Servas By Bike 2025 Servas by Bike is an annual summer event that rotates between Italy, France, Germany, Czech Rep, and Poland. This year's ride is being hosted and organized by Servas Germany.

Around 30 Servas members of all ages gather to lodge near or at a local organisation or hostel. Day trips of circa 40/60 km are planned for each day. Meals are communal. Attendees draft the cultural agenda themselves, which can include meeting with local people involved in peace activities, music, art, games, and more.

This year, we are meeting in the Eifel National Park in Germany July 24-27, a low mountain range in the German-Belgian border region of Eifel / Haute Fagnes, characterised by many volcanoes, volcanic craters and lakes.

● We will be staying in the Vogelsang Youth Hostel – one of the best-rated youth hostels in Germany. It offers cycling groups everything their hearts desire.

● We explore the fantastic area by day, getting to know each other better each evening. Many of us have participated in previous years, so this is also a bit of a reunion. That said, we welcome new faces! We look forward to exploring the Eifel with you this year!

● We speak English. We cannot guarantee translation into other languages, but will do our best to support everyone! ● We will split into three bicycle groups:

● Light tour (half day) 25-35 km, fewer hills ● Moderate tours, 40-55 km, some hills ● Sporty tours, 60-80 km, more hills.

Registration Act ASAP as the deadline for registration is April 10.

by Claude Lefrançois, Servas Canada

Dear American friends. Hello from Quebec! I'm feeling so uncomfortable about what is happening in the United States that I need to write to you. I'm so sad to see that your democracy is being threatened. I must say that all my information is coming from social media such as FaceBook, a Montreal newspaper (Le Devoir), and Radio-Canada.

The point to start my writing is the dictator in chief saying that Canada will become the 51st state of the United States. We are good neighbors. We share a lot of economic exchanges.

BUT Canada doesn't want to become an American state. We are a country and want to stay that way. Right now, many of my friends and family are cancelling their holidays to the United States. Many, many people in Canada don't buy any more food produced or made in the U.S. All stores and groceries are putting big maple leaf stickers on their wares, emphasizing Canadian food. We buy cellular phones from Korea. Drivers are putting stickers on the numerous Teslas already sold here saying they bought the car before Elon went crazy. That is something we didn't want to do... but that is the only way to put pressure on the 2 men who "seem" to control your country right now... We cannot vote in the US... I'm sending you all these comments in case your newspapers or social media are silent about us in Canada.

So, tell me if I am right or wrong. What can I do to help you? I don't want a dictatorship or autocracy to develop in North America. We read that people, politicians are reacting, for example: "Stand up for science," Bernie Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez...is it enough? How can we help?

Hope everyone is well...

Amitiés, Claude Lefrançois, Saint-Lambert, Québec.

 By Mary Lee Behar

The Conference

In February, I attended the Pan American conference in Costa Rica and served as a volunteer interpreter, along with Miriam Kerekes Beltrán (Servas Mexico). Most conference participants were from US Servas and Servas Costa Rica, but participants also came from Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Germany, France, Austria, New Zealand, and Guatemala. One of my favorite parts of the event was making friends and watching participants grow closer over the course of four days together.

Many presented about Servas operations in their respective countries. Some also showcased the beauty of their country and brought a little something to share. Canada offered maple-flavored cookies, maple-flavored candy, salmon jerky and a Canadian flag pin. Mexico shared some tequila, mezcal, and spicy peanuts. Colombia shared a salsa dancing lesson, loving yoga, and red, yellow and blue beaded bracelets. A family from Servas Panama shared an intimate portrait of what Servas has meant for them over the years and how they treat every guest like family. Servas Costa Rica shared coffee, cookies, artisanal soaps and souvenir keychains. Each country extended an invitation to everyone present to come visit.

In the first two days, we heard talks on many subjects. Nancy Castro on Costa Rica's biodiversity. President Radha Radhakrishna and Peace Secretary Francisco Solomón Luna) updated us on Servas International and ways to grow the organization. Irma Alvarez on the dances of Costa Rica. Doña Carmen Mora Mora on the history of Costa Rica. Roxana Abarca and Ligia Araya on the dissolution of the army and more history of Costa Rica. Jaime Duque on the coffee industry in Costa Rica. Jim Leask and John Whidden on changes to the Servas International website. Kent Macaulay on Servas and the UN. Monica Garcia and Ana Maria Fajardo on Servas Colombia. Miriam Kerekes Beltrán on Servas Mexico. Flor Cano de Picota, Arquimedes Picota and Eufracio Centella Rodríguez on Servas Panama.

United States Servas made some presentations, too. National Peace Secretary, Karen Morian spoke on various peacebuilding activities including an effort to reforest areas of Altadena, California, in honor of Paige LaCombe, former National Peace Secretary, former US Servas Board Member, current Chair of Servas Women, whose home burned in the Los Angeles wildfires on January 7, 2025, Bill Magargal, US Servas Board member spoke on internal operations and presented a Peace Pole as a gift to Servas Costa Rica. Paige LaCombe and Victoria Cripovich from Servas Argentina spoke about Servas Women.

On our third day, we had an outing to see some of the natural wonders of Costa Rica, including: a live volcanic crater, a waterfall on the side of the road, and a lagoon surrounded by a lush forest.

At the lagoon, we were hosted for lunch by the non-profit "Asociación de Desarrollo Especifica" in the large dining area of the Airbnb "Volcan Hule Lodging." The non-profit built this Airbnb overlooking the Laguna de Hule and the Bosque Alegre Natural Preserve (forest) as a source of revenue to protect these natural spaces and ensure clean water and ecotourism in the area indefinitely.

This spot was more than just a place to eat with a view; it was the result of ten years’ effort by a small group of women, who ultimately obtained government funding through Dinadeco to realize their vision. That ours was an inaugural event for the lodge and conservation non-profit made it special – as did the delicious food.  

A huge thank you to Servas Costa Rica: Larissa Mora Mora, Carmen Mora Mora, Marc Krebs, Manuel "Malo" Ramirez Quiros, Irma Alvarez, Ligia Araya, Elizabeth Araya, Roger Chavarria, Magaly Camacho Cordero, Tatiana Colindres, Roxana Abarca, Nazira Vega, Lorena Navarro, Nancy Castro and Jaime Duque, and Francisco Salomón Luna, one of the International Peace Secretaries, for hosting us.

Take-aways

Learning about local food, traditions, government, and way of life made for a great experience. One such tradition is the "El Torito" dance, a playful partner dance where the man acts like a bull and the woman acts like a bullfighter with her large colorful skirt. (In Costa Rica, they don't do actual bull fighting because they find it cruel.) This is one of the many ways that Costa Rica is a model for peace and social justice.

Most traditional meals in Costa Rica include avocado, fried plantains, some meat/fish/eggs as a protein source, their signature side dish "gallo pinto" which is a mix of rice and beans, and "gallo de queso" which is a corn tortilla with a slice of cheese on it. Our meals were well-balanced and flavorful. There was no shortage of exotic fruit including a local passion fruit, golden berries, coffee cherries, and coconuts. (Coffee beans are the seeds left over from coffee "cherries.")

I was surprised to learn that Costa Rica has had no army since 1949. Instead, Costa Rica has powerful "friends" and neighbors (including the United States, the European Union, and other regional organizations) who will come to their aid in the event of a threat or invasion. By having no army, Costa Rica can invest more money in public education (which includes a free college education), universal health care, social development, cultural programs, and conservation. After the dissolution of the army, weapons were melted and turned into sculptures. In Costa Rica, they have literally replaced the sword with the pen.

Costa Rica’s commitment to conservation is remarkable. In fact, after the banana and meat industries destroyed half of the forests in Costa Rica between 1940 and 1987, activists successfully pushed legislation to protect the existing biodiversity and increase protected natural spaces. Now Costa Rica has 52% forest cover (compared to the all-time low of 21% in 1987). How did they do it? They made alliances with politicians, planted trees, protected areas around active craters, created a national parks program, created a system of protected areas, biological corridors including interurban biological corridors, and provided incentives for landowners to not develop their land. Costa Rica recognizes that protecting biodiversity and its forests is a way of protecting our species and our planet. Costa Rica has determined that ecotourism can be just as profitable or more profitable than clear-cutting forests for crops or cattle, with the added perks of ensuring clean water, better air quality, and a source of food and medicine for generations to come.

I left the conference wishing that somehow the United States could be more like Costa Rica, as regards conservation and prioritizing social development over guns and warfare. I also left the conference sad to leave such a like-minded group of people, who had become like a second family... so I left with two new Servas friends on another adventure.

Together my new friends from Servas Canada discovered the Quetzal National Park and Uvita. I thoroughly enjoyed this time in nature. There we saw a magnificent blue butterfly, a sloth, and howler monkeys in the wild. We visited a village in the mountains that is pretty self-sufficient with its own cows for cheese, its own river trout and lots of fruit trees, avocado trees, coffee plants, fresh air, clean water and a simpler way of life. I saw more happy cows grazing in Costa Rica than I've seen anywhere in the United States, and I got to walk a spectacular coconut tree lined beach. The experience was a memorable one, for sure.

Upcoming Events

1) International Women's Day, March 8, 2025 -- plan an event in your community

2) CSW, the Conference on the Status of Women, at the United Nations in New York from March 10-21, 2025 (now accepting only for remote access and parallel events: https://ngocsw.org/ngocsw68/),

3) International Day of Peace, September 21, 2025 -- plan an event in your community

4) SICOGA, Servas International Conference & General Assembly, in Dijon, France, October 3-9, 2025 (save the date),

5) Servas LatAm Conference in Cundinamarca, Colombia from January 7-12, 2026 (https://myqrcode.mobi/7fcca16f), and

6) Servas Colombia's Peace School in Cundinamarca, Colombia, January 12-18, 2026 (servascolombia.latam2026@gmail.com),

Conclusion

If you've never been to a Servas conference, I highly recommend it. Travel with Servas not only opens your mind but also opens your heart. Pura Vida! ["Pura Vida" translates to "pure life" in Spanish and represents a laid-back, optimistic attitude towards life that is widely associated with Costa Rican culture.]

Servas Korea is hosting a four-day Servas International Peace Ride from May 19th - 22nd. The ride begins in Yeoju and winds km along the Namhangang and Bukhangang Rivers, ending in Wungislan. The ride is limited to 40 riders. The cost is $330 US which includes the following:

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinners & Snacks
• Accommodation (Youth Hostel or Group accommodation in common)
• Support Car
• Bus fee, Entrance ticket fee
• Round-trip bicycle transportation.

Bike rentals are available for $20 per day if you choose not to use yours (E-bikes $30/day). Here is a link to Details About the Ride

By Karen Morian

Servas Costa Rica is hosting a Regional Meeting for representatives from North and Central America from February 6^th-9^th. The goal of the February meeting is to re-set international connections within the region, and to develop joint projects for the future. It is hoped that these will include peacebuilding, justice, and climate projects. Thirteen US Servas members will be there. We will present our work from 2024 and some of our plans for 2025. The US will make a peace pole to be installed permanently at the conference site commemorating the event. A report on the event and proposed projects will be published in the next Open Doors. Members who wish to get involved in international regional projects should reach out to PeaceandJustice@usservas.org

Already working towards peace? Let us know! We would love to hear about US Servas efforts to support Peace, Justice, and Climate work in our communities around the country. Please contact the Peace & Justice team at PeaceandJustice@usservas.org to let us know what you are working on.

Servas International 33rd Conference     October 3 - 9, 2025

The Servas International Committee, in collaboration with Servas France, has arranged the next Servas International Conference and General Assembly (SICOGA) to be held at the Centre de Recontres Internationales in Dijon, France. The conference will take place October 4 – 6, 2025, followed by the General Assembly Business meetings Oct. 7 – 8. Servas delegates and members from any groups may attend in Dijon, or virtually, from anywhere in the world.

The conference attendance is already filling up, so you should register ASAP to make sure you have a spot. Here is a link for more information and to REGISTER.

We expect to have many discussion sessions and informative presentations of interest to all our members during the conference. There will also be sightseeing and cultural activities that we will enjoy as a group on October 6. In addition, there are other group activities being planned on other days too. Additional details on these various activities will be provided in the mail-outs that follow.

We hope you can join us in France to share an enjoyable and challenging week of Servas work. It will be a moment for us to reflect together on our evolution as an organization, where we want to go next, and how to achieve it. We have also planned a lot of social activities. It will be an opportunity to meet old friends and new from around the world. We hope it provides a happy combination of work and cheerful friendly moments that make lasting memories.

We look forward to making the upcoming meeting a productive, successful and joyful event for all of us!

In the interim, if you have any questions please email president@servas.org

Servas Germany will host the 4th international meeting for Servas Activists from Europe, Middle East and Africa to discuss “How to gain more members, more younger members, more active members”. The meeting will be held January 30 thru February 2nd in Weisbaden (new Frankfurt). Anyone who is active in the national Servas organization and has a function as National Secretary, Vice President, Treasurer, Peace, Youth or Family Secretary, or is an active Servas member under the age of 35 is eligible to participate.

You can find all the details about this event in the following PDF:

Conference of the Servas European Groups

by Bill Magargal

Here is your chance to celebrate the creativity and unique experiences shared by our global Servas family. From heartfelt stories to beautifully captured videos, these entries embody the theme: My Fantastic Servas Experience. We announced this competition earlier in the year; now is your opportunity to see just how interesting and creative Servas members are. 

Click this link Written Stories to view the selection of written entries. There are 33 great tales, each with a unique view of Servas. Although a bit daunting in number, many of them are very interesting reads. Double-click on a story link to read it. Be sure to note the two-digit prefix to the entry you like the most. That is the number you will enter as your voting choice.

Likewise, click this link Video Stories to view the video entries. I am a visual person, so I particularly enjoyed the videos. They ranged from a solo guitar performance of an original Servas song, to visually appealing travelogs and heartfelt peace projects. After you’ve viewed them, be sure to note the number of the video to vote for the one you like most.

Vote: Each Servas member may cast 1 vote per category, i.e. Best Written Story, and Best Video. The deadline for voting is December 22^nd, 2024. Click Here to vote: Use this password to log in to the ballot: @heyServas1973

We give rave reviews to the people who initiated and oversaw this inaugural event. We hope it becomes a regular part of Servas. 

Now is the time to plan your winter get-away trip to Costa Rica for the first-ever Servas Pan Americas Conference February 6-9, 2025. Airfares are still relatively cheap (approx. $400 r/t from Philadelphia). Also, for some reason December 3^rd is usually the best day of the year to purchase airline tickets. There are still spots available at the venue. February is summertime in Costa Rica, so you only need light-weight summer clothes... except February 8, when we will visit Poás Volcano National Park (long pants, a warm shirt, jacket or rain jacket, sturdy shoes recommended).

The conference is being hosted by Servas Costa Rica at  Casa de Espiritualidad San Benito about 23 km northwest of San Jose, and only 8km from the Juan Santamaria international airport. San Benito has common and individual dormitories, large green spaces, a prayer chapel, parking, bathrooms with hot water, drinking water, Wi-Fi and food service. The venue works with 110 volts of electricity.

The cost is $275 USD per person which includes accommodation at the San Benito House of Spirituality, all meals, and a day tour of Lapaz Waterfall Gardens and Peace Park. The purpose of this event is to strengthen the bonds and communication channels between our respective Servas groups, with an additional focus on climate issues. (See article in this issue on the Floods in Spain). 

Agenda

1. (Feb 6) After Lunch - Welcome presentations by Servas International and Servas Costa Rica.
2. (Feb. 7) Presentations by regional groups.
3. (Feb. 8) Day Trip- early breakfast then bus to Poás Volcano National Park .
4. (Feb. 9) Morning - conference conclusion after lunch.

For more information click Conference Details. This includes how to reach the venue, a more detailed agenda, details about the day trip and more information about the San Benito venue. Note - you will be asked to log in to Servas International to view this. To attend the conference click the Registration Form, fill in the information, then click "Submit."

Conference attendance is limited to a maximum of 75 people. Sign up now to reserve your place for this peaceful retreat and enjoy summer in the winter. 

from Servas International & Wikipedia

On October 29, 2024, torrential rains caused by a *DANA (upper-level isolated atmospheric depression) brought over a year's worth of precipitation within 24 hours to several areas in eastern Spain. The resulting floodwaters caused the deaths of 226 people, with 14 missing and substantial property damage. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in Spanish history.

We, the Servas International community, extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and communities affected by the devastating floods caused by the DANA storm in Spain, in the regions of Valencia, Castilla-La Mancha and Andalucía. Our thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones, endured injuries, or suffered significant damage to their homes and livelihoods. We stand in solidarity with all those impacted during this difficult time and offer our deepest sympathies.

In the face of such hardship, it is inspiring to see communities coming together to support one another. To the emergency responders and volunteers, including our brave Servas Spain members, tirelessly working to provide relief and aid, we offer our profound gratitude for your courage and dedication. We are united in our commitment to helping rebuild and restore the affected areas, supporting those in need, and standing alongside Spain in its recovery.”

Cars destroyed by the storm DANA in a street of Valencia. Source of the picture: unknown

Official channels to donate and help with DANA relief (information taken from Maldita.es is listed below.)

Be wary of links or messages circulating on social networks if their origin is not clear and analyze who is behind them. Authorities, public entities and other organizations involved in the work of caring for victims have set up official channels to transfer donations and provide other types of help.

• The Red Cross (Cruz Roja) has activated a Donation Page

• Cártitas Valencia and Cárias Albacete have a website to transfer monetary donations ( Graves inundaciones en España | Cáritas) and have opened two bank accounts and a number to make donations via Bizum.

• Bizum has published a thread detailing all the organizations and entities that are receiving donations at This Website. Caritas and the Red Cross are included.

*DANA: A weather phenomenon that occurs when cold air in the upper atmosphere meets warm air from the Mediterranean Sea, causing heavy rain, flash floods, hail, and tornadoes. The term is a Spanish acronym that stands for Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos, which translates to "upper-level isolated atmospheric depression."