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News from the World Servas Community


International News

Many International Servas Groups provide US Servas with news they would like us to distribute. These can range from events like the disastrous earthquake in Türkiye to efforts to build a permanent Peace Academy. This page also includes items from Servas International that might be of interest to US Servas members.


Featured Articles

Unique peace and justice articles submitted by Servas members that are particularly well-written and/or might be of special interest to members. Tell us about it. Submit your stories here.

Click here to send in your story.

Click here to contact the US Servas Peace Secretary.


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  • May 04, 2023 8:49 AM | Bill Magargal (Administrator)

    Die schwelle logo - stylized dove with olive branceOn May 31, 2024, the schwelle Foundation will confer the 11th International Bremen Peace Award for exemplary commitment to Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation. The award is given with the aim of honoring people and organizations that set an example through their work contributing to reconciliation, human rights, overcoming racism, social justice, sustainable handling of nature and environment as well as to intercultural and inter-religious understanding.The patron of the Bremen Peace Award is Bremen’s former mayor Karoline Linnert. For more information about the Peace Award and the schwelle Foundation click HERE. 


  • April 27, 2023 6:55 AM | Bill Magargal (Administrator)

    photo of N building with colorful flagsBy Julie Cormack & Kent Macaulay

    Did you know that Servas plays a role at the United Nations?  

    As an organization promoting peace, Servas International has “consultative status” with the UN.  This means that Servas can name 15 official representatives to the UN and can participate in and contribute to various UN conferences and discussions.  In return, Servas members are requested to learn about and support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2015-2030 and other UN initiatives.

    One of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is gender equality.  For the past few years, Servas members have been delegates to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) conference held at the UN in New York every March.  This year, over 40 Servas members from around the world registered as delegates for CSW67.  Some of them attended a portion of the two-week conference in-person, while others participated online.


    Join The Discussion on ZOOM

    Sunday, May 7, 2:00 pm Eastern (11:00 am Pacific)

    Hear what Servas members gained from CSW67 and how they contributed to it. Discuss how Servas International could increase its participation in next year’s CSW and other UN events and activities.

    Click HERE  to join the discussion

    Hosted by

    Julie Cormack and Kent Macaulay

    Servas Canada members and Servas International Reps to the UN


  • April 04, 2023 7:51 AM | Bill Magargal (Administrator)

    Servas International Peace Secretary, Francisco Salamón Luma, will host a new online "Servas Peace Forum" on April 22, 2023. These meetings will occur quarterly and will allow our members meet online and have regular cultural exchanges without flying.  Topics will vary, but don't miss this opportunity to connect with other Servas members throughout the world. The 1st Servas Peace Forum is open for registration now. You are welcome to join us. Please register by April 8th. Here is the registration link.

  • April 04, 2023 6:21 AM | Bill Magargal (Administrator)

    Servas Türkiye held a Solidarity Meeting on March 12, 2023, and received wonderful participation from all around the Servas world. Twenty-five countries and more than 100 people, shared their support and suggestions for the earthquake survivors and Servas Peace School. During the meeting, Mehmet Ateş, proposed a permanent facility for the Servas Peace School. Like an academy, it would function all year long and would be open to any Servas projects and would be available to the local community as well. This idea received a good amount of support. After the meeting we came together with the Servas Turkish team and decided to move ahead with the idea as well as take some concrete steps. 

    We believe that this would be a great dream come true for Servas and should not belong only to Servas Türkiye but the entire Servas world. Therefore, we invite all Servas organizations to be part of this dream and work together as a project team of volunteers to take part in each phase of the project. Our immediate need is to create a work team of architects, project developers, fundraisers, educators, recycling project experts, environmental scientists, and those who have a huge heart who just want to do what will make this project happen, make this dream come true. 

    If you believe that you can be a part of this project with any kind of contribution based on your abilities, please write to usa bout what your contribution might be. We will then initiate a working group of volunteers to decide on next steps. 

    Read Mehmet's vision and goals for the Servas Peace School Academy. Mr. Ateş notes are preliminary and will be further developed together with the volunteer team. 

    The huge earthquake destroyed not only buildings but the veins of the cultural diversity and treasures in Antakya. Servas Peace School Academy will mitigate the loss and even remake the earthquake area as a valley of knowledge and skills. 

    It will be a permanent, year-round, sustainable, environment-friendly academy where children will discover the diversity of the earth. Adults will be able to join activities and volunteer as trainers. The academy will function as a Servas international center, too. 

    In addition to the topics that emphasize Servas values, the academy will cooperate with local farmers, other producers, and human resources and include them in learning and sharing processes. Volunteers will stay with local families for maximum exchange opportunities. Now, we need to: 

    • Search for funded land, or buy or rent a piece of land if possible.
    • Build houses (ecological with local/modern architecture) 
    • Invite volunteers to help with planning, organizing, and building 
    • Start a donation campaign. 

    Our goal is to build this academy with the support and sources of Servas members and Servas friends all around the world. This way, it is going to be our Servas home. Let's not postpone our dreams. Let's share what we know with younger generations and different cultures. Let's teach and learn. Let's stand up and start to change life for good. Let's work together to build together. Let's give ourselves a chance to realize our values. It is possible when we work together. 
  • April 04, 2023 6:04 AM | Bill Magargal (Administrator)

    By now, we have all heard about the catastrophic earthquake in southeastern Turkey and, in Syria. Radha Radhakrishna, President of Servas International, reached out to members in Turkey about the disaster. US Servas members have asked how they can help with this huge humanitarian crisis. Below are suggestions from two Servas Türkiye members. 

    Message from Mehmet Ateş, coordinator of the Servas Peace School and member of SI Youth and families Committee 

    This is Mehmet Ateş, coordinator of Servas Peace School in my village of Ekinci, Antakya-Hatay Turkey. The epicentre was in Gaziantep.  Gaziantep is around 200 km from Ekinci. Images from nearby town of Dyarbakir on TV shows how terrible it is. The problem is that the buildings are not earthquake proof, otherwise the loss of human lives would not have been so dramatic.   

    The region is Antakya. The nearest airport to Ekinci is Hatay airport, which is now closed because the destroyed tarmac uplifted, due to the tremors. So, the runway has been closed for flight operations. 

    My village and Antakya are 60 km far from the border with Syria. We have casualties but less than in the city center. Victims in city center urgently and desperately need more search and rescue teams. Secondly, heaters, tents and blankets. The best way to send help is to do it via reliable organizations who act fast to reach the earthquake zones: Turk Kizilay Is one we choose. Thank you …  Servas is a real solidarity... 

    Message from Gülşen Elyak, National Secretary, Servas Turkey and member of SI Internal Audit Committee 

    Dear Radha and all the Servas members who are so intent to help and who reached out immediately to let us know that we are not alone... our gratitude is indescribable. As Mehmet, Esra, Tuana and the other witnesses of this disaster point out, we really need help physically and spiritually. Thank you so much for giving your support so freely and so humanly.  

    Unfortunately, hundreds of aid organizations appear after every bad incident, so we will share with you the aid channel we trust most.  Visit the  Ahbap  (Dude) website make a donation. 



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