Servas International committees and teams
Servas International (SI) is a global federation democratically governed by SI Member Groups that make decisions at an SI General Assembly (SIGA), typically every three years, and through a yearly SI Distant Voting process.
Servas International’s global board, SI Exco, together with other elected SI committees and appointed teams, make and execute day-to-day operational decisions, based on decisions made at the SIGA and through SI Distant Votes.
Members of the SI committees are elected at the SIGAs. Members of the SI teams are appointed by SI Exco. Within each committee or team a convenor shall be selected and if possible a young member shall be appointed as an assistant. The term of office for SI committees and teams ends no later than three months after a General Assembly.
For information about the day-to-day operations of Servas in your country of origin or country of residence go to that Servas Group’s website.
For detailed information about the different roles in Servas International governance and a description of the different committees and teams, go to SI Job Descriptions (PDF).
Servas International elected committees
1. SI Executive Committee (SI Exco)
Servas International’s global board, Servas International Executive Committee (SI Exco), is responsible for the day-to-day running of Servas International between SIGAs (Servas International General Assemblies). The board’s decisions and actions should be in accordance with decisions made by SIGAs and SI Distant Votes.
SI Exco’s work is governed by the Servas International Statutes (2022), where it is stipulated that the board’s expenditure is limited to the budget adopted by the SIGA and that it shall appoint any Servas officers who have not been elected at the SIGA.
SI Exco has an overall responsibility for the maintenance and development of the servas.org website and Servas International’s membership system.
The board is also responsible for the planning and execution of the Servas International Conference and General Assembly (SICOGA), which takes place every three to four years as a physical and virtual meeting. Working with a large number of individual Servas volunteers, SICOGAs are arranged in close collaboration with the Servas Member Group hosting the event.
For a detailed description of SI Exco statutory duties, go to the Servas International Statutes (PDF).
For members of the SI Executive Committee and their contact details, go to SI Exco.
2. SI Audit Committee
The responsibility of this committee is to conduct an internal audit of SI annual financial statements and to verify the annual budget and actuals report produced by the SI Treasurer. Reports of the Audit Committee will be submitted for adoption either at the SIGA or via the SI Distant Vote process.
Members of the Audit Committee:
Gülşen Elyak – Türkiye (Convenor), Ana Rita Gama – Portugal, Yukiko Namariyama – Japan
Contact the SI Audit Committee via audit@servas.org
3. SI Development Committee (SI DC)
The committee’s responsibility is to promote and support development across all the Servas regions. It is also responsible for the management of the SI Development fund, by establishing criteria, assisting applicants, evaluating and recommending applications for assistance and doing the follow-up. Other responsibilities of the DC include supporting areas where Servas needs to be strengthened or developped, working with the Youth & Families Committee to support youth initiatives and the involvement of young members in Servas activities and encouraging peace initiatives.
Members of SI Development Committee (SI DC):
Bhudeb Chakravarti – India (Convenor), Pamela Yang – Taiwan, Evren Özkan – Türkiye, Neuma Dantas – Brazil, Jamie Robertson – Britain. Other appointed members of the SI DC: Marguerite Hills - US, Sayan Roy- India, Exton Mtande (Malawi)
Contact SI DC via development@servas.org.
4. SI Youth and Families Committee (SI YFC)
The responsibility of the SI Youth & Families Committee is to promote the involvement of young people in Servas, at all levels. It is also responsible for the management of the SI Youth & Families fund, by establishing criteria, assisting applicants, evaluating and recommending applications for assistance and projects and doing the follow-up. The SI YFC coordinates Servas Youth projects like Language Exchange (Servas Youth Language Experience) and Youth Camps and promotes good communication between young Servas members across the world.
For more information, please read the Youth and families page.
Members of SI Youth and Families Committee (SI YFC):
Elena Olivera Begué – Spain (Convenor), Raffaella Rota – Italy, Bogdan Ionescu – Romania, Mehmet Ateş – Türkiye, Hiren Goradia – India. Other appointed members of the SI Y&FC: Dakshit Chhadwa- India, Chiara Spezzati- Italy, Tayezzi Chinthu Banda- Malawi
Contact SI Y&FC via youthandfamilies@servas.org
5. Distant Vote Administrator (SI DV)
The responsibility of the role is to run the GA Distant Vote process as set out in the agreed schedule and in collaboration with SI General Secretary.
For more information, please read the Distant Vote page.
SI Distant Vote Administrator (SI DVA):
Pramod Kumar – India
Servas International appointed teams
1. Servas International United Nations Team (SI UNT)
For information about SI UNT’s work and its members, please read the Servas at the United Nations page.
Contact the SI UN Team via SI-UNreps@servas.org
2. SI Conflict Resolution Team (SI CRT)
The responsibility of the Team is to try to resolve conflicts within Servas by offering advice, engaging conflicting parties in resolution through guidance and peaceful strategies. The Team is directly accountable to the General Assembly.
Members of the SI Conflict Resolution Team:
Dorothy Fine – Britain & Ireland (Convenor), Alvany Santiago – Brazil, Abhay Shaha – India
Contact the SI CRT via conflictresolution@servas.org
3. SI Nominations and Job Description Team (SI NJDT)
The responsibility of the Team is maintenance of the description of the elections and nominations procedure. In addition the Team has the responsibility to provide clear and detailed descriptons of the jobs of SI Exco, Committees, Teams and Servas officers which may be incorporated in or added to the Servas International Statutes.
Members of the SI NJD Team:
Susanne Thestrup Okkels – Denmark (Convenor), Arnoud Philippo – Spain, Norma Nicholson – Australia, Matheus Nienow – Brazil, and Claire Taillardat – France.
Contact the SI NJD Team via nominations@servas.org
4. SI Archivist
The Hoover Institution Library and Archives has agreed to maintain and house the Servas
Archives. Servas retains copyright and full access to all the items in the archives. The Hoover Institution Library and Archives, located in Palo Alto, California, on the campus of Stanford University is one of the world’s most reputable archives with modern provision for document safety and security. Our treasured archives will continue to be taken well care of, and we will be able to add to it over the next decades.
The SI Archivist is the main contact for the physical SI archives online stored at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, Palo Alto California
Members of the Archives Consulting Team:
Penny Pattison – Canada, Anna Koster – US
5. SI Membership Team (SI MT)
The responsibility of the team is to gather information about national groups without member country status and advising them how to be eligible for member country status at the next GA. They also provide guidance to member countries who are not fullfiling their obligations and make recommendations to the Genera Assembly about national groups being given/withdrawn member status
Members of the SI M Team:
Rita Dessauvage – Belgium (Convenor), Alexey Tereshchenko – Latvia, and Harald Seiffert – Germany
Contact the SI M Team via membership@servas.org