX Slovakia Alternative V – Ukraine

Asia – Pacific Hong-Kong Group IIWC of IPPA Indonesia – Indonesia NICE (Neverending International Exchange) – Japan League of Volunteers Kyrgyzstan MCE Mongolian Workcamps Exchange

Greenway International Workcamps Thailand DaLaa Thailand Tajikistan Freedom Support Initiatives Youth of 21 Century – Tajikistan Vision Youth Action -Taiwan Volunteers For Peace Vietnam

Camp

–

North and South America CEPA - Centro de Educación Promocional Agrária – Nicaragua APAN - Asociación Pro Ayuda a la Niñez Nicaragüense IDIPS - Instituto de Investigación y Promoción Social del Norte – Peru DESCO - Centro de Estudios y Promoción del Desarrollo – Peru

Nocona Canada VFP (Volunteers for Peace) – USA Asociación C.H.I.C.O.S. – Argentina Fundación Darien – Colombia Fundación Golondrinas – Ecuador Fundacion Chiriboga – Ecuador VIVE México

Mediterranean Region IPYL (International Palestinian Youth League) Project Hope Palestine Tent of Nations Palestine JAFRA – Syria ATAV (Association Tunisienne de l’Action Volontaire) – Tunisia UTAIM (Union Tunisienne d’Aide aux Insuffisants Mentaux) – Tunisia GENCTUR Turkey GSM (Gençlik Servisleri Merkezi) Gudran Egypt

TOUIZA - Algeria Baladna – Israel Bridges of Peace Jordan ACJ (Association des Chantiers de Jeunesse) – Morocco ACIM (Amis des Chantiers Internationaux de Meknès) - Morocco CSM (Chantiers Sociaux Marocains) UMAC (Union Marocaine des Associations de Chantiers) – Umbrella Organisation Zajel Youth Exchange Program - Palestine

International Coordination in 2010

International Executive Committee Mihai Crisan Heinz Gabathuler Grazyna (‘Gina’) Pulawska Stephen Nah Paolo Pagano Low Kok-Chang Klaudia Bencze

International President Vice President and Acting Treasurer Member Member Member Member Member as of December 2010

International Secretariat Johan Westra Margherita Serafini Ingrid ter Maat Steffi Koch Johan (Wannes) Van Stappen Namil Nizam Lidija Jularic Roísín Traynor

International Coordinator (until March 2010) International Coordinator (as of March 2010) Programme Officer Administrative Assistant Finance and Administration Officer Office Long Term Volunteer Project Long Term Volunteer Project Long Term Volunteer