Servas International ("we serve (peace)" in Esperanto) is a non-profit organization providing a hospitality exchange service to build peace and cross-cultural understanding through day visits or overnight home stays among members. It was founded in 1949, in the aftermath of World War II, by Bob Luitweiler and other Danish students as an international network for people to meet and where suitable, to be offered a short stay, as part of the peace movement.
The organization may now be described as a platform, part of a gift economy. Members can be both hosts and travellers, and hosts do not charge for lodging. Members pay an annual fee to the organization, which is determined locally by country. There is an international executive and each country has an elected board or committee to manage membership (including interviews for new applicants), determine membership fees, organise social events, support various peace-related activities.
Servas is owned by an accredited Non-governmental organization and has been affiliated with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations since 1973. Servas and the United Nations
History Servas was founded in 1949, in the aftermath of World War II, by Bob Luitweiler and other Danish students as an international network for people to meet and where suitable, to be offered a short stay, as part of the peace movement.
In 1989, Pat Knowles wrote a useful account of Servas, from its beginnings up to 1989 that focused on peacebuilding and friendship, and networking. Servas International's Peace Secretary was in touch with some international organisations including War Resisters' International, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Quaker United Nations Office, Pax Christi International. In illustration of its UN status, Knowles reproduced Servas International's submission to the UN Special Session on Disarmament in 1978. Knowles also described the initiative in 1986 for Servas groups to recruit a national peace secretary with duties like those of Servas International Peace Secretary. Contributions from the peace secretaries of Germany, Poland and Israel are included. Knowles explores the connection between travel and understanding asking about the early study groups on non-violence techniques and the question 'can we travel too far, too fast?'
Founding countries: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In 2006 Servas International started a Servas On Line project replacing its paper based system
At the General Assembly in 2006 a distant vote procedure was created for Italy. Servas Song
Servas Traditional Meetings
Sentierinsieme/Pathways Together Organized in July in Italy, France, Switzerland and Germany "Sentierinsieme" is the Servas traditional yearly alpine event - organized since 1985 -where Servas members from all over the world come together.
Raymond Forget (Servas France) and with Luigi Uslenghi (Servas Italy) founded "Pathways Together" in 1985.
Year No Country Place Dates 2026 40 July 2025 39 in Zinal in the Valais mountains from 4 to 10 July 2024 38 Hintersee/ region Berchtesgaden Baviera from 19 to 25 July 2023 37 Oropa, Biella, Piedmont – Italy 7-13 July 2022 36 in Briancon 1-7 July 2021 Canceled due to Pandemi 2020 Canceled due to Pandemi 2019 35 Mürren (Berner Oberland) July 2018 34 Germany Allgäu 6-12 July 2017 33 Varaita Valley, Monviso mountain 30 June-5 July 2016 32 Contamines Montjoie in the Mont Blanc region 1-7 July 2015 31 in Bergün July 2014 30 Austrian valle July 2013 29 Piedmont July 2012 28 - July 2011 27 in the area of Flumserberg-Tannenboden 24-30 June 2010 26 - July 2009 25 Piedmont: Val d'Ossola 18-23 July 2008 24 - July 2007 23 - July 2006 22 - July 2005 21 Valsesia & Cinque Terre July 2004 20 - July 2003 19 - July 2002 18 Val d'Aosta July 2001 17 - July 2000 16 July 2000 1999 15 village of Arpy in the Aosta Valley 2-4 July 1998 14 in Bénarde 1-4 July 1997 13 at Fafleralp 11-13 July 1996 12 Pra Catinat in the Piedmont region 1-4 July 1995 11 in the French Alps at Fort Marie Christine near the Vanoise National Park July 1994 10 Matherhorn 15-17 July 1993 9 Alpe Veglia Natural Park 16-18 July 1992 8 in Les Chapieux 29-30 August 1991 7 Mount Chaberton 13-15 July 1990 6 in the JURA, Saint Claude 14-15 July 1989 5 Alpe Veglia 14-16 July 1988 4 at the Albert Faletti Foundation chalet in Chinaillon (Haute-Savoie). 15-17 June 1987 3 Val Maira July 1986 2 - July 1985 1 Dolomite Mountains, in Val di Fassa 23-30 July
Alpe Adria Meetings
September-October in Austria, Italy, Slovenia Slovakia, Czech Republic and Germany
# Year Date Place Country 01 1989 September 29 Camporosso 02 1990 October 12-14 Grožnjan/Piran ex 03 1991 October 11-13 Wien 04 1992 October 16-18 Bagni di Lusnizza 05 1994 June 17-19 Bovec 06 1995 June 2-4 St. Gilgen 07 1996 June 7-9 Gemona 08 1998 6 Rakov Škocjan 09 1999 May 14-16 Salzburg 10 1999 September 11-13 Krk 11 2000 Cividale del Friuli 12 2001 near Nürnberg 13 2002 Istanbul 14 2003 (no info) 15 2004 June 25-27 Dolenjska 16 2005 May 27-29 Tarcento 17 2006 Admont, Steiermark 18 2007 August 17-19 Poppberg/Birgland 19 2008 September 19-21 Gorizia 20 2009 September 18-20 Bratislava 21 2010 September 24-26 Bohinjsko Jezero 22 2011 September 9-11 Hotel Park Oasi, Arta Terme 23 2012 September 28-30 Youth Hostel Kreuzlingen 24 2013 September 20-22 Hotel Dermuth, Klagenfurt 25 2015 September 18-24 Penzion Polana, Horný Smokovec 26 2016 September 16-18 Villa San Fermo, Lonigo 27 2017 September 22-24 Hotel Luitpold am See, Chiemsee 28 2018 September 14-16 Kamp Koren, Kobarid 29 2019 September 20-22 Sport Hotel Zátoň near Český Krumlov 30 2023 October 6-8 Schloss Weinberg, Kefermarkt 31 2024 September 27-29 Hotel Urpin City Residence, Banská Bystrica (invitation) 32 2025 September Burghausen
Source
Servas Peace Schools
Groups/Member Groups Member Group Status #Host Member since Founder/Starter Started Ex-Member 8 1995 Ex-Member 12 1989 Member 138 1989 Enrique Reigosa 1960 2 Member 697 1972 Margaret Smith 1960 Founding Member 229 1972 Kurt Schmid 1949 1 Member 49 2015 Syed Muhammed Husain 2015 Member 49 2018 1995 and Member 323 1972 Wilfried De Vlieghere 1960 11 1 Member 23 2018 Dr. Ruth Tichauer 1995 Member 18 1998 1998 Member 144 1989 1970 Founding Member 568 1972-1983 Barbara Acquah (GB) 1949 - 1995 Member 16 2022 2015 4 5 Member 32 2009 2009 Member 630 1974 1960 Member 34 1995 1995 Member 28 2004 2004 Member 99 1976 Octavio Morales Alvarado 1963 Congo Kinshasa (DRC) 10 Member 59 1989 Rafaela Mora Mora 1989 Member 17 2004 2004 Member 14 2025 1978 1 Member 113 1989 1989 Founding Member 251 1972 Nana Funder(sos), Birgitte Damsgaard 1949 Ex-Member 6 Ex-Member 13 Ex-Member 6 1978 Ex-Member 3 7 1 Member 64 1989 Albert Szabo 1970 Founding Member 2075 1972 Joseph Girard 1949 Member 16 2018 1998 Member 10 2012 2012 Founding Member 2258 1972 Antonie Fried, Claus Weiss (sos) 1949 Ex-Member 4 1976 Ex-Member 24 Member 27 1989 1989 Ex-Member 19 1989 Member 36 1992 1992 Member 101 1989 1989 3 1998 Member 260 1974 Harivallabh bhai Parikh 1951 Member 25 1995 1995 Member 35 2012 2012 Member 183 1974 Joseph Abileah 1966 Founding Member 1054 1972 Maria Soresina, 1972 Founder 0 Florette Case 1964 (ref:SIN #1) Founding Member 207 1972 Masuo Amano 1964 (ref:SIN #1) 2 Ex-Member 24 2009 Founding Member 24 2018 1972 Member 267 1974 1965 1 Member 20 2004 Devendra Pal Singh 2003 (ref: SIN#45) 2 Ex-Member 14 1992 4 Ex-Member 14 1992 5 Member 53 2004 2004 Member 34 2004 2004 10 3 1983 5 1978 Member 90 1976 1954 1 6 Member 25 1998 1998 1 Member 70 2012 Nutan Thapalia 1984 Founding Member 271 1972 Joop van der Spek (sos), Arthur J. Sietsma Sr. 1950 Member 410 1972 Robert Henry and Vivienne Ellis 1969 1 Ex-Member 11 1974 Founder 0 Jo Overgaard 1972 Member 133 1978 Jo Overgaard 1974 Member 42 2022 Abdul Hameed Khan 1974 9 Member 23 1992 1992 Member 24 1995 1995 Member 14 2023 (DV) 1998 Ex-Member 15 1989 Member 230 1989 1970 Member 87 1983 António Serzedelo 1983 Brazzaville (RC) 11 2009 Ex-Member 26 1992 Member 102 1989 1989 Member 50 2015 2015 1 14 Ex-Member 2 1989 8 Ex-Member 5 Ex-Member 14 Member 35 1991 Milan Šimečka 1991 17 Member 27 1986 1986 Member 579 1983 Juan A. Sanchez, 1983 Ex-Member 7 1976 13 Member 281 1976 Ulf & Barbro Löwhagen 1972 Founding Member 245 1972 Denise Vollenweider 1949 Member 109 2009 2009 Founding Member 32 2021 (DV) 2021 Member 36 1992 Reginald Price 1992 Ex-Member 1 1998 2 5 Member 135 1992 Aykut Güzer 1978 Member 52 - Davis M. Masifa 1980 Member 20 2012 2012 10 Founding Member 1509 1972 Bob Luitweiler 1952 Member 33 1983 Jorge Zoppolo 1980 Ex-Member 5 2001 Member 43 1990 Member 25 2015 2015 Ex-Member 0 1974 Member 14 1998 1980 Ex-Member 6 - 1995
*(sos): Seeds of Servas, by Bob Luitweiler (DV): Distant Vote
Member groups on the map
Servas International General Assemblies 1952 Hamburg First Peace Builders International Conference, Out of which came the name "Servas"
In 2025 the SIGA will be held in Dijon, France, October 3–9.
+ # Year Country Place Delegate #Member groups #1 1952 Hamburg 4 Delegates Only England, Denmark and Germany were officially represented. #2 1953 Askov 6 votes #3 1954 Epe 10 delegates #4 1955 Schuluchsee 9 votes #5 1958 Landeck (Tyrol) #6 1959 Oosterwijk #7 1960 Ghent #8 1961 no detailed info - #9 1964 Paris #10 1965 Vienna, 8-12 July 5 delegates Present: Austria, Kurt Schmid, France, Joseph Girard, USA, Reva King, Switzerland, Bernhard Vogoli, International Co-ordination,Pat Knowles #11 1966 Copenhagen, 8-11 April 7 delegates Participants: Switzerland, Norway, Austria, USA, GB, Denmark, India #12 1967 Bratislava #13 1970 Vienna, 7-9 August 13 delegates Participants: Austria, Benelux, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, #14 1972 Wetzlar, 7 July 16 delegatesServas International officially founded by: Austria, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Tanzania and USA,
Grant member status to: Belgium, New Zealand, Australia and Kenya (4 Groups)
Lost their membership status: Non #15 1974 Arcegno, Campo Pestalozzi, 23-26 August 17 delegatesGrant member status to: Canada, India, Israel, Korea, New Zealand, Yemen, Nigeria (7 groups)
Lost their membership status: Non #16 1976 at the International Student Center of the University of California, Los Angeles, in Westwood, 1-7 August 21 delegates Grant member status to: Non
Lost their membership status: Non #17 1978 Elsanor, 16-18 August 22 delegatesGrant member status to: Poland, Norway, Egypt, Mauritius (4 Groups)
Lost their membership status: Non #18 1980 Gujarat 22 delegatesGrant member status to: Hungary, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Ghana (4 Groups)
Lost their membership status: Non #19 1983 Nahariya, 5-10 April 16 delegates, 8 Exco(-2 delegates), 22 votes Grant member status to: Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Malta, Uruguay (6 Groups)
Lost their membership status: Egypt, Yemen #20 1986 Roma, 16-20 May 25 delegates, 14 Exco (-4 delegates), 35 votes Grant member status to: Guadeloupe, Nepal #21 1989 Montreal, Quebec, 25-27 July 48 delegatesGrant member status to: Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Philippines, Poland, Senegal, and the Soviet Union, South Africa (14 Groups)
Lost their membership status: Malta, Nigeria #22 1992 Paris, 26 June 47 votesGrant member status to: Thailand, Turkey, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Latvia, Panama, Romania (7 Groups)
Lost their membership status: Nigeria, Philippines; Zambia and Sri Lanka (4 Groups)
Russia replaced Soviet Union
Yugoslavia divided #23 1995 Melbourne, 8-13 April 36 delegates, 8 SI Exco, 44 votes Grant member status to: Albania, Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Brunei, Chile, Estonia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Paraguay and Zimbabwe (12 Groups)
Lost their membership status: Non