The famous writer, Albert Camus, who was a supporter of SCI, commented on the volunteers: “A writer who wants to be a witness sometimes feels he is lonely…But you are demonstrating every day that men can meet each other, that dialogue is always possible and that loneliness does not exist.” From “Breaking down barriers 1945-76” “CCIVS is …
1992-2009: Expansion in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe Read More »
“Today voluntary service is not just a desirable activity but it is an activity that is badly needed. It is needed more than ever before in the field of local and national development it is needed for North-South dialogue, South-South collaboration and regional cooperation. It is not only a subjective discovery but also an objective …
1981-91: Campaign for Disarmament and against Racism Read More »
“We did just that, arguing that volunteer service should not be… a complement, a cheap addition to “proper” technical assistance, but a constructive criticism of the weaknesses in “Aid” in the Third World.” Glyn Roberts In the 70s CCIVS’ members’ projects included new emphasis on health, education, ecology awareness and natural disaster prevention but CCIVS’ …
1972-80: New Contacts between East and West, North and South Read More »
“Creative chaos, best describes the state of our office during the early 1960s when Arthur Gillette and I were running things. We had a constant coming and going of volunteer helpers and visitors, a dozen projects on the go at any one time, the duplicator spewing out tens of thousands of workcamps lists.” Glyn Roberts …
1960-71: Cold War, Independance and the Growth of Long Term “Development” Volunteer Read More »
For the first couple of years, the CoCo was run by several not very long term volunteers. The head of CoCo/CCIVS was not called Director until the time of Jean-Michel Bazinet (1964). In 1950 Willy Begert, who had been an experienced workcamp leader and International Secretary of SCI and written a book entitled “Organizing Voluntary Work-Camps” …
“As a world coordination centre for the workcamp movement, CoCo came as a disappointment to some. They expected smooth professionals, diplomatic gravity, the comforts of high office, and they found none of it. Our Coordination Committee and its officers worked in the volunteer tradition with all the strengths and weaknesses that implied.” Glyn Roberts “Beware! …
History. 1948 – 1959 Post War Reconstruction and Peace BuildingHistory Read More »
After the Second World War many non-governmental agencies all over Europe began to be active in reconstruction and in bringing relief to the many refugees forced to flee their homelands. For instance the Christian Movement for Peace (CMP) which had started in 1923 as a way to create reconciliation between French and German Christians adopted …
The international voluntary service movement was born in 1920 at a meeting at a school in Bilthoven, Netherlands, appropriately enough named het Werkplaats. A meeting one year earlier had established the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FoR). Pierre Cérésole, a Swiss pacifist (see inset), had agreed to be its secretary. This second meeting was to discuss “How …
31 people from over 25 countries participated in the event, creating a very valuable opportunity for the diverse member organisations represented, to re-engage, share and strengthen the network. This opportunity was especially valuable for many members, because it was the first in-person meeting they had attended since prior to 2020… During the event, member organisation …
Get ready for a journey of transformation and impact! We’re thrilled to introduce Project ICON, an initiative set to revolutionise the International Voluntary Service (IVS) movement. ICON is all about elevating the quality, reach, and inclusivity of volunteering activities. The team: Meet the Organizations Co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, ICON brings …
