The next SCI North South Platform Meeting will take place from 6 - 10 October 2010, hosted by KVT Finland. We are looking for prep team members to organize this event! Interested?
In April 2010 Service Civil International (SCI) will organise a training focused on intercultural learning. The seminar is funded by the European Youth Foundation.
Recently the IS was contacted by Logan, a student from United States who is working on his Master Thesis at the University of Houston. Logan used to be a volunteer himself and is interested in 'Knowing what makes people participate in volunteer programs. He believes this will help local communities and organizations to develop more effective volunteer programs that benefit both the volunteers and the local people'. He is looking for volunteers that can spend 10-15 minutes on filling out an on-line survey.
At both international and branch levels SCI preparatory activities to celebrate, commemorate and reflect on ninety years of volunteering for peace, intercultural understanding, mutual respect and tolerance have started.
The SCI Mediterranean Working Group (SCI-Midi) sees it as its responsibility to ensure a responsible and smooth exchange of volunteers between the Mediterranean region and the rest of the SCI movement, in an effort to posit a just peace as an alternative to violence and oppression.
SCI Italy is promoting since last year projects and workcamps related to the remembrance of Nazi-fascist persecution against Roma, Sinti and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans) people.
SAVA working group continues with its project ‘Live together’ that started in 2009 as an initiative of PVN Albania, VCV Serbia and SCI Switzerland. Last year the ‘Live together’ workcamp took place in Serbia in Temerin, a multi-ethnic town.
In the frame of its ‘incoming program’ SCI Belgium is hosting volunteers from the South every year, for a one month program of discovery and intercultural exchanges. This year, four female volunteers joined the program. They were coming from Nigeria, Malaysia, Palestine and Ecuador. One of their guides was ‘Dimas’: our long term volunteer from Indonesia.
IVS-GB (Brittish branch of SCI) has started a newsletter called ‘Reconnections’. It aims to reconnect twentieth century volunteers (from the 50s, 60s 70s and 80s) with others who were volunteering at the same time or in the same place.
Read all about sustainability of workcamps; education for sustainability; Copenhagen from ICM perspective; and much more in the third issue of GAIA-zine!
There is an EVS vacancy in the International Secretariat. The Long Term Volunteer will be starting on 1st of June 2010, and the position will be for 12-14 months. Attached you can find the application form, and below the job description. Applications need to be sent before 14 March 2010.
In December 2009 representatives of governments from all around the world were supposed to put Earth on a new track in order to prevent humanity from a runaway climate change. Around 30 SCI volunteers went to COP15 (Conference of the Parties) in Copenhagen to join thousands of international youth in their attempts to remind politicians about the meaning of the words „world leaders”. more…
The Asian International Working group (AIWG) is a platform for activists and branches of SCI in Asia and the rest of the world. The main goals of the AIWG are to work towards a better co-operation and development of the Asian branches and the branches from the rest of the world. more…
The beginning of December saw a seminar take place entitled “Developing Best Practice in EVS Short-term for social inclusion of young people” in Greystones, Ireland hosted by VSI Ireland and attended by member of YUWG and partner organisations in Ireland. Representatives from a number of SCI branches and partner organisations came together and took the chance to evaluate the past years events, and look forward to the months ahead.
Having a nice, comfy, good positioned, functional, big, cheapest possible, warm and an own office is very essential for an organization to function properly. Sometimes we all work hard and we need a sleepover place. Sometimes we all stay out late in the city and there is no more busses, meaning that we need a shelter. And sometimes we simply need a good place in the city for mass parties. Of course, these are not things an office should be used for! These are possibilities.
In April 2010 Service Civil International (SCI) will organise a training focused on intercultural learning. The seminar is funded by the European Youth Foundation.
At the International Secretariat we recently started co-operating with a travel agency in Belgium, called Key Travel. This agency works exclusively for non-profit organizations and works with similar social, ethical and ecological standards as most non-profits. Of course it is a travel agency, which means that they sell flights. And that means CO2 emission. So why would SCI even consider to co-operate with them? Let me explain...
Ambon is a post-conflict area. There has been a severe violent conflict between the muslim and the christian community. SCI is already active in (post-) conflict areas such as Palestina, Sri Lanka and Kosovo. However, as an international peace organisation we want to expand our work in this area. Therefore the current project in Ambon could be an interesting pilot. Wilbert Helsloot is an SCI activist in Ambon and in charge of this project.
By the time you read this Copenhagen will be on. We all see big expectations and hopes in it. In order to achieve them we have to show that we care. The message is to do just what SCI does best: Get out, act and be the change! So what do we see? Lots of campaigns that are going on: introducing the big conference to people. People are out in the streets, yelling, dancing, singing, protesting, demanding, being creative, and being the sparkle that initiates something huge! And so does the Volunteers’ Centre of Vojvodina alias SCI Serbia.
So here we are, on the beautiful island of Mauritius. Let me first say this: it is thirty degrees and sunny with an almost personal swimming pool at the site of the accommodation. But don’t be too jealous. We do not really get a chance to enjoy the weather and the, for most of us unusual for December, environment, as the days are filled with intensive meetings. In this short report, you can get an impression of these meetings.
For the first time SCI has its own delegation at UN climate negotiations. It might be because this one is probably the most important one to establish towards saving our planet's future. Around 30 SCI activists from Italy, Germany, SriLanka, Poland, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, France and Russia join the voices of justice, equity and fairness. The world's eyes are on COP15 which has to bring positive change, from political and civil points of view.
Even though the ICM is near, GAIA group - the youngest group in SCI - has decided to remain informal and work hard on climate change issues and sustainable living.
Some of the interesting emails received by the Asia International Working Group (AIWG) are - guess what - partnership requests. Don’t be surprised that most requests come from a country that is a rising economic power soon to overtake the United States of America: China!
The SAVA working group is planning to organize various new activities and projects in 2010. Many ideas came up during the last SAVA meeting, like the ‘Bogomili Cycle Route’: a bicycle route through the Balkans which will connect all the places with remnants of the Bogomili culture that existed in the Balkans from the 10th to 14th century.
Work camp on the move
Another idea is the ‘Peace Caravan’: a moving workcamp/ caravan that will connect three countries in the Balkans and at least three multicultural communities. The aim is promote mobility, volunteering and solidarity and inspire local people (with a focus on youth) to take an active role in community development.
Photobook
PR and communication are also on the agenda of SAVA in 2010. An SCI photo book is to be developed, containing a nice selection of pictures from SCI activities and volunteers in the Balkans. This book should explain to new people what SCI is all about by looking at the pictures and reading the stories in the book.
SCI Germany and SVIT Ukraine are organizing a training-seminar called “Cookbook of international volunteer projects”. The seminar will take place from the 30th of November to the 8th of December 2009.
The NSPM 2009 took place between 7th to 11th October in Arenys de Mar in Catalonia, Spain. The meeting was organized by SCI Catalonia with help of an international prep team. Fifty people from all over the world enjoyed the fruitful meeting amongst palm trees in a former villa on the hill of this little town situated at the Costa Brava.
At the International Secretariat we decided to do something nice with the many pictures taken by volunteers. Two of our international volunteers made a few beautiful designs and we had them printed on postcards. We will be selling the cards for fundraising purposes.
From now on it is possible to stay in touch with your SCI friends all over the world by using a new phone service called SCItel.mobi. This is the result of a partnership between SCI and Worldbizonline.com, a company that specializes in multimedia & advertising.
SCI Italy and the Citizens' Committee supporting La Città dell'Utopia are glad to inform you that the Region Lazio has approved the funding of €271.000 for the renovation of the Casale Garibaldi's roof!
Like every year, early autumn is time to bring SAVA people in one place in order to evaluate the past activities and plan the future collaboration. This time it happened in the city of Kumanovo, Macedonia from the 25th -27th of September, hosted by CID Macedonia.
On the 21st September the International Day of Peace will be celebrated around the world. As a worldwide peace organisation SCI is involved in these celebrations: many branches organize special activities.
"Mirror of history - preserve Jewish cemetery in Chernivtsi"
In August 2009, for the second time a group of international SCI volunteers will go to Chernivtsi to work in the historic Jewish cemetery, one of the biggest preserved historic cemeteries in Central and Eastern Europe.
This year, continuing the work, they plan to look at it more globally – what and how should be done to preserve it better – future steps and activities, and what are the possibilities to contribute to protecting the historic and cultural heritage through volunteer projects in this case, as well as in general.
I am human! Fighting racism and discrimination in Ukraine
Is it your first time as a volunteer? Are you concerned about what you will find at a work camp; who you will meet and if it is going to work out for you? Well, I had the same worries last August before going to Kharkov, the second largest city in Ukraine. The project: organizing a photo exhibition about discrimination and racism with 6 other volunteers and 2 camp leaders.
On 6 April 2009, a heavy earthquake touched the entire region of Abruzzo, in Italy. Over 300 people died, more than 1600 inhabitants have been wounded, and over 65.000 have been displaced from their homes into emergency camps.
SCI Italy will organise six international volunteer projects in Abruzzo this summer to support the efforts authorities and local communities make to recover after the disaster.
Long Term Volunteer projects (LTV) make up a big sector for SCI’s work. But there are not so many possibilities for partners in this field to meet and exchange best practices. This inspired SVIT Ukraine and IAL Sweden to develop a seminar “Building bridges through volunteering”.
The seminar will be organised with funding from EC-Youth in Action and LTEG.
On 27th June SCI Malaysia in cooperation with The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission will organise the “Fundraising, Sustainability and Transparency” seminar.
A hard copy had been sent to every SCI branch two weeks ago (together with a copy of ICM minutes, also available on members area under ICM mailings). You can also download a copy of the Annual Report from the link below.
Yes, you may be surprised: But this is the newsletter from Asian branches, "Asian Voices" volume1, 2009.
This newsletter is published by Asian Development Committee(ADC) which is mandated in ICM 2008. ADC's aim is to activate Asian branches and strengthen cooperation among Asian branches. And this newsletter is one of the ADC's activities.
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