The C-19 pandemic brought volunteer exchange to a halt in 2020 and 2021, with a slight recovery in 2022. During 2020 many organisations experimented with online activities bringing together volunteers and IVS organisations from different parts of the world, whilst this activity provided a necessary connection in times where people could not meet physically, it also highlighted the fact that the traditional “workcamp” or IVS project is unique and cannot be replaced by an online activity.
In terms of CCIVS, we learnt that online activities can also have an added value. In 2021 all but one of CCIVS activities took place online, which brought new developments in the digitalisation of our work, in the use of online learning tools and the further development of our online learning site: www.ccivs/org/ilearn. Online events brought new challenges in terms of accessibility to the internet, load shedding, power shortages. And the complexities linked to this, including the environmental impact of online work. We found negative and positive points of ‘home working’ and became more open to a different way of work for the Secretariat, with changes leading to different staff members working in different parts of the world.
In 2021 a new Strategic plan was voted on in the CCIVS GA for the period 2021-27 with a strong focus on capacity building, advocacy, partnership building and visibility for the IVS network. New activities included Decolonise IVS, a groundbreaking project examining exchanges from the Global North to the Global South from a decolonial and intersectional perspective. The Living Earth Campaign continues CCIVS work on peace and the environment. The heart of the campaign lies in its dedication to fostering a peaceful and harmonious coexistence with our planet Earth. It champions the idea that to live in harmony with our world is not merely an aspiration but a fundamental responsibility.
2023 marks 75 years since the creation of CCIVS. During this period we started working on the classification of our archives and the search for a way to make them accessible. Meetings of a dedicated group of activists along with the Secretariat paved the way for new contacts and possibilities for the preservation of CCIVS History. In future years we hope that the history section of this webpage may become more detailed, highlighting important moments in CCIVS history and our place within the history of the world.