AFSAI

THE ORGANISATION

AFSAI has been working since 1958 in the field of intercultural education and it is active with both long and short-term exchanges. It is a non-profit NGO and we develop long-term and short -term exchanges with both European and non-European partners. The structure of AFSAI is based on the voluntary work of its members: the majority of them are youngsters who have participated in one of the programs proposed by the association and carry out their voluntary work on a voluntary basis. The local chapters of AFSAI co-operate with the National Co-ordination Office in Rome, which strictly co-operates with the Board of Managers of the Association.

The majority of the activities promoted by AFSAI refer to three main areas:

• in the sphere of intercultural education, through international youth exchanges;
• to the development and consciousness of European Citizenship through programs and projects in the frame of European Youth Programs;
• generally to the sector of youth mobility and national, European and international voluntary youth service;

AFSAI has already organized and developed different youth activities under the Youth for Europe Program and the European Voluntary Service Program. Through this activities we try to give our members the possibility to have intercultural experiences in Italy and abroad and to offer this possibility also to youngsters that because geographical or economical difficulties have not easily access to these experiences.

Participants in our activities are usually young people involved in AFSAI at local level and who have never had the opportunity to participate in an international activity. So far, we have mostly worked with students, unemployed, people with disabilities, youth workers and young people living in disadvantaged areas.One of the aims of the exchange activities organized by AFSAI is to offer participants the opportunity to have a direct experience in the preparation, organization, realization and evaluation of a project. For participants it is important to live for a few days in a multicultural atmosphere, letting them the possibility to show the main aspects of their own culture, sharing all kind of information and experiences. This will help them, for sure, in their personal development in the future. We also believe in the importance of the multiplying effect that every activity has in the sense of involving new young people in other youth activities.

BACKGROUND

AFSAI (Association for Intercultural Training, Exchanges and Activities) was born almost forty years ago (October 1958), when a group of individuals, many of whom were youngsters, decided to found an association, which had as its goal intercultural exchanges between people and nations.

During the subsequent years and even until today, AFSAI statutory goal has been followed with ever-growing success, exemplifying always the particular characteristic of AFSAI: an association formed by youngsters, which proposes programs for and with young people.

In 1971 AFSAI acquired legal status under Italian Republic Presidential Decree no. 922 of May 27th.

STRUCTURE

The structure of AFSAI is based on the voluntary work of its members: the majority of them are youngsters that have already participated in one of the many programs proposed by the Association and carry out their work on a voluntary basis, either grouping in local chapters or through commissions constructed during the general assembly. The local chapters co-operate with the National Co-ordination Office, that strictly co-operates with the Board of Managers of the Association.

The supreme decision making body of AFSAI is the annual general assembly of its members. This body, in addition to programs orientation, direction and management, provides for the election of the members of the board of managers.

A small nucleus of professionals work instead in the National Co-ordination Office, devoting themselves to administration, co-coordinating and directing the work of the volunteers in the various local chapters. They also carry out the resolutions of the general Assembly and Board of Managers, organizing the different programs and maintaining relations with national and foreign partners and other contacts.

FINANCES

AFSAI has a not for profit status and bases the greater part of the incomes of its budget on the fees offered by the members who participate in the association’s programs; the expenses are relative to the general administrative costs and for the costs involved in the management of the programs organized.