This organization’s hosts and travelers are in over 130 countries for promoting inter-cultural understanding and tolerance.
I attended that conference and met one of the volunteers of that organization, whose work for the organization is commendable. I got a lucky hour to spend with him and asked a set of questions.
1. You have been tackling and controlling Servas with much creativity from a reasonable time which includes the language opportunity for the young people of Servas. Let us know about the language learning opportunity that has been initiated by you while working for Servas.
Servas South America arranged an essay contest in 2003, which had the topic “The role of Servas” in which I got participation and got the first position.
After that, being a contest winner, I was allowed to attend the Youth South American meeting which was held at Montevideo (Uruguay). Along with that I went to Santa Teresa (Uruguay) where work for 3 days activity was ongoing. I met Camile Costa there who belonged to Sao Paulo (Brazil) who took the classes to learn Spanish for Chile.
There my mind clicked at the point of giving Servas young people, Servas as a platform for learning languages by the idea of exchanging their languages.
This program is designed as having four modules, along with their classes. The class duration was one and a half hour weekly. The modules were as follows; A) Language - B) Arts - C) Social - D) Special Events. All the young people who took the classes of these programs are able to fully know about their host society.
2. We heard of your first international youth meeting of Servas, which is going to be held in the southern hemisphere at an amazingly beautiful resort of Bariloche in Argentina in the third week of January in 2006. Let us know more about this.
This conference will start on 15th January and will be continued till 22nd January, 2006. PATAGONIA ’06 is the first international youth conference going to be held in Bariloche in Argentinean Patagonia. This place is simply beautiful which will add for the youth to attract and attend this conference. No one will stop from coming to this event.
Patagonia ’06 doesn’t restrict age. It is for all the people who want to know about the projects in Servas regarding the issues of youth and help in developing them, they are most welcome.
The cost of this conference is US $160 which includes meals 4 times a day, participation in all the activities and accommodation in bungalows or tents according to the availability (no transportation from BsAs included).
This conference is going to help us bring the position of youth up in Servas. There are a number of different topics which will be discussed in this meeting.
These includes the development of youth position, to access more and more young people, the discussion on the improvement of the ongoing projects and start for new projects, the betterment of the local ativities in the international group, the involvement of young people in these activities, the feasible programs that we can start to implement on, and all of the current issues relating to youth in Servas.
3. As you are currently having your hands full, still you are thinking to serve Servas more in a way that will help the youth from all over the world. Let us know about your idea of giving the youth the opportunity of internship and job.
This is one of my near future projects. Right now my goal is to achieve the maximum at PATAGONIA ’06 and in the exchanges among international youth. Then I will definitely take the Servas network as a helpful platform for providing youth in abroad the opportunity to add experience to their lives and to use their skills in a better way.
4. We also heard about the local “diversity meals” which you use to host. Tell us about them and the reason for arranging them.
This was the idea of Mary Jane which I heard at the Servas office situated in United States. She was in conversation with me and told me about this activity. in San Francisco, they use to arrange meals at the houses of different Servas members and then host them where a large number of people listen to them. So I liked this idea and did the same in youth branch of Servas in Argentina.
In our diversity meals, we create such an environment where everyone forgets about the differences between them, although they do belong to a variety of cultures and do have different educational backgrounds.
The basic purpose of these meals is to promote tolerance and understanding through international travel and with local participants as well. It is not compulsory to visit Bali or Nicaragua to have an understanding of this world instead it can be done with our neighbors next door.
5. What are your activities when you are not voluntarily working for the sake of good?
If I speak very honestly, I don’t use to get free time for myself. I do have to continuously work on Servas projects at night, so even my emails are sent emails at improper timings. I have to go to gym daily as physical fitness is necessary to work hard.
Moreover, my mother is having a life-long medical condition, so whenever she needs, I have to stay with her all the time.
6. Tell us about your upcoming plans regarding travelling or others.
It is really challenging for me to find the activities which I can be involved in like my current activities but I have to keep this fact in my mind that I also have to earn livelihood.
One day, if I would be able to earn money to comply with my economic needs along with working for Servas and for any other NGOs, at that day, I will be really contended and glad.
Sometimes I really feel that I would be doing much good things if I would not be working for Servas, feels like my time gets wasted. But this is my personal challenge.
Thank you, Pablo. We are great full to you for giving us your precious time to share all your volunteer activities we wish you best of luck for your upcoming events like international youth language exchange program and Servas youth conference PATAGONIA ’06. You are truly serving for the man kind for promoting intercultural tolerance and peace for the next generation.
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