My love for CISV started after my daughter returned from her Village in the USA in 1984. Her wonderful experience inspired us all to become a CISV family and take part in CISV activities Locally, Nationally and Internationally.
At the age of 50 I took four 11 year old children to a Village in Perth, Australia—an unforgettable experience.
I feel what little I have given to CISV has enriched my life more than I could ever explain and I now have CISV friends all over the world.
David Lister – CISV Great Britain
My CISV story started in 1994 when I begged my mum to drive me through the snow in Hull, Great Britain to attend an information night about a camp with kids from all over the world. 22 years later I’m thinking of all the people I’ve met and the challenges CISV has brought into my life and it’s just incredible.
I thank CISV for the life it has brought me and for the people I have met and worked with along the way.
Emma Powell – CISV Australia
My CISV life started in 2000 when I was 21. I took four 13 year olds to a Summer Camp and came home as a different person. I couldn’t imagine how much that event would impact my whole life. Since then, I have participated in 12 international camps, in more than 20 international meetings and in countless national events, taking on different roles within the Organization. In 2006 I met my wife in a CISV camp in Canada and a few years later our first child was born. He already knows every CISV song by heart and can’t wait to go to a camp and see where it all started.
Max Crudeli – CISV Italy
I started my CISV journey at 11 when I went to my very first Village. It changed everything for me; the way I saw the world, the way I saw other people and the way I saw myself. I remember realizing that there was no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ – it started with realizing that there was no ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ way to eat (which my mom had always said there was…), because everyone was eating differently, but that was just what they had been taught. Later it went on to realizing there was no ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ way to see the world. I joined many programmes, became a staff and later a trainer. I even had the chance to see the behind the scenes of CISV, which made me realize how many inspiring people are part of making CISV. They live their life differently, but we have also have things in common, because we all live the CISV lifestyle – curious, open, caring, restless, amazed and inspired.
Florentine Versteeg-Vedana – CISV Brazil
My CISV experience started when I was 11 and went to a Village in Norway. I didn’t speak English at that time and wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself into. Now 23 years old, after a Village, a Summer Camp and a Seminar Camp, combined with my involvement in Junior Branch (JB), I can safely say that CISV helped me develop into the person I am today. It showed me the huge impact that sharing and talking to other individuals, from different countries and cultures other than your own, can have on someone.
CISV’s educational approach and dedication to youth is what keeps me motivated and willing to stay highly involved. Today, I share the energy and dynamism of JBers around the world – from whom I am lucky to learn every day – and truly feel I am part of a global movement.
Gaspard Simon – CISV France
“One cannot applaud with just one hand” – Old proverb
United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and CISV Netherlands, both agencies with volunteerism at the heart of the organisation, came together in September 2017 for an inspirational day of knowledge sharing on the missions, aims, and practices of our like-minded communities on volunteerism. UNV, an agency leading the UN Programme on Peacebuilding and Volunteerism had also much to discuss on the topic of peace.
The day involved a workshop from CISV Netherlands and an introduction into the workings of UNV. This was followed by a tour of Haus Carstanjen, a historical castle on the Rhine where the Marshall Plan Treaty was signed, currently hosting the UNSSC. There, an overview was provided on the work on the Sustainable Development Goals. The UN Building “Langer Eugen” also was the former German Parliament, and explanations of the history of Bonn were shared from the 29th floor, over-looking the city.
The occasion further supported the relationship of CISV in reference to UNV, and gave CISV the opportunity to introduce the upcoming CISV Global Conference in 2018 in Veldhoven, The Netherlands. The UNV Online Volunteering service was also introduced as a chance to connect the two organisations in the pursuit for promoting peace. It was a delight to have the organisations come together, and we look forward to the future of working together to expand global peace processes, around the world.
CISV Netherlands Visit United Nations Volunteers