SI MONTHLY NEWS June 2006 Countries
From SI Exco News
Samarkand Celebrates
Hey, we're 2750 years old, so let's party!
In August and September, 2006, Samarkand
residents, led by activists of the International
Museum of Peace and Solidarity and the local
Friendship Club "Esperanto" (almost all of them are
members of Servas Uzbekistan!), will be holding
parties to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the
independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the
2750th birthday of the City of Samarkand, listed in
the World Heritage registry of UNESCO.
We invite you to party with us! Please send us your
greetings, in whatever form and whatever language,
for us to circulate and display. They can be letters,
travel stories, news articles, books, brochures,
poems, songs, photographs, drawings, etc., about
Uzbekistan or Samarkand.
Anything, describing or portraying any aspect of life,
including streets, stores, restaurants, hotels,
communities, firms, and products, will be warmly
welcomed. Everything we receive will be included in
a special exhibit. Most interesting entries will be
published in our national media. We are grateful for
everything you choose to contribute.
Please don't wait until August; you can send your
letters and other memorabilia right away to:
Anatoly Ionesov,
Director International Museum of Peace and Solidarity
P.O. Box 76, UZ-140100 Samarkand Republic of Uzbekistan.
Phone/ fax: +998 (66) 233 17 53
Web:
civilsoc.org/nisorgs/uzbek/peacemsm.htm
aliaflanko.de/urbo/samarkand/muzeo.html
E-mail: imps86[at]yahoo.com
Dear Cintia, thank you for writing and telling about the good news of 400% growth in group of the Province of Cordoba. I definitely agree that Servas meetings are the way to bring enthusiasm, volunteerism and growth to Servas. We have monthly meeting here in San Francisco and about 20% - 40% of the attendees are individuals who want to learn more about Servas, a concept too good to be true. Visitors are enthusiastic and join Servas.
Strengthening Servas through
Cross Border Ties
One of the topics of the USA-Mexican Bi-
National Servas Conference held in Cuernavaca
Mexico June 2-4, 2006 was the prejudices each
country may hold toward the other. In our
workshop, it became clear that there were
negative attitudes toward our fellow country men
and women as well as toward those in other
countries. Many without a factual basis.
We wondered out loud why we in the USA had
not received Servas travelers from Mexico.
Perhaps it was not prejudice. Perhaps it is that
there are 12 million Mexicans in the USA and
Servas members from Mexico tend to visit
friends and family when visiting the USA.
Because US Servas has very few Hispanic
hosts, it was proposed that when Mexican
Servas members visit the USA, they introduce
their Mexican friends and family to US Servas
hosts. In this way visitors can help broaden US
Servas membership and develop stronger cross
boarder ties. We then wondered how many
Servas hosts in Germany were of Turkish origin.
Perhaps Turkish Servas Members could
introduce their friends and family in Germany to
Servas hosts in Germany. Perhaps African
Servas members living abroad could introduce
their families and friends to Servas in their home
country. In this manner, Servas could expand by
solidifying a personal "buddy" link between
national groups.
This support for Servas could be something
individual Servas members could do the help
Servas become a multinational organization
within each country.
As the Vice President of Servas International, I
would like to learn what individuals and what
groups are doing to expand and strengthen cross
cultural understanding in Servas and/or in their
own community. Please contact me, Mary Jane
Mikuriya at mikuriya[at]aol.com. Be sure to put the
word Servas in the subject or it may be assigned
to my aggressive Spam box.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Mary Jane Mikuriya, USA
