Service Civil International Branche Suisse Monbijoustrasse 32 CP 7855 3001 Berne

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Module A
Service Civil International in the 20th century

A survey on the development of SCI movement to a world-wide peace organisation.

  Study Pack Main Page Module A Module B Module C Module D

First workcamp in the war damaged village Esnes (Verdun, France). Reconstruction service after Word War I (1914-1918) in to create reconciliation.

Second international workcamp in Vers l'Eglise (Switzerland). Model service for alternative service for conscientious objectors.

Thanks to the contacts to Gandhi movement a relief service after the earth quake in Bihar 1934 (India) was organised. This contacts and North/South activities were continued in the 50s.

Humanitarian help during Spanish Civil War for refugees. Evacuation and food distribution for refugees. It was the beginning of social work in SCI.

Second Generation (1945 – 1968)

International association of SCI branches with centralised structure was founded in 1948 by several European SCI branches and groups. The volunteer exchange and workcamp organisation were improved (e.g. set up of SCI volunteer insurance). In this period SCI movement set focus on help and development work. The number of workcamps and volunteers increased tremendously : 1947: 46 workcamps in 9 countries, 1968 : 298 workcamps in 24 countries.

 Humanitarian help and reconstruction service after WWII in France, Germany, Italy, Czechoslovakia and Greece. First international committee meeting of SCI in Paris.

Construction of houses for refugees in Faridabad (India). SCI is probably the first non-religious NGO active in development co-operation. As consequence several local branches and groups of SCI were founded in Asia (India 1956, Pakistan 1951, Sri Lanka1959 ...).

SCI volunteers take part in a workcamp during World Youth Festival in Warsaw. SCI is probably the first non-communist organisation, which established volunteer exchange between East and West during the cold war.

Set up of medical care and schools in the province Tlemcen (West Algeria) after civil war. Largest development project ever organised by SCI.

Third Generation (since 1969)

The international SCI co-ordination was decentralised to regional co-ordination and subject orientated international working groups were established. In the beginning of the 70s the activities and the political implication of SCI in society were reviewed. As consequence SCI set more focus on social and political awareness rising in workcamps. Again the volunteer exchange increased.

SCI Seminar in Uddel (Netherlands) on the political implication of voluntary service. Begin of various SCI initiatives for social and political awareness rising.

Set up of SCI East West commission in order to facilitate volunteer exchange and to improve co-operation with partner organisations in socialist countries.

An SCI commission of Solidarity, Exchange and Education of Development is established. Since the beginning of 80s various SCI branches organised solidarity projects on North/South topics while the volunteer exchanged increased.

Begin of first SCI groups in former socialist countries in Eastern Europe (e.g. Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania).

In acknowledgement of its efforts to promote peace and understanding, SCI was awarded in 1987 the title of Messenger of Peace given by the United Nations (UNO). There are now SCI branches and groups in more than 30 countries, which organise over 600 workcamps every year.

Photos

1.Esnes, Verdun (France 1920)

2.Les Ormonts (Switzerland 1924)

3.Bihar (India 1935)

4.Refugee transport Madrid – Valencia (Spain 1937)

5.Cover of workcamp booklet (Great Britain 1946)

6.Faridabad (India 1950)

7.Warsaw (Poland 1955)

8.Sebdou (Tlemcen, West Algeria 1964)

9.Easter March, Basel (Switzerland 1973)

10.Study tour SCI (Bulgaria 1984)

11.Solidarity Campaign with Namibia (Germany 1986)

12.Workcamp evaluation seminar, Bucharest (Romania 1992)

Documents (PDF Files)

A) Biography of Pierre Ceresole

B) P.Ceresole : Vision of SCI (based on a leaflet of 1924)

Exercises

a) Make a presentations of the of the photos in chronicle order. Prepare short comments for each photo with help of the given explanation.

b) Put the photo No.1-21 on the table. Ask the volunteers to study the the photos :

Find the founder of SCI Pierre Ceresole with help of picture on document A. (He is on No.1, 2, 3)
What are the women doing ? What are the men doing?

c) When Ceresole initiated the SCI movement he had specific vision in mind : The abolition of army :

  Read the document A in small group: Explain in the plenary why P.Ceresole is called a radical pacifist?
  Read the document B in small group: Summarise the vision of SCI on a poster and present in the plenary.