12/17/2008 - AFS Holiday Message
The year 2008 was a tremendously productive year for AFS, one that saw great changes and reinforced the fact that through the dedication and strength of our volunteers and staff, participants, families, and schools, we are capable of confronting change successfully.
This year we presented the AFS Global Brand Platform, defining the AFS Brand and reaffirming our commitment to delivering outstanding, reliable service throughout our network. Operations were aligned within the Network Financial Arrangements for the greater benefit of all of our Partners, and AFS continued to pursue connections with like-minded organizations. In our Vision 2020, we outlined strategy for growth and greater funding for scholarships, which will make AFS Programs accessible to more people.
At the 2008 World Congress in Berlin, Barbara Kisseler of the Senate Chancellory for the City of Berlin spoke of the importance of AFS within our global community, now and in the future. “The fact that around 13,000 young people a year from more than 60 different countries meet each other in this program and that over 40,000 volunteers are involved in this global network shows that this idea from the past is also an idea for the future, an idea that will help a globalized society to function more smoothly. Intercultural competence is without a doubt one of the key qualifications needed in the twenty first century.”
Though 2008 has not been without turmoil, our organization continues to thrive. This holiday season I am mindful of the discord that affects us globally, yet I remain grateful for the blessings of colleagues, friends, and family that remind us that the greatest cultural currency is in fact, love.
May good health, peace, and joy be a part of your holiday season.
Thank you for your many contributions to AFS in 2008
Francisco “Tachi” Cazal
President and CEO
AFS Intercultural Programs
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