Servas International

Servas International ("we serve (peace)" in Esperanto) is a non-profit organization proving a hospitality exchange service.

Servas International
Type of site
Non-governmental organization
FoundedJuly 1949 (July 1949) in Denmark
HeadquartersZurich
Area servedGlobal
Founder(s)Bob Luitweiler
ProductsHomestay
ServicesSocial networking service
URLwww.servas.org
Users15,000 in over 100 countries[1]
A Servas local meeting in Collegno, Italy in 2016

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.[2][3]

The organisation 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.

People wishing to join SERVAS can access the website, and complete an application form and supply letters of recommendation, and be interviewed to ensure that they understand the purpose and protocol of being a Servas member, whether as a traveller or host. Members pay an annual fee to the organization, which is determined locally by country.[4][5] 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 United Nations since 1973.[5]

References
  1. "Servas International".
  2. Glusac, Elaine (March 13, 2017). "The Other Airbnbs: Alternative Home-Sharing Rentals". The New York Times.
  3. Glusac, Elaine (March 24, 2017). "Competition for Airbnb as other home-sharing sites target niche audiences". The Irish Times.
  4. Hull, Dana (July 14, 1996). "SERVAS WITH A SMILE". The Washington Post.
  5. Fardelmann, Charlotte (September 22, 1980). "Servas -- a letter of introduction to another culture". The Christian Science Monitor.
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