Annual Review

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Through our programmes, we help our participantsdevelop the skills they need to become informed,responsible global citizens who can make adifference in their communities and the world.Central to everything we do is the building andnurturing of inter-cultural friendship, in line withour founding belief that peace is possible throughfriendship and mutual understanding.

About us

Our PurposeCISV has a vision of a more just and

peaceful world; we believe that we can

all take responsibility for making this

happen. This vision gives us a strong

purpose, or mission, which is summed

up clearly in our Statement of Purpose:

CISV educates and inspiresaction for a more justand peaceful world.

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CISV International is aglobal organizationdedicated to educatingand inspiring for

peace through inter-cultural friendship,

cooperation and understanding.

Founded in 1950, today we are a federation of 70member associations with over 200 Chapters or localgroups. In over 60 years we have given countlesschildren and young people the experience of theirlives through our educational programmes. 

Our innovative, fun, non-formal peace education'learning by doing' programmes begin with ouroriginal and unique Village programme for eleven-

year-olds. We offer an exciting blend of seveninternational camp-based, family exchange

and local community programmes -each with their own character.

Founder: Dr Doris Twitchell Allen,

USA (1901-2002)

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While annual reportsare intended tosummarise the past year,2012 will be rememberedas the year in whichCISV focused on

preparing for our future.

Consistent with the year’seducational focus on sustainable

development, much of our energywas devoted to planning for the sustainabledevelopment of CISV International. How can weensure that the dynamic experiential educationprovided through our programmes continues toimpact upon more and more children and youngpeople in the years ahead?

For CISV, the answer to that question has alwaysdepended upon local teams of strong andcommitted volunteers – and the support of theircommunities. In more than 200 local Chaptersaround the world, CISV’s educational visionbecomes a reality because of these volunteers.Indeed, amidst the challenge of a comprehensiveorganizational review of CISV International, onekey principle emerged to guide the changes to ourstructure and operations:

Healthy Chapters are the key to the futuregrowth and success of CISV.

Recognition and affirmation of this fundamentalprinciple requires that CISV International organizeand commit itself to meeting its primary responsibilityof supporting the work of our Chapters.

With the number and global spread of our Chapters,the ‘organizational sustainability’ of CISV requiresthat we understand the needs and challenges facingour volunteers at the local level. Like so many otheraspects of CISV, understanding local issues is bestachieved through experience.

Foreword

On behalf of the International Executive Committee

Chris Pollock, Vice-President

Basma Hosny, Executive Trustee

Laura Green, Executive Trustee

Pilar Villanueva, Executive Trustee

Like many of those who volunteer forCISV International, I continue to be inspiredand motivated to work for CISV by participatingin the work of my local Chapter. This year myChapter is hosting its fourth Village and my familyand I have assisted by making airport pickups,delivering materials to the Village and hosting theleaders and staff for dinner. Hosting any CISVprogramme requires a coordination of energy, effortand resources that can only be fully appreciated byjoining in the effort.

That same coordination and commitment is alsorequired from every community that selects andprepares the youth and adults that attendCISV’s programmes.

In other words, each one of our peace educationprogrammes represents a truly global volunteereffort all directed towards the mission of CISV. In2012, such efforts provided a unique and unforgettableexperience to nearly 12,000 youth and families.With the completion of our 62nd year of buildingglobal friendship, we are as proud of our ongoingefforts as we are excited about our future growth.

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Brett Vottero,

President, CISV International

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2012 was an importantyear for the future ofCISV International,with many significantdecisions made on the

governance and structureof the organization. The

decisions made at our AnnualInternational Meeting (AIM) mark

the end of a two-year long organizational reviewprocess, including wide spread consultation withour members.

Some of the key changes proposed for theinternational organization include:

• A new Governing Board made up of nine electedmembers and the Secretary General

• A new Global Conference, held every threeyears, offering CISV Chapters the opportunity tonetwork, attend training, share best practices andcontribute to the future direction of CISV

• A new focus on our regions and regional deliveryof our support and training

• A change of the role for the International Office,with a new management structure

The recommended changes are in line with bestcurrent practice in the running of

international not-for-profit organizations.They will help us to be more effective as

we look forward and, crucially forus, allow us to work more

directly with CISV Chapters.

Review of the yearAs a result of the decisions it made at AIM, ourInternational Board called for a Transition Team tobe set up. The team was selected to develop thedetails of the approved changes, along with animplementation plan. The Transition Team held itsfirst meeting in Newcastle upon Tyne in November2012 and will work through AIM 2013, when theresults of its work will be presented to the Boardfor approval.

Another change of note in 2012 was the officialrenaming of our Summer Camp programme toStep Up. This reflects the aim of the programme foryoung people to ‘step up’ and take an activeleadership role, during the camp and afterwards athome. The programme now works more closely withour Junior Branch, to allow young people to makethe transition in their personal development fromStep Up to their Chapter in a structured way.

Of course, the day-to-day life of CISV went on in2012, within our Chapters, our programmes andour regional and international structures. Therewere a number of milestones and special events thatyou will see highlighted in this Annual Review.Despite a harsh economic climate, our participationlevels remained high and we held a record numberof Youth Meetings. We recognised the immense andlong-standing, contribution to CISV at the local,national and international level from four veryspecial CISVers (see pages 9 and 10).

Our educational focus this year was on SustainableDevelopment, uniting our programmes andJunior Branch activities in looking at howwe can tread lightly and reduce ourenvironmental impact.

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We look forward now to 2013 and making the changeswe have proposed a reality. Following over a year ofdevelopment, our new website will be launched,bringing with it exciting new opportunities to engageand inspire CISVers old and new. Our programmeparticipants will be exploring the vital theme ofHuman Rights and what they mean to each of us.Mostly, we look forward to the friendship anddedication to building a more just and peacefulworld that are the unchanged core of CISV.

Gabrielle Mandell,

Secretary General

Our programmes and so much more happenwithin CISV’s Chapters. CISV has Chapters in229 towns and cities worldwide. Most of ourChapters have a youth-led Junior Branch, foryoung CISVers aged 11-25.

In 2012 CISV International held eight RegionalTraining Forums, offering 33 trainings fornearly 500 volunteers from our Chapters.Meanwhile, our Train-the-Trainers certified112 national trainers to deliver consistent andhigh quality training in their Chapters.

CISV International Junior Branch organizedthree regional meetings for over 139 youngpeople from our local Junior Branches tonetwork, train and learn from each other.

In 2012 CISV volunteers organizeda total of 223 internationalprogrammes and two internationalmeetings, involving a total of 8,868participants. Additionally,45 Mosaic projects,engaged 2,967participants inlocal communities.

Special Anniversariesin 201250th CISV Philippines

30th CISV Argentina

New CISV Associationsin 2012CISV Romania became a full National Association

CISV Myanmar was recognisedas a Promotional (developing) Association.

Firsts in 2012CISV Poland hosted its first Village

CISV Estonia hosted its first Youth Meeting

CISV India hosted its first Step Upand Youth Meeting

Since our first Village in 1951, our volunteershave organized 6,523 CISV internationalprogrammes for 248,483participants worldwide. 5

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Each year, CISV focuses on one of the four contentareas of our peace education curriculum: Diversity;Human Rights; Conflict and Resolution; andSustainable Development.

In 2012, our focus area was SustainableDevelopment, which for CISVers meant looking athow we can tread lightly and reduce ourenvironmental impact. We have collected someexcellent materials on our website about a wide

A year in focusrange of topics and activities developed withinour programmes that will inspire futureprogramme participants.

Projects run with partner organizations by ourprogrammes included reclamation of sand dunesin New Zealand, installation of a water filtrationsystem in India, preservation of an area of notedbio-diversity in France and working with anendangered species of horse in the Czech Republic.

Earth HourIn 2012, CISVers aroundthe world showed theirsupport for Earth Hourby switching off theirlights for an hour. CISVInternational partneredwith Earth Hour and

challenged CISVers everywhere to ‘go beyond thehour’ and take action and spread the word about theneed for sustainable development.

I have a MangoI have a Mango was a collaboration between CISVColombia and CISV Norway, comprising a team offour young CISVers. The project was funded by TheNorwegian Children and Youth Council (LNU) andthe Norwegian Peace Corp and lasted from August2011 to May 2012.

The project teamdeveloped anumber of brilliantresources including‘The Lunchbox’ –a digestibleintroduction tosustainabledevelopment. Theproject ended withan exhibition ofphotographs, heldin Bergen, charting the progress of the projectin Bergen and Bogota. You can still visittheir website www.cisv.no/mango forinteresting facts, figures and ideas toinspire action for sustainability inyour local community.

‘I have a Mango- a project to think,

educate and actfor sustainable

development’

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A challengefor Peace DayAs usual, CISVers around the world enthusiasticallycelebrated and raised awareness of Peace Day on21 September 2012. Supporting the Global Trucecampaign of our partner organization Peace OneDay, CISVers produced videos, held activities andpromoted the day in city centres around the world.

Jennifer Watson of CISV Great Britain took as thetheme of her research the use and understanding ofour key educational documents, Passport and TheBig Education Guide, which were introduced in2009. She also looked into the use and impact ofour evaluation tool for assessing and improving thequality of our programmes. Her findings show thatthese materials and tools have had a significantimpact and point to future developments. Jennifer’sresearch marks a long standing association betweenCISV and Birkbeck College.

In 2013We will focus on Human Rights

Make important decisions about the futuregovernance and working structures ofthe organization

We hold our last Annual International Meeting,hosted by CISV Brazil

CISV Italy and CISV Finland celebrates their50th anniversaries

CISV Luxembourg celebrates its40th anniversary

We will apply for membership for theOrganization of American States

We launch our strengthened Child Protectionpolicy and training

We will launch our new fully integrated website,which will include myCISV - an exciting andinteractive new development of ourmembership database 7

European YouthOur European Junior Branch Meeting, heldin Belgium, welcomed representatives from theEuropean Youth Forum in 2012. This is one ofthree regional meetings organized annually by ourJunior Branch, to bring together National JuniorBranch Representatives so they can attend trainings,plan, and share ideas and best practices.

Research mattersTwo research projects carried out by CISVers aspart of their doctoral studies. were finalised in 2012.Chuck Catania of CISV USA conducted his research,at Ohio University, on the first three years of ourTrain the Trainers system.His findings willhelp us as we lookto develop andimprove thetraining andsupport we offerto the dedicatedvolunteers we relyon to deliver training regionally,nationally and locally.

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A life-changing experienceLast year was my first CISV experience. I went to aStep Up camp in Portugal called "We are the world".The camp was about resources and sustainabledevelopment. At the beginning I thought it was goingto be another camp like the ones I've been to beforeand that I was just going to spend my vacation with

people from different countries. Thankfully itwas more than that. I hadn't really done any

research about CISV before I went thereand I was really surprised when I

found out we were going to planour own activities.

That was the best part of CISV. It's not another camp.Whatever we do there has something from each oneof us because we all contribute to each other'ssensitisation about the camp's theme. What hadthe biggest impact on me was the fact thatI suddenly was part of a group of peoplethat I haven’t met before. I had to learnto adapt. CISV has changed the wayI see, speak and deal with people.Apparently 22 days areenough to change your life.

Nikos, aged 14

CISV Greece

50 years of CISVPhilippinesCISV Philippines marked its 50th Anniversary instyle, starting with a golf tournament for past andpresent CISV families in March 2012. The celebrationsended six months later with a 50th Anniversarydinner in September in Makati City, attended by 300people from CISV Philippines and their guests fromaround the CISV world.

As a lasting memento of their first50 years, CISV Philippinesproduced a special anniversarybook that highlights the developmentand successes of this flourishingNational Association.

Photographs from the CISV PhilippinesAnniversary celebration dinner: 5 of the 6 pastPresidents of CISV Philippines, with Nati Toribio ofCISV Philippines and CISV International HonoraryCounsellor; members of Bacolod and BaguioChapters providing some of the entertainment.

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Photo: John Gayoso, CISV Philippines

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CISV International waspleased to present awardsto four outstandingvolunteers, who hadbeen nominated by their

National Associations,Chapters and fellow

international members. Thewinners were announced at our

Annual International Meeting in Paris. You can reada little about each of the winners, from the peoplewho nominated them.

International Volunteer of the Year

Peter Schubert, CISV Germany

“Peter applied to do a voluntary internship at theInternational Office in 2011. He worked tirelessly on ourProgramme Guides, sifting through hundreds of pages tohelp make them more accessible and user-friendly for ourChapter volunteers. He also became an invaluable memberof the web development team, helping us to analyse extensivedocumentation from developers, asking incisive questionsand providing support to staff and volunteers. While hewas at the International Office, Peter became chair of theGerman National Mosaic Committee. Somehow by thetime he left, he was also joining the International MosaicCommittee and remains an active and busy member.

Not only has Peter made an outstanding contribution tothe development of CISV International throughout the lastyear, he is also great fun to have around. Someone fromCISV Germany said that having Peter on a project is likealways knowing there is an ‘app’ for whatever you need. Heis talented, resourceful, creative and motivated and inspiresothers to be the same.”

Volunteersof the Year2012

National Volunteerof the Year

Ellen Fowler,CISV USA

“Ellen has served as NationalTreasurer for CISV USA for the

last six years. She's kind and radiatescalm in high pressure situations, while

accommodating the diverse needs and many requests ofour large NA. She is proactive, reliable, friendly, patient,respectful of other volunteers' time, and always takesthe time to build personal relationships with other peoplein CISV.

After doing such a fantastic job for the last six years,CISV USA is of course thinking about the transition to anew treasurer in the fall. Ellen has been mentoring andtraining a replacement, which demonstrates her foresightand leadership skills and will help the next treasurer tobe successful.

Ellen's CISV passion, skill set, dedication, and leadershipmake her an ideal recipient of the National Volunteeraward. We feel very fortunate to have her as a member anda vital part of CISV USA.”

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“Our success continues to depend upon the workand passion of our committed volunteers”Brett Vottero, President CISV International

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Chapter Volunteer of the Year

Mona Casén, Helsingborg Chapter,CISV Sweden

“CISV provides the opportunity for youth and adults tomeet, develop, become active global citizens and change theworld. Behind these beautiful meetings, backstage, thereare a lot of practical things that need to be done. Monahas for over a decade been the person backstage in CISVHelsingborg. She has assisted the Chapter with knowledgeand experience about CISV, coordinated volunteers whenthe Chapter has arranged programmes and made sure thatparticipants, parents and leaders have always been wellprepared. If someone in the Chapter needs help, she isalways there for them, giving her knowledge, time andsupport. Even after leaving the Board in early 2012,Mona has supported five delegations and coordinated aVillage. She is the reason these people can take part in CISV.Mona renders possible for others to change the world.”

Honorary CounsellorJunko Imanishi ofCISV Japan was made

an Honorary Counsellor,in recognition of

her considerablecontribution to

CISV International,CISV Japan and the

CISV Asia Pacific region.

OutstandingContribution Award

Jennifer Watson,CISV Great Britain

“Following in her mother's footsteps, Jennifer hastirelessly dedicated thousands of hours towards thesuccess and development of the organization nationallyand internationally.

As National Secretary Jennifer is a font of CISV knowledgeand history. She is never missing from a meeting andalways has so much wisdom to offer. Recently she has beeninstrumental in the development of two new Chapters inthe UK in addition to her long list of other tasks. CISVGreat Britain would be lost without her - she keeps us inshape. The time that she must spend week in week outdoing many necessary tasks is impressive.

Jennifer's commitment and hard work internationally hasensured that we fulfil our research priorities. Serving aspart of (and Chair) of the Research Committee in manyif its guises. Always ready for a challenge, Jenniferrecently took up a PhD and moved to London inorder to carry on with her important work.It is rare to see a volunteer with such longstanding commitment, enthusiasm anddrive to move things forward!”

Volunteersof the Year 2012

Jennifer receivingher award at AIM 2012

We are aware that CISV is very fortunate to havemany volunteers who have consistently contributedto the organization over a long period of time.For that reason, in 2012 we created a new award:

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Help us to makea difference

• You can start today by getting in touch with yourlocal CISV Chapter or National Association.

• You can help deliver one of our internationalprogrammes or local projects

• You can get involved in the running of your localChapter (if you don’t have a local Chapter,perhaps you could help us to get one started!)

• You can give money or donations-in-kind tosupport our activities and programmes

• You can work with us to develop communityinitiatives to address local issues

For details of your nearest Chapter, please get intouch with CISV in your country; you will find theiremail address on the back cover.

Thank you!Most of CISV fundraising happens at the local andnational level, as our National Associations andChapters receive vital support from individuals,businesses, trusts, foundations and governmentgrants. Thank you to all of our supporters worldwide.

CISV International is extremely grateful to oursupporters and partners. With their assistance, weare able to invest in and develop our educationalprogrammes, support our Chapters, widen access toour activities, and to develop and deliver training forour volunteers.

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CISV educationalprogrammes

Village our flagship camp for 11-year-olds/28 days

Interchange a 2-way family exchange for 12 tp 15-year-olds/14-28 days

Youth Meeting a smaller, regional camp for 12 to 19+ year-olds/8 or 15 days

Step Up (formerly Summer Camp) a camp planned by staff and participants aged 14-15 years /23 days

Seminar Camp a camp planned and run by participants aged 17-18 years/21 days

International People’s Project an international community project for adults aged 19+/14-23 days

Mosaic a local community development project for all ages/up to 12 months

Our supporters:Alkacon OCCE, Germany Aon LimitedCISV International Peace Fund Deltec International CourierPatti DeMar Hauver on behalf of theAndrew R DeMar Charitable Trust, USA MicrosoftIto Foundation U.S.A.John Shors, USAPotts Printers, GB

Our partners:Birkbeck CollegeCouncil of EuropeEarth HourEuropean Youth ForumNewcastle UniversityOhio University Peace One DayUNESCO

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Algeria Argentina Australia AustriaBelarusBelgiumBosnia andHerzegovinaBrazilBulgariaCanadaChileChinaColombiaCosta RicaCote D'ivoireCroatiaCzech RepublicDenmarkEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEstoniaFaroe IslandsFinlandFranceGeorgiaGermanyGreat BritainGreeceGreenlandGuatemalaHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIsraelItalyJapan

algeria@cisv.orgargentina@cisv.orgaustralia@cisv.orgaustria@cisv.orgbelarus@cisv.orgbelgium@cisv.orgbosnia.herzegovina@cisv.org

brazil@cisv.orgbulgaria@cisv.orgcanada@cisv.orgchile@cisv.orgchina@cisv.orgcolombia@cisv.orgcosta.rica@cisv.orgivory.coast@cisv.orgcroatia@cisv.orgczech.republic@cisv.orgdenmark@cisv.orgecuador@cisv.orgegypt@cisv.orgel.salvador@cisv.orgestonia@cisv.orgfaroe.islands@cisv.orgfinland@cisv.orgfrance@cisv.orggeorgia@cisv.orggermany@cisv.orggreat.britain@cisv.orggreece@cisv.orggreenland@cisv.orgguatemala@cisv.orghonduras@cisv.orghong.kong@cisv.orghungary@cisv.orgiceland@cisv.orgindia@cisv.orgindonesia@cisv.orgisrael@cisv.orgitaly@cisv.orgjapan@cisv.org

JordanKenyaKoreaLatviaLebanonLithuaniaLuxembourgMacedonia FYRMexicoMongoliaMyanmarNetherlandsNew ZealandNorwayPanamaPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaSenegalSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandThailandTurkeyUnited StatesVietnam

jordan@cisv.orgkenya@cisv.orgkorea@cisv.orglatvia@cisv.orglebanon@cisv.orglithuania@cisv.orgluxembourg@cisv.orgmacedonia.fyr@cisv.orgmexico@cisv.orgmongolia@cisv.orgmyanmar@cisv.orgnetherlands@cisv.orgnew.zealand@cisv.orgnorway@cisv.orgpanama@cisv.orgperu@cisv.orgphilippines@cisv.orgpoland@cisv.orgportugal@cisv.orgromania@cisv.orgrussia@cisv.orgsenegal@cisv.orgslovenia@cisv.orgspain@cisv.orgsweden@cisv.orgswitzerland@cisv.orgthailand@cisv.orgturkey@cisv.orgusa@cisv.orgvietnam@cisv.org

Registered address:

CISV International, MEA House, Ellison Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8XS, England

CISV International is a Registered Charity number: 107338 and a Company limited by Guaranteeregistered in England under number: 3672838 Pr

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For more details aboutCISV and our

programmes, visit:

www.cisv.org

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