Page 3: Letter from the President
From SI Exco News
- Dear brothers and sisters in Servas,
Has it occurred to you how much FASTER things get as time goes on? This is nothing new - I remember my grandparents saying the same thing, and you probably do too. When Jules Verne wrote Around the World in Eighty Days, he was writing on the border of science fiction. Nowadays travelling around the world is commonplace for many people, often in far less than eighty days. A gain for speed and efficiency, but a loss for romance and adventure. How much do we miss when things go so fast? Have we lost the magic of anticipation so dear to the fox in Le petit prince?
The internet has revolutionised our lives, whether we are active users or not, just because it has changed the speed of things for users. The tempo has changed dramatically - from moderato or allegro assai to prestissimo. Has this improved our lives? In some ways I am sure it has, but in other ways speed is no improvement. In ‘the old days’ - five years ago (!) - you received a letter, wrote an angry reply, and then tore it up a few hours later, realising the shame of putting your anger on paper. Then after a few days’ reflection, you wrote a courteous reply.
The danger of speed is that before you take time to reflect, you have written an angry reply to an e-mail, pressed the ‘send’ button, and your angry words are being read by tens - dozens - perhaps hundreds - of people. Then the recipient does the same. And the vicious circle starts: the tone of the correspondence becomes gradually more aggressive, and what started out as a simple disagreement becomes a long conflict. The old adage still applies: More haste, less speed.
In the same way, a Servas visit benefits from time. Time beforehand, when the traveller sends the host a letter -perhaps confirming an initial e-mail query including a copy of the LoI (letter of introduction)- and the host takes the trouble to reply, even when the answer is ‘no’. That letter - on paper, in your hand - is becoming more and more rare and precious. Then, time during the visit, to share experiences, to talk and laugh together, and time afterwards, for a thank-you note in appreciation of hospitality. And then there are those special encounters, when Christmas cards are exchanged for years to come, and return visits arranged - sometimes even visits many years later by their children! Surely, time spent like this is an investment in the future of our planet! In Servas, we must not allow ourselves to become slaves of speed and efficiency. Human values, such as care, concern and compassion, are the foundation of peaceful co-existence, and are an essential part of peace-building, the highest aim of Servas. The Servas International Conference 2004 The conference, to be held at a mountain retreat close to Barcelona in Spain in July 2004, is first and foremost the highest decision-making body of Servas International. It is there that delegates from all over the world will gather to look at the activity of SI over the last three years and to decide the course for the coming years. Many Servas members are happy to do no more than be travellers or hosts, but others like to know what is going on, and to be involved in everyday running or decision making. There are some places at the conference for these observers.
Do you have skills to offer?
Since all Servas officers are unpaid volunteers, they give generously of their time and efforts. In many cases, they would appreciate help, but it is often easier for them in the short term to do a bit of extra work themselves than to find a helper. If you have a little spare time which you would be willing to devote to Servas, why not get in touch with Servas in your country and offer your help? It may be exactly what is needed, whether it is addressing and stamping envelopes, giving legal advice, or running a workshop on global warming, global warfare or global friendship.
In Spain many Servas members have already devoted many hours to the practical organisation of the conference, and many more hours are yet to come. We are very grateful to them all and hope that they find the experience rewarding, even if it is very hard work! Do you have a place in Servas International? Yes, of course. As a Servas member, you are a member of Servas International, and you have a right to be involved. Perhaps you are ideally suited to being a Servas officer without knowing it. At the General Assembly during the conference, many will be elected. Perhaps you should be one of them. Don’t dismiss the thought, but think it over - you may be exactly what SI needs!
Thank you all for everything you have given to Servas during the three years I have been president. I hope to meet many of you as travellers or hosts in the years to come.
Roger Martin president@servas.org
