SI MONTHLY NEWS May 2006 Youth
From SI Exco News
PATAGONIA ’06 STATEMENT
We believe that
Young members should go through the same selection interview as any other Servas member.
It would be useful to add some specific tips for young travellers in the ‘traveller’s guide’.
Servas should take advantage of new communication technologies. Young members are proficient in this technology and in this capacity have much to offer Servas.
The web site “youth.servas.org” is a vital tool for the development of Servas Youth.
The web-page for Servas Youth should be interactive, regularly updated and attractive and prominently linked to the servas.org web-site
Personal interaction between Servas members nurtures action and better communication.
Local gatherings are essential to the development of Servas. While social in nature, gatherings should always include discussion of some Servas issues.
Maintaining the intergenerational quality of Servas is essential.
Young members should get more involved in Servas at the local level and steps be taken by the national groups to keep their interest.
Servas Youth meetings are vital because they provide the time and space for experience exchange and the development of new ideas for the future of the organization.
All group efforts need coordination and clear goals. Servas Youth would be best served through the establishment of co-ordination teams.
The worldwide Servas network is thirsty for projects that help develop the Servas spirit. It is important to promote concrete actions involving young members. Servas Youth can design interactive programs for different national groups that would strengthen their organisational structure.
Servas Youth has shown that initiatives such as the language exchange program can consolidate the local host groups and bring travellers to areas of lesser tourist interest.
Servas has the potential to design a program that would facilitate exchanges between professionals and students. Such a program would grow young membership and draw travellers to less visited areas.
Suitability rather than age is the most important criteria to be taken into consideration for running in any elected position in Servas and young people should be encouraged to participate.
Information cards describing the Servas goals and philosophy would be a useful tool to help introduce Servas to young people.
It is important to adopt a slogan for Servas Youth.
We are in the process of determining what is Youth within Servas, but we urge the eGA to consider Youth to be persons within the age group of 18 and 30. Other criteria can be adopted as needed.
