Annual Report 2019/2020 (2019 Including Major Developments January-June 2020)
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Annual Report 2019/2020 (2019 including major developments January-June 2020) Duties and Responsibilities of Servas International officers. All Servas International Officers must, as a minimum, submit an annual activity and financial report to the President of Servas International or the General Secretary to be forwarded to all National Secretaries. Table of Contents Foreword Increased Servas member engagement on global cooperation platform. By SI President …………… 3 Myriad servas activities – not just overnight stays …………………………………………………… 5 SI Exco Summary Report …………...……………………………………………………………….. 13 SI Financial Report 2019–2020 ………………………..….…………………………………………. 17 SI Executive Committee (SI Exco) Members Reports SI President (SI P) ………………………….……………………………………………………….... 19 SI Vice President (SI VP) …………………………………………………………………………….. 24 SI Treasurer (SI T) ………………………………………………………………................................. 26 SI General Secretary (SI GS) …………………………………………………………………………. 28 SI Membership & Technology Secretary (SI MTS) …………………………………………………... 29 SI Peace Secretary (SI PS) …………………………………………………………………………….. 31 SI Committee and Team Reports SI Youth and Families Committee ……………………………………………………………………... 50 SI Development Committee (SI DC) …………………………………………………………………… 62 1 Member of SI DC Area LA Coordinator………………………………………………………………… 71 SI United Nations Representatives Committee ………………..………………………………………... 73 SI Archives Consulting Group …………………………………………………………………….......... 75 SI Conflict Resolution Team (CRT) ……………………………………………………………………. 76 SI Distant Vote Administrator (SI DVA) ……………………………………………………………….. 81 SI Dolphin Team (SI DT) ……………………………………………………………………………….. 82 SI General secretary (assistant) ………………………………………………………………………….. 83 SI Image & Design Support Team (SI IDST) ……………………………………………………………84 SI Internal Audit Committee (SI IAC) ………………………………………………………………….. 86 SI Membership Team (SI MT) ………………………………………………………………………….. 87 SI Nominations Team (SI NT) ………………………………………………………………………….. 88 SI Spanish Translation Coordinator……………………………………………………………………... 90 SI Member Group reports Uruguay .................................................... 205 Belgium .................................................... 90 Venezuela ................................................. 209 Britain ………………………………….. 95 India .......................................................... 213 Kenya …………………………………... 99 Bangladesh ................................................ 217 Belarus .................................................... 103 Botswana .................................................... 221 Portugal ……………………………...… 109 Israel .......................................................... 225 Georgia …................................................ 113 Kyrgyzstan ................................................. 229 Switzerland ….......................................... 118 Chile .......................................................... 233 Austria …….............................................. 122 Slovakia ..................................................... 238 Iran ………............................................... 126 Uganda ...................................................... 242 Canada …………...................................... 130 Colombia ................................................... 246 Suriname ………….................................. 135 Germany .................................................... 250 France ……………................................... 139 Guatemala .................................................. 256 Argentina .................................................. 143 Hongkong ................................................... 260 Australia …............................................... 147 Hungary ...................................................... 264 Bolivia ….................................................. 152 Indonesia .................................................... 268 Bulgaria …................................................ 156 Ireland ........................................................ 272 Croatia ….................................................. 160 Panama ....................................................... 276 Denmark …............................................... 164 Paraguay .................................................... 280 Finland …................................................. 168 Sweden ...................................................... 284 Mexico …................................................. 172 Japan ......................................................... 288 Morocco …............................................... 176 USA .......................................................... 293 Nepal ….................................................... 180 Czech Republic ......................................... 297 Netherlands ….......................................... 184 South Korea .............................................. 301 Norway …................................................ 189 Rwanda ...................................................... 306 Poland ….................................................. 193 Spain ......................................................... 310 Russia …................................................... 197 Italy ........................................................... 312 Turkey ..................................................... 201 Brazil ......................................................... 316 2 Foreword Increased Servas member engagement on global cooperation platform Dear Servas friends around the world, 2019 was a year when the global peace and hospitality organization Servas International, SI, opened up a web based cyber space coworking platform that can host numerous activities that are developed and administrated by members of our committees and teams. The coworking platform is called SI Confluence and is a natural extension of the core ethos and values that make members of Servas believe that our lives are enriched when we meet, interact, share and learn from each other. With SI Confluence – in combination with the website servas.org and other web based platforms – we give the organization a new digital dimension for activities, beyond just the physical meetings which has been the traditional Servas forum since the outset of the organization since its outset in 1949. The adoption of SI Confluence was a good way to celebrate Servas’ 70th anniversary physical. The chart gives an overview of activities that are reflected in the web based and digital coworking tool Servas Interantional (SI) Confluence. With SI Confluence SI takes one more step to achieve its networking mission to create conditions for exchange of ideas, experiences and knowledge that promote tolerance and understanding between the peoples of the world. This mission is closely tied to aim to contribute to the progress of the overarching and long-term vision of Servas International: to contribute to is a more peaceful world. As of December 31 2019 there were 24 SI committees, teams and special functions active in different areas, for example activities for youth and families, information and communications technology (ICT) and United Nations – just to mention a few. 2 The names of the committees, teams and special functions and their representatives are presented on a chart on this website: https://servas.org/sites/default/files/uploads/other_files/2019/public_version_si_elected_and_appointed_volunteer s_2018-2021_js_2020-07-12.pdf SI’s income from stamp usage falls: Servas International’s income has been going down steadily for more than ten years, and the trend continued during 2019. Since this development is not sustainable, it has to be turned into an upward, positive curve. Servas International’s income is made up almost entirely of the money that member groups and member countries pay for the fees that SI charges for the stamps used on Letters of introduction, LOI. The global board of Servas International (SI Exco) for 2019–2021 elected in October 2018 by the SI General Assembly has decided that Servas growth is one of the five top priorities during the mandate period. A campaign for growth was launch at the end of 2019, to be executed during 2020. However, the outbreak of the covid 19 pandemic constitutes a major obstacle for the progress towards the goal of the campaign, which is to double the number of individual members of Servas during 2020. The downward trend for SI’s income is not sustainable and has to be reversed. If there’s no such turnround, there will not be enough resources to pay the maintenance and development costs for information and communications systems like the ServasOnline System and other expenses needed for running the organization. The ServasOnline System has been the largest investment in SI’s history. You find detailed information about SI’s finances in this annual report. Servas – A climate smart alternative: During 2019 we were reminded of something most of us have known for a long time, but until now haven’t had scientific proof of. Overnight stays in private people’s homes generally put much less of a burden on the environment than staying at a hotel or other comparable alternatives. This is pointed out in a report produced by academic researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. The researchers list accommodation at “relatives and friends” in a category labelled “carbon neutral”. Accommodation in motorhomes and caravans, tents, night trains or ferry cabins also belongs to