Servas International
| Founded | July 1949 in Denmark |
|---|---|
| Founder | Bob Luitweiler USA |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Legal status | Non-profit association under Swiss law |
| Purpose | Promote peace through travel and cultural exchange |
| Headquarters | Zürich, Switzerland |
Region served | Worldwide |
| Products | Homestay |
| Services | Social networking service |
Official language | English, French, German, Italian and Spanish |
President | Radha Radhakrishna USA |
Key people |
|
| Website | www |
| Part of a series on |
| Homestays |
|---|
| Hospitality exchange services |
| Hospitality for work |
| Hospitality for money |
| Home exchange and others |
Servas International ("we serve (peace)" in Esperanto) is a non-profit organization providing a hospitality exchange service to build peace and cross-cultural understanding through day visits or overnight home stays among members. It 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.
The organization 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. Members pay an annual fee to the organization, which is determined locally by country. 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 Economic and Social Council of the United Nations since 1973.