Mission
"Peace through deeds, not words". We believe that people are capable of living together with mutual respect and without using violence to solve conflicts. We promote worldwide short term and long term voluntary service to impact social, environmental and humanitarian issues.
SCI has official relations with UNESCO as a partner non-governmental organization. SCI is a secular movement depending on the general public for funding and support.
History
SCI-International Voluntary Service is the United States branch of Service Civil International, one of the world's oldest peace organizations. It was started in 1920 by Pierre Ceresole, a Swiss pacifist and member of the Swiss Fellowship for Reconciliation. His idea was to bring together people from different countries and cultures and have them bond through working together on a common project. His first effort was to bring a group of French and German volunteers to come together in a "workcamp" to help with physical and social reconstruction of the war-torn town of Esnes, near Verdun in northern France. Over a period of several years, similar projects led Ceresole, to found SCI as an alternative to military service. During the Second World War Ceresole and SCI were very active in the effort to establish legal contentious objector status in Europe.
Who we are today
Service Civil International (SCI), is a worldwide voluntary service organization and peace movement. International workcamps are central to SCI's work and take a variety of forms. Every year about 5000 volunteers participate in workcamps in over 80 countries. Living and working together in an international group with people of various backgrounds and nationalities helps to break down barriers and prejudices between nations. It is also a unique way of gaining a deeper understanding of problems that local communities around the world are facing, while at the same time, supporting them with concrete volunteer work.
SCI is a network of autonomous branches and non-profit partner organizations worldwide, focusing on both international and regional development. Within this network, SCI – IVS is the recognized US branch of Service Civil International. We participate in the exchange of volunteers each year in short term 2-3 week international group workcamps and in long term 3-12 month volunteer postings in over 80 countries. Typically workcamps are made up of 5-20 volunteers. A typical workcamp can vary from; re-building homes in areas hit by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, assisting Alpine farmers in the Austrian Alps, beach restoration in the South of Spain, building maintainance at an orphanage in the Ukraine, or helping on an organic tea farm in Japan.
How You Can Help Us
You can make a donation to help support our grassroots efforts and projects worldwide, please send your donation to 5505 Walnut Level Rd Crozet, VA 22932 or you may donate securely online through Paypal or the Donate Now button. Become a general member for just $35 per year!
