The history of AFS
AFS was founded in 1915 as the “American Field Service Ambulance Corps” and later reactivated in World War II. Having witnessed both the devastation and brutality of those wars, Stephen Galatti, the Director General of the American Field Service Ambulance Corps during World War II, challenged his comrades to focus their post-war efforts on peace building. By bringing high schoo
l students from countries formerly at war, to the United States to live with families, study in secondary schools and develop understanding for each other, the idea was that this could be one way prevent future wars. Exchanges were a radical thought at that time – Stephen Galatti wanted to bring German high school students to U.S. communities that had lost young men fighting Hitler’s forces. Yet in this tremendous risk was a compelling vision that eventually took root and grew, both in the United States and around the world. Within a few years, returning AFS participants – eager to share the newfound insights from their AFS programme – began organizing volunteer committees in their own countries modelled after the AFS branches or chapters in the US. Soon they were able to reciprocate the hospitality they had received. From 1947 until the early 1970s AFS exchanges were bilateral between the United States and as many as 80 other countries only. As the number of AFS organisations grew around the world and as many of them grew in health and confidence, discussions began among them of the need to balance their inter-dependence with greater measures of independence. Between the 1970sand 1990s more and more national AFS organizations became ‘Full Partners’, allowing them to work more independent. This new structure now allowed more variety. From the 70s onwards it is now possible to go from US to France, from Brazil to Germany or and from Paraguay to Egypt. AFS Today
From its American beginnings, AFS has become an international organisation with a network of partner organisations and affiliates in over 50 countries. Supported by a small professional staff in New York, an international Board sets the direction of the Network and regulates relations between Partners, who are both inter-dependent and independent. The Network as a whole and all of its Partners are dedicated to building a more just and peaceful world through the intercultural learning, which can occur through experiencing international exchange. More than 13,000 students, young adults and teachers participate in AFS exchange programmes each year. AFS is an international organisation, made up of partner organisations in over 50 different countries on six continents. Each AFS Partner is responsible for AFS activities in its own country. However, there is a shared mission, educational objectives and programme standards, policies and procedures. AFS in South Africa – past and present
AFS South Africa was founded in 1958. For the next 30 years it has sent and hosted students successfully from all over the world. Because of the political situation, AFS left the country in 1989. The staff and volunteers kept on working independently on a small base through bilateral contacts with some international AFS Partners. At the AFS World Congress in 1995, South Africa became an AFS Partner again, now being able to handle a larger number of students. Besides that, AFS South Africa received great support from the AFS Network, helping to rebuild and expand the organisation. Today South Africa is one of the few AFS partners on the African continent. Last year we hosted 165 high school students and young community service volunteers from all over the world and send about 34 students abroad – and these numbers will still increase over the next years.
