SI MONTHLY NEWS JANUARY 2007 Youth
From SI Exco News
2007 Israel & European Youth Exchange (I&EYE) & Servas
I&EYE Association ( Israeli & European Youth Exchanges ) is a non-profit organization that has 33 members who do their work as volunteers. Their mission is to create bridges of understandings and cooperation between youth and young adults in Israel, Europe and the Middle-East.
They have every year 6-8 bilateral youth exchanges with different youth organizations in Europe, and make all our projects affordable by not having a paid staff member and having all our exchanges based on home hospitality as a basic tool for getting to know each other and getting the participants involved in our endeavours.
Mr. Shmulik Lahar, president of the I&EYE association, heard about Servas on a coincidental encounter with Inken, the former national secretary of Servas Germany at the airport of Berlin. He was intrigued of the Servas organisation and offered Servas to be a partnering organisation for one of the youth exchanges that he is planning during the year in 2007.
As a matter of fact we were able to have Servas Israel and Servas Turkey (Middle East groups) as well as Servas Poland and Servas Germany (European groups) participate in this exciting youth exchange project.
1) PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Water is the essential element for human life, so many of us living in the developed countries take it for granted. Water is also a major source for conflicts, domination and misunderstanding between societies, nations, especially when it is a scarce resource. How do we educate the youth and young adults concerning its importance and the major role it has even in today’s world?
The project will use the fun elements involved with water in order to teach and make the participants understand its importance to society in the past and present, how it has been and still is a major source for conflicts and what can we do in order to make it a bridge for cooperation and understanding.
The fun elements will include rafting, swimming, water games, etc, but these will be only tools in order to dig into the more serious issues like: how can you survive in the desert? What were the practices of those who lived in the desert in the past and those living today in the desert not having the modern equipment, the water issues in the Middle-East as a region and these issues between Israel and its neighbours in particular. Can the water become a bridge for cooperation and understanding? What should we do in order not to waste this limited resource?
2) WHO CAN APPLY FOR IT
The project would probably happen between August and November 2007 (tentatively September) and would last about approx. 9 days. Each national group is encouraged to send about 9-12 people.
Any young adult at age 16-25 can apply for it. People who apply for this project should preferably match the following criteria: they need to know English, it is advisable that these persons are doing some kind of voluntary work, perhaps they should be persons who have hosted in the past and are committed to host in the future, they should be connected to Servas, they should be high-school students or university students or both, etc.
We will apply to the European Union for funding. If the program is approved by the European Union, then the participant pays 30% of the travel expenses and administration fees. This could add up to an estimated total of 195-245 euros per participant.
Please contact the national secretaries or youth main contacts of the respective countries to learn more about how to apply for the youth exchange.
Servas Germany, Servas Poland, Servas Israel, Servas Turkey
Markus Kappenberger, Germany
4th Annual Youth Assembly at the U.N.
August 12-15, 2007
Post Assembly Leadership Training Seminar
August 16-20, 2007
• Get involved with U.N. issues & Global NGOs
• Make a difference in YOUR lifetime and ... Prepare for a Great Experience in New York City
• Networking and Career Opportunities
• Great Speakers, Engaging Workshops
• All events at the United Nations are FREE
• Special Post-Assembly Leadership Training Seminar: Transforming Information Into Action
BE THE CHANGE!
~ Website Launch and Applications Accepted from February 10, 2007, at the web address below Special Youth Achievement Awards: Your school, community, religious or civic organization can nominate you for SPECIAL RECOGNITION for Humanitatian deeds in 2006-07
Special for 2007: Join the U. C. Peace Festival! Perfomance Groups interested in Cultural Diplomacy and Peace through the Ats are invited to join us for a day, or two, the entire week, or more! Email us for accommodation costs; Groups welcome: Perform or attend with your mates!
email: yaapplications[at]faf.org
web: www.faf.org/hl_youthassembly.htm
SERVAS INTERNATIONAL YOUTH AND FAMILY EVENT
We are now able to take bookings for the event.
For a booking form please contact:
Ann Greenhough (dasher1949[at]aol.com)
See attached publicity which we have previously circulated about the event. - (Monthly News Oct/Nov)
Accommodation:
The cost per person for the event will be dependant on the type of accommodation. We have 48 beds in dormitory style bunkhouses and a limited number of places in more comfortable Bed and Breakfast type accommodation. The least expensive option is camping if you have your own equipment. We will have our own camping area next to the main building which has space for up to 75 people if needed.
Catering:
Everyone will take the evening meal together. This will be provided by the Centre. For those in the bunkhouses and the main house food will be provided daily to prepare breakfast together in small groups. Campers will be self catering for breakfast and lunch although some may want full board at extra cost.
Reductions for Young People and Families with Teenagers and Children We are able to provide a number of places for young people and families with children at 50% of the full cost. Unfortunately we do not have sufficient funds to provide places at no cost at all. Please let us know if you are a young person who is keen to come but find the costs too high. We will have a small number of tents available for those without their own equipment.
Costs:
Bunkhouse accommodation (4 or 6 bed ensuite cabins with small kitchen area) £150 per person – 7nights full board Young person up to 30 - £75 per person full board
Limited Bed and Breakfast accommodation Cost dependant on the room. Please ask. Single, double and triple rooms available (some en-suite).In the region of £200 per person for 7nights full board.
Camping:
£85 per person including 7 nights evening meals Young person up to 30 – in the region of £50 including evening meals. (Final cost dependant on numbers, Please ask.) Pitches available for tent, campervan or caravan Full use of main buildings and outdoor marquee. Family camping groups:
£250 per family of 4 (2 under 10) with evening meals £300 per family of 4 (2 over 10) with evening meals
For other combinations please ask. Breakfast and Lunch can be provided for campers at extra cost.
Nearby accommodation
You may want to take part in the event but prefer to arrange your own accommodation. Bed and Breakfast and self catering cottages are available in the nearby village of Austwick which is in walking distance of the Dalesbridge Centre.
Costs will be higher than at the Centre – an average cost for Bed and Breakfast in the area is around £26 per person per night. Self –catering cottages are all available but can be quite expensive in high season. This might be a suitable option for a larger party from one family or National group. Evening meals with the Servas group would be available at the Centre.
Please ask for details of contacts in the area. We would make a small daily charge per person for use of the group facilities available at the event.
Facilities and Activities at the Centre
We will have use of a number of rooms of all sizes throughout the week and our own outdoor space with small marquee next to the camping area and main house. There will be other campers on the site which has a reception area, internet access and a bar open most nights. Austwick is a small village a few minutes walk away with its own pub, Settle is the nearest town with shops and banks.
Any questions?
Please ask.
Full details:
For full details about the weekend see Servas Monthly News, September 2006, October 2006 and November 2006, in the Youth section.
SERVAS INTERNATIONAL
YOUTH TRAVEL AWARD 2007
INFORMATION FOR NATIONAL GROUPS
Please circulate the following information within your National Group and encourage young people who fit the criteria to consider applying for the Award.
Using a host donation of $1000 the Youth Travel Award will be offered for the first time in 2007 to enable a young person to attend the next international youth event in Britain in July.
This will be something of an experiment to test the viability of the Award as we work at developing a fair and open selection process. Unfortunately we only have sufficient funds to offer one Award on this occasion. In time we hope to build up a fund from donations from both individual members and National Groups and so be able to offer the Award on an annual basis.
Management of the Award:
This is to be the responsibility of a Servas Youth working group in conjunction with the Development Fund Committee. Ann Greenhough, Vibeke Matorp, Dianne Peterson and Abhay Shaha developed the selection process whilst in Latina. We are looking for a further member to join the group to consider the applications and allocate the Award in 2007.
Focus of the Award:
The aim is to offer sufficient resources for a young person to participate in an international Servas event combined with a programme, ideally over a few weeks, in the country or region where the event is taking place. Although the emphasis will be on offering Servas hospitality to the young person some additional financial resources of their own will be needed for their stay.
In a small way we would hope that the Award will reflect something of the spirit of the early days in Servas where emphasis was on ‘work study, travel ’.
Through taking part in an international event the young person will have chance to meet with other young Servas travellers and contribute ideas about how Youth in Servas should develop in the future. We hope that Servas hosts will be able to open up a wealth of potential opportunities for a young person to experience and appreciate daily life within the families and communities they visit.
For 2007:
We hope the young person receiving the Award will be able to visit Britain for at least a month if commitments at home allow. This would include the Youth event between 28th July and 4th August and the few days get-together in Manchester beforehand.
Building on the Youth Language Exchange we will involve Servas hosts in providing opportunities for the young person to extend their English language skills.
If they have a particular work or study interest we will try to offer some suitable short-term unpaid work experience through a Servas host. There will also be an expectation that the young person will be open to getting involved in some sort of voluntary work, may be as part of a youth camp in a social or environmental project.
Last but not least we will be available to offer support and advice so they can enjoy exploring Britain as a Servas traveller.
For the future:
The Travel Award, alongside other initiatives such as the Servas Youth Language Exchange, will be part of demonstrating that Servas can offer ‘added value’ to young people, not so easily found in the increasing number of internet-based hosting networks. The philosophy on which Servas is based can be of real relevance to young people looking to make travelling an in-depth experience and keen to make a contribution to a more peaceful world. As a next step we would like to develop a system open to all young people whereby unpaid work experience opportunities offered by hosts can be matched with interested young travellers.
Timetable for the Award:
The closing date for applications will be February 28th 2007. We anticipate that applications will be made by email. The working group will then consider the applications and, dependant on numbers, may either immediately make a final decision or shortlist a small number of young people for a second stage. If that is the case those young people will be contacted about what happens next. It is intended to make a final decision as soon as possible to allow time to make travel arrangements and get visas if needed.
We ask the National Secretary or someone from the National Group provides a letter of support for a young person making an application including confirming their membership of Servas. It would be helpful if this could be provided by the closing date but applications will initially be accepted without it. More than one application from each country can be considered.
Eligibility for Youth Travel Award: In order for a young person’s application to be accepted they should:
1. Be a member of Servas as a traveller, as a host or as part of a host family.
2. Be aged 18-30 at time of travel.
3. Have been a member of Servas for at least one year at time of application.
4. Provide a letter of recommendation from their National Secretary or other member of the National Group.
5. Declare if related to any Servas officer in either their national group or SI. This will not exclude an applicant from being fully considered.
6. Provide full and accurate information in their application form.
7. Have a working knowledge of spoken and written English.
8. Be prepared to provide a written report of their travel experience if in receipt of the Award.
Please make sure that young people interested in the Award carefully consider these criteria before making an application.
Visas:
National groups and young people thinking of making an application should bear in mind that from some countries they will have great difficulty in making an application for a visa to enter Britain and may well be refused even with the active support of Servas Britain as a sponsor. It may be helpful to take advice in your own country before making an application.
Other funding:
If, as a National Group, you are interested in making a donation to the Youth Award Fund or perhaps able to sponsor a young person from your own country or elsewhere to attend the event in 2007 please tell us.
For further information and application forms:
Please contact: Ann Greenhough dasher1949[at]aol.com
on behalf of SIYouth Team and Servas Britain
uploaded by Amelia
