Are You Getting the Servas International News? 

SI produces Servas News Bulletin on a quarterly basis. The most recent one was released as an email in January (Read Issue). It has been brought to our attention that some US Servas members are not receiving it. If you are not receiving the SI New Bulletin, please contact mts@servas.org.   

This follows on March 4th's Solidarity Meeting. By now, we have all heard about the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Our very own, Radha Radhakrishna, President of Servas International, reached out to members in Turkey about the disaster. Their responses follow. 

Message from Mehmet At eş, coordinator of the Servas Peace School and member of SI Youth and families Committee 

This is Mehmet Ateş, coordinator of Servas Peace School in my village of Ekinci, Antakya-Hatay Turkey. The epicentre was in Gaziantep.  Gaziantep is around 200 km from Ekinci. Images from nearby town of Dyarbakir on TV shows how terrible it is. The problem is that the buildings are not earthquake proof, otherwise the loss of human lives would not have been so dramatic.   

The region is Antakya. The nearest airport to Ekinci is Hatay airport, which is now closed because the destroyed tarmac uplifted, due to the tremors. So, the runway has been closed for flight operations. 

My village and Antakya are 60 km far from the border with Syria. We have casualties but less than in the city center. Victims in city center urgently and desperately need more search and rescue teams. Secondly, heaters, tents and blankets. The best way to send help is to do it via reliable organizations who act fast to reach the earthquake zones: Turk Kizilay Is one we choose. Thank you …  Servas is a real solidarity... 

Message from Gülşen Elyak, National Secretary, Servas Turkey and member of SI Internal Audit Committee 

Dear Radha and all the Servas members who are so intent to help and who reached out immediately to let us know that we are not alone... our gratitude is indescribable. As Mehmet, Esra, Tuana and the other witnesses of this disaster point out, we really need help physically and spiritually. Thank you so much for giving your support so freely and so humanly.  

Unfortunately, hundreds of aid organizations appear after every bad incident, so we will share with you the aid channel we trust most.  Visit the  Ahbap  (Dude) website make a donation. 

The Cookbook in Support of the United Nations for People & Planet compiled by Earlene Cruz presented at COP 27 in November is now available on Amazon and at Whole Foods. Proceeds support efforts to improve our food system and support the livelihoods of indigenous peoples and farmers. 

The NYT describes this remarkable book containing 75 recipes from around the world as “sustainably minded.” After Earlene Cruz lost her wallet in Accra, and had her first taste of red-red stew, she decided to become a social entrepreneur. Ms. Cruz founded the Kitchen Connection Alliance, a platform where people can interactively share culinary and agricultural practices with a goal of empowering people with the knowledge to contribute to a better food system. Before embarking on her current mission, Ms. Cruz, a longtime SERVAS member, enjoyed a SYLE in Italy on a Mogerman scholarship, and served on the US SERVAS board. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at NYU’s School of Global Public Health.

In addition to the recipes, The Cookbook is beautifully illustrated and provides the background of recipe contributors. It is focused on food inequity and insecurity through a partnership with Action Against Hunger. Its goal is SDG2 – the elimination of hunger! The book, which is sponsored by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Whole Foods, and the UN Food & Agricultural Organization is divided into 5 sections: food systems; biodiversity; sustainable consumption; food and climate change; and reducing food waste. 

US Servas member Teresa Crockett, our 2022 National Conference organizer was recently interviewed in Voyage Utah Magazine.

Servas Youth & Family Camp 2022 in Puntalezzo, Sicily.

In August, nearly 70 people attended this year’s his year's Servas Youth & Family Camp. Attendees came from Italy, Turkey, Mexico, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Botswana, Germany and the United Kingdom to live the Servas values of multi-cultural sharing and multi-generational friendships.

The camp followed sustainable practices – every effort was made to leave nothing behind but footprints. Limited wi-fi led to increased togetherness. Activities were created so that all could participate. Watch for announcements of the 2023 Servas Youth & Family Camp in the Servas International & US Servas Open Doors newsletters.

- Information provided by Raffaella Rota and volunteers