What is AFS Voluntary Association?

    AFS Voluntary Service is a non-governmental organization (NGO) formed by former AFS exchange students. You don’t have to be a foreign exchange student to become a member of AFSGD.

    The aims of AFS Voluntary Association overlaps with the aims of AFS exchange student program:

• To improve the volunteer consciousness and serving as a volunteer
• To help cultural understanding and tolerance

Services of AFS Voluntary Association:

• Organizing youth camps
• Organizing cultural understanding conferences
• Organizing cultural activities

    Organizing social and cultural activities which underlines volunteer consciousness.
The forming process of AFS Voluntary Association started in mid-90’s by the volunteers who wanted to take apart in non-governmental organizations. In 26th February 1999 AFS Voluntary Association officially founded by volunteers in Istanbul and other cities which needed an organized voluntary service.

    AFS Voluntary Association renews it’s administrative form such as: administrative board, supervision and advisory board every year in general assembly.

    Branching of AFS Voluntary Association Ankara helped conducting our organizations and projects easily. We believe that our autonomy is helping us to maintain our goals and serve better to our country.

 

Chronological development of AFG Voluntary Association: 

1999-2000

·        Completing main legal liabilities and transaction process with temporary administrative board

2000-2002

·        Gaining members

·        Attending to AFS Intercultural Program’s Organizations actively

·        Structural development

2002-2004

·        Associate project with other non-governmental organizations

·        Directing projects which are sourced by E.U.

Our Projects:

1998-2001

·        Looking in to İstanbul Project – TEGV (Özgür Akman)

2001-2005

·        Scholarshıp Project (Selva Aydıner, Hazar Yıldız, Cemre Ak’in, Tuğçe İrtenk) 

2002

·        World Young Volunteer Day - Youth for Habitat (Duygu Kuluay, Bora Yörükoğlu)

·        11th Non-Governmental Organzations Symposium – Youth for Habitat

(Sinemis Candemir, Kemal Engin, Esra Küçükçiftçi)

2002-2005

·        Web Page Design www.afsgd.org

 Oğuz Çavlı, Can Eriş, Deniz Tatlıdede, Aykut Bayrak

 

 

 

 

 

 

2003 

·        50^th AFS reunion dinner - TKV

·        50^th AFS reunion forum  - TKV

2003-2005

·        Public Success(Burak Yılmaz, Ferhat Çakaloz, M. Kemal Engin, Gizem Candemir)

2004

·        NGO Consciousness and Volunteer Meeting (Duygu Erkek, Begüm Yavuz, Emre Süer)

·        Opening of AFS Voluntary Association Office

·        60 Schools , 1 Week Introduction Project (Seyhun Bakırhan, Seda Büke, M. Kemal Altınel)

·        Opening of AFS Voluntary Association Ankara Office

·        Attending to meetings such as Winpeace, Euromed

·        AFS Volunteer Data Bank

2004-2005

·        ITU (Istanbul Technical University) Erasmus Project (Oğuz Çavlı, Ali D. Özbakır)

2005-2006

·        Fest-i Kult Film Festival (Ankara)

·        Smiling Kids Festival (İstanbul)

 

AFS Today as the end of 2006…

• FEST-i KULT 2 Film FESTİVAL (Ankara)

• Main Office of the Association 

•  Ankara Office

 

                AFS improves itself everyday by the help of cultural education gained by AFS, projects such as the ones above. AFSGD helps to improve the process of Turkish Republic’s democratic structure and social consciousness with help of the volunteers.