SCI news

Living Library was a local event organised by SAVWA, that took place on 5th of March 2022.
In this unusual library people were the books, conversations replaced reading and difficult questions were expected, appreciated and encouraged. The ‘books’ represented social groups which face prejudice, discrimination or which have to deal with experiences that are difficult to talk about. Read more about this event.

We express our solidarity with the people of Ukraine. In particular, we express our solidarity with and support for peace movements and peace activists in Ukraine, Russia and internationally, as they resist the war. 
Peace is a choice that all parties in the conflict must commit to now! Diplomacy is the only real method for conflict resolution! No to war in Ukraine!

In January 2022, a Camp Coordinator Training took place in Harare, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Workcamps Association (ZWA) hosted 27 current and future camp coordinators and group leaders from across Africa. It was the kick-off of the project Grassroots change: Volunteering, leadership and emancipation through hands-on work and mentoring, coordinated by SCI Catalunya. Read more about this training.

« Chapter – Challenging propaganda through remembrance », is a project aiming at casting a light on propaganda before and during WWII, focusing on its role to enforce the concept of “enemy” – from national and ethnic groups to political opponents and social groups. Read about the implementation of the project and its phases.

Torrential rains caused massive flooding in several areas in Malaysia. SCI Malaysia managed to provide 138 pairs of new shoes for children affected by the flood. Read about their project in this story.

The Youth Green Deal project is delving into the theme of climate change. Organisations from both sides of the Mediterranean area wanted to put all their expertise together to improve and promote environmental workcamps as a tool to support climate change mitigation and regenerate biodiversity. Together they want to develop an eco-volunteering model that can inspire other organisations and build the organisations skills of all involved. Read more about this project.

How to navigate this increasingly polarizing and political world of communication? What does it mean that silence is violence? We want to invite you to an online seminar: “This House is on Fire: Seminar on political communication in SCI”. It will take place online, between 15-20 February. Let’s discuss and develop new ideas!

To commemorate International Human Rights Day SCI India organised a workshop for students. They discussed the meaning of human rights, the responsiblities and priviliges that they offer and ways in which these rights are violated. They shared the words about the evolution of our understanding of human rights and provided some insights on the situation in India and the actions that need to be taken to ensure our common safety and wellbeing. Read more about this event.

SCI KL, Malaysia celebrated this year’s UN Volunteer Day with a special event. They presented a 8 feet custom made Peace Pole engraved with 8 different languages reflecting the diversity in Malaysia to Alfred and Projek Nasi Ahad volunteers. See the effects of their work and read more about the projects.

We are looking for applications and participants for the second activity of the project MOVE, the “Landing and Spreading” seminar near to Innsbruck on March 6 – 13, 2022. The Project MOVE makes mobility a peace issue and considers the acute need to raise awareness and to promote critical reflection of current mobility choices in international volunteer projects and peace activities. Read the call and apply by 16 January 2022.

Every year we award SCI branches’ projects that deserve special mention because of their innovative nature or the impact they achieved. Discover the Pierre Cérésole awards of 2021!

We are very happy to invite you to SCI International Volunteering Fair on December 5th! This online fair will round up our 100th anniversary celebration, give you a glimpse of the global work done by SCI everyday and present you with many volunteering opportunities and inspirations.

Read SCI Italy’s statement with which they join the feminist and transfeminist tide that connects the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Robert Unwin, our long-standing volunteer and workcamper, participated in the events surrounding the 26th global United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). He shared with us three reports in which he details his experience.

International participants took part in a RutAlternativa Training Course, organised between 4-11 October in Novi Sad. Its aim was to explain the methodology of educational walking tours and to provide those who took part in it with knowledge and tools neccessary to teach others in their communities.

On the 7th of September SCI Catalunya, with the collaboration of SCI International Secretariat, VWAN Nigeria, ZWA Zimbabwe, SCI Italy, SAVWA South...

In conjunction with International Day of Peace that takes place on 21st September annually, this year SCI Malaysia has organized a virtual Human Library with the aim of promoting conversations on volunteerism to better our understanding of diversity to help create more inclusive communities across cultural, religious, social, ethnic differences. The topics for this Human Library is Volunteering for Peace.

On September 12th, young volunteers from across Europe arrived in Nuremberg to embark on a new adventure and learn about the sustainable options of travels and flying alternatives.

Erilda, our new Project and Campaign volunteer comes from Albania and joined the SCI International Secretariat in Antwerp. As she begins her journey with the SCI movement, she shares her thoughts, hopes and ideas for her long term volunteering project in Belgium.

Anaïck, our new Office volunteer comes from France and joined the SCI International Secretariat in Antwerp. As she begins her journey with the SCI movement, she shares her thoughts, hopes and ideas for her long term volunteering project in Belgium.

Kasia, a new communication volunteer from Poland, joined the SCI International Secretariat in Antwerp. As she begins her journey with the SCI movement, she shares her thoughts, hopes and ideas for her long term volunteering project in Belgium.

This July, thirty-one youth workers, volunteers and activists from ten European countries participated in a “Volunteering Project Management” seminar organised by CVS-Bulgaria, the Bulgarian branch of SCI. They met in Dryanovo to promote the philosophy and values of volunteering and deepen their knowledge of the volunteer project management.

IVP Australia, together with partner organisation, is organising the Raising Peace festival with the aims to celebrate and raise the profile of peace, to create opportunities for collaboration between peace organisations and to inspire young people to take action for peace. The festival will take place over 10 days: 16-26 September 2021 in Australia.

GAIA Kosovo’s volunteers created a community garden in an urban space that was left unattended for a long time, bringing a new energy and bright natural colors to the whole area. The work on the garden generated interactions, conversations, new encounters and a lot of smiles between people from different generations, grandparents and young children, teenagers and adults.

Volunteers at GAIA Kosovo organised a special Sunday fully dedicated to art, in the social and cultural place “Social Space for Deconstruction”. When people live their day to day life in a divided city, they sometimes need to rethink about what we, as humans, have in common, and the universal language of art can help us do that.

Youth centre CK13 from Novi Sad, where Volunteers’ Centre of Vojvodina (SCI Serbian branch) is based since 2018, is launching a crowdfunding campaign with the aim of raising funds for the purchase of new audio equipment for the Black House 13.

In July, SCI Malaysia held its Annual General Meeting, online for the second year, and launched its Heart in Action project.

IVP Australia wrote a report on their project called ‘Plants for Peace’ with the aim of environmental recovery after the catastrophic fires but also to help with mental health of traumatised residents.

From 25th of June to 4th of July OWA Poland organised Remembrance Week in Poland. The project was called “CHAPTER. Challenging Propaganda Through Remembrance” and it aimed to cast a light on propaganda before and during WWII, focusing on its role to enforce the concept of “enemy” – from national and ethnic groups to political opponents and social groups.

CVS Bulgaria is organising a Volunteering Projects Management seminar and is looking for participants! Read the call and apply by 30 June.

For European Youth Week (EYW) 2021, VSI Ireland organised an online photography competition, with the theme: Health and Recovery. Discover the winners!

SCI Catalunya organises the peaceweek “Strengthening the youth response against LGBTIQphobia” in Barcelona from the 16th to the 23rd of July. SCI youth workers from Germany, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, Belgium, Ukraine and Albania can apply before the 1st of July.

The MIDI working group of SCI condemns the use of military force and violence in Palestine and stands in strong support to Palestinian people and to all people who support their struggle.

Service Civil International, and particularly branches in the Asia Pacific region, register their concerns over the ongoing, escalating violence in Myanmar.

One World Association – SCI Poland is calling for participants for the camp “Volunteering vs. Violence – let’s turn theory practice”!

Antonella, Cristina, and Sandra share their experience in creating an online study camp!

Service Civil International is currently working on making impact measurement our standard practice. We are now looking for an online volunteer to support us with reviewing and creating several data collection tools (mostly surveys) which will be later incorporated into the SCI routines. Deadline to apply: 20.06.2021

SCI Malaysia organised an event to get people to appreciate the wonderful flowers they have around on this year’s Earth Day. To take photos of them, to get to know them by name, and share some personal feelings with these floral friends of theirs.

Report on SCI KL Malaysia’s Earth Day online event on the Theme ‘Rebirth the Earth’.

This project will join groups and SCI branches across Europe to build a collective understanding and strategy of how to tackle propaganda and the far right that has exploded across the world in the last decade.

Change Makers is an event based on the Living Library concept, where you will get in touch with stories about social and environmental justice, migration, empowerment, and disability.

Our Italian branch joins the collective appeal to the international community to stop the escalation of violence that the Palestinian territory is experiencing and expresses its solidarity with the Palestinian people.

A report on the online theater workshop organized by SCI Hellas volunteers in collaboration with the drama instructor Konstantinos Marougkas. The project was part of “Peace in Practice: Supporting young people to become peace envoys”, funded by the Council of Europe’s Youth Foundation. 

This March CVS – Bulgaria decided that “it’s peace o-clock” and initiated a Photo Hackathon on the topic, as part of the SCI’s Peace in Practice project supported by the European Youth Foundation of Council of Europe.

A report on the event that SCI India organised for the International Women’s Day celebration.

On the 15th of March, The Youth Gathering “Acts of Solidarity in times of (in)Differences” started in the city of Mitrovica. Implemented by GAIA’s team there and supported by the European Youth Foundation, the project brought together nine participants from all around Kosovo for training on media literacy and journalism.

The report on the physical workcamp organised by IVP Australia in preparation for the Goulburn Show.

Paula and Martin from SCI Catalunya share their experience preparing and facilitating an online study camp.

A report on the online project “Traces of Colonialism” organized by SCI Germany in cooperation with its partners in Kenya. Additionally, as a result of the project, a digital exhibition was created.

Have a look at the winners of the merchandise design contest in celebration of our extended 100 years celebration!

IVP Australia in the frame of a Plants for Peace project delivered approximately 300 plants to Lake Conjola on 5th Feb 2021 to assist with environmental recovery but also to help with the mental health of traumatised residents that had been in the path of the fires.

A report on the placement officer training which was held online this year.

Jonathan Healy, a volunteer at SCI Hellas shares his perspective about their street football project Bala Patissia in partnership with the municipality of Athens (Co Athens, Curing the Limbo) and the Umoja/Enosi football team.

Some initiatives that Open Doors working group from Útilapu SCI Hungary realised during a quarantine and social restrictions periods in 2020-2021.

Hasna, the new project volunteer at the International Secretariat introduces herself and shares her thoughts and expectations on her project.

The silent online exhibition by SCI Austria traces the history of National Socialism in Austria, remembering its crimes, persecution, and resistance, with a special attention to non-violent forms of resistance.

The Social Space for Deconstruction invited children and teenagers of Mitrovica to take part in a poetry project, asking them to write poems centered around the topic of dreams.

SCI Catalunya has created the Global Justice Capsules which provides a space for online training to anyone who wants to acquire a deeper knowledge on topics of global justice!

Lili who was a camp leader in the “Contemporary Witnesses of Police Brutality and Forced Labour in WW II” online camp, shares her experience with organising the online camp. We get to read the feedback from the participants as well!

Útilapu Hálózat, SCI’s Hungarian branch has been organising a solidarity project called ‘Open Pots’ where they gather and cook dishes from different cuisines of the world. It is a great opportunity to get a taste of new cultures and to exchange knowledge. Not to mention the leftover food is donated to people in need!

ICM 2020 has just ended! It was an intensive week with discussions, voting, and learning from each other and for the first time ever, the international committee meeting took place online.

In their autumn meeting, Útilapu Hungary set their goals for the future and celebrated the 100 years anniversary of SCI!

Our partner organisation Gönüllü Hizmetler Derneği (GHD) has launched its first volunteer school to give training on different sectors to combat issues related to civil society.

After ten years of activities and brainstorming on climate change, non-formal education, peacebuilding, friendship, volunteering, or activism, GAIA Kosovo decided it was time to gather testimonies, stories, experiences from friends from the Balkans and beyond in the form of podcasts.

SCI Switzerland received a price in 2020, as a sign of recognition in the year of our 100th anniversary.

Théo introduces himself and shares why he chose to be a part of the SCI movement.

We want to remember Eleanor as an SCI volunteer who carried the values, knowledge and skills developed in her international volunteering service throughout her life. Her generosity lives on, with a legacy gift of £ 5000 donated to SCI that will help others to enjoy the experience she had. Thank you Eleanor!

Uma shares her thoughts on why she chose SCI as a place to complete her internship.

A report on the first-ever online Exchange Platform Meeting! Although the circumstances caused some challenges, this year’s sessions have reached far more people in the comfort of their homes!

OWA Poland has been implementing a project in primary and secondary schools from smaller towns in the region of Wielkopolska.

The digital study camp took place between in August with 12 participants from over the world, united with one goal and motivation to do something meaningful and learn more! A digital exhibition and international friendships were the outcomes of the camp!

SCI Hellas has made football central to their activities this year and is organizing events, playing sports, denouncing racism and xenophobia, and repairing a football ground and park for everyone to use in the centre of Athens!

A report on the city cycling (STADTRADELN) that SCI-Germany has taken part in again this year, from 20 September to 10 October 2020.

A peek into the well-known workcamp from SCI-Germany “Sun+Wind=Power?!” that took place in the Power Park from 8nd to 22nd of August. With a detailed explanation of the tasks and goals of the workcamp, including the feedback from the volunteers!

An update on the international team, Gaia Microgrants, and their report on supporting climate justice.

On International Peace Day, SCI India West Bengal Group organized an event where among different topics they discussed Human Rights and creating awareness regarding different Govt. bodies that exist to offer help to the people.

CCIVS is launching an online reading club where the recently published book “Words about Deeds” will be discussed. In particular, the development of workcamps in different regions will be explored.

SCI Hellas is organising their first experiential workshop on the theater of oppression. The aim of the workshop is to acquaint the participants with the value, usefulness, and process of the Theater of the Oppressed which applies techniques with theater tools.

SCI Switzerland has organized an event that not only celebrates the 100 years of SCI but it also corresponds to the Earth Overshoot Day, therefore there was a focus on waste reduction and environmental preservation.

During this extraordinary situation of pandemic and the critical socio-economic situation created by the same, Tapas Kumar Sur, secretary of West Bengal Group, the Indian branch of SCI shares the outstanding challenge that the lockdown has caused and their activities to offer help to the poor people and the society.

A small group came to the Netherlands and cycled around the IJsselmeer; an intensive week of cycling, talking, and sharing experiences while doing about 400 km on the bike. Some of them shared their experience and reflections of the cycling tour.

The 36th Annual General Meeting organized by the SCI KL (subdivision under SCI Malaysia) was held over ZOOM on 28th June 2020. Among important matters of decision making, a new team of committee members were elected for the presiding year. Dato Lawrence Cheah whose first volunteering experience at SCI dates back to the 1960s participated in the meeting as well as a guest speaker and shared his perspective.

Solidarity is at the core of the recent crowdfunding campaign of GAIA SCI Kosovo together with Roma Versitas Kosovo organization to aid Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian pupils and students in times of crisis caused by the pandemic.

Yeliz is introducing herself and sharing her thoughts about working as the new communication volunteer at SCI.

In April, we – Marilou Ruijter and Heinz Gabathuler -, invited SCI activists for an online reading group with the aim to discuss some topics from the SCI anniversary book “Words about Deeds” which was published at the end of 2019.

This camp season is unusual for all of us, but we made as much as possible to continue work for peace promotion and are happy to share the workcamp opportunities in the topic of antiracism, antifascism, remembrance that are available in SCI-Germany both digital and “real”!

On 11th July, GAIA Kosovo organized a meeting in Biti e Poshtme/Donja Bitinja between local citizens and EcoAlbania, an organization active in the protection of rivers in our neighbouring country.

Last weekend SCI Switzerland organised a short mini-workcamp: seven volunteers from different parts of Switzerland met in the beautiful village of Doro (Ticino).

SCI Malaysia had its first virtual reach- out session to volunteers named Teh Tarik Session, which in Malaysian culture means hanging out together over milk tea.

In times when international travel was restricted and when political leaders around the world were calling for a „war“ on Corona virus, SCI Switzerland in cooperation with Wikimedia Switzerland decided to take a stand against war and military forces.