Service Volontaire International

International Voluntary Service (SVI) is a Belgian pluralistic youth organization run by and for young people, by and for volunteers. Apolitical, with no religious affiliation, the SVI is open to all and everyone, without discrimination of nationality, origin, philosophy, financial resources, education or sexual orientation. The SVI is registered in Belgium as non-profit association (asbl).

The association works mainly in the field of international volunteerism, but also in the areas of solidarity tourism and intercultural exchanges between young Europeans and the rest of the world.

The origin of the SVI

International Voluntary Service, which was founded in August 2009 in Belgium, is a partner organization of the Vietnam Solidarités Jeunesses (SJ Vietnam). SJ Vietnam is an international youth NGO that was established in 2004 in Ha Noi with the support of United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and the Belgian Cooperation. Pierre De Hanscutter - former Associate Expert of UN and the Belgian Technical Coopertation - is the co-founder/president of SJ Vietnam and founder of SVI. The SVI is a member of the belgian youth federation Relie-F and partner with many international volunteer organizations and NGOs in over 70 countries worldwide. SVI associations and SJ Vietnam alone account for more than 4000 members. In July 2009 a group of young Belgians worked together, voluntarily, to create and promote the organisation. Thanks to the commitment, enthusiasm and ambition of its members, the organization was then founded.

In summer 2010, SVI Belgium targets at sending more than 300 Belgian volunteers abroad and hosting more than a hundred of international volunteers in Belgium. The organization aims at drawing interest of young people (ages from 18 to 30)in international volunteerism. One of its main goals is also to promote citizenship, solidarity and mobility among young European as well as between young European and young people from other parts of the world. The SVI is trying to make international volunteerism accessible to all while improving awareness of everyone, especially the young, about the danger and misleading role of humanitarian tourism (voluntourism).