Falece Bob Luitweiler, fundador do Servas

Morreu anteontem, domingo 13 de abril, nos Estados Unidos o pacifista e defensor dos direitos humanos Bob Luitweiler, de 89 anos, fundador do Servas. Sua vida se caracterizou por uma busca incessante pela promoção da paz sem fronteiras.

"Creio que uma leitura atenciosa da biografia do criador de Servas muito nos orienta em relação ao nosso trabalho voluntário junto ao Servas. Confesso que, quando a imprensa, quando amigos etc. comparam Servas ao programa do sofá, fico preocupada. Servas não é um programa de hospedagem gratuíta; Servas é muito mais do que isso: é gerar laços de amizades, visando ao encurtamento das fronteiras provocadas por diferenças culturais. Se tenho um amigo na Irlanda, passo a nutrir simpatia, de certa forma, por aquele povo. É a paz plantada dentro de mim", afirma Soraya Castilho, membro do Servas Brasil, em Brasília - DF. "Que a passagem do criador de Servas para o andar de cima fortaleça, ainda mais, o seu ideal de paz, por meio desse movimento (que não é uma organização), chamado Servas."


Abaixo, um texto escrito em inglês por Judy Sears em homenagem a Bob:

Bob's life can be characterized by his passion for peace-building. After a year at Antioch College, in 1942 Bob Luitweiler, a Ghandhian-inspired conscientious objector began serving time in prisonin the US for his objection to being drafted to fight in World War II. Bob spent two years in confinement where he turned his experiences ofbeing jailed with other social out-casts, now including otherconscientious objectors, into two years of study and sociologyseminars. Bob studied Esperanto while in prison, and before hisrelease was teaching this intended-to-be global language to fellowinmates.

After his release, Bob worked "odd jobs", living and experiencing thelives and hardships of many under-represented people who wereperforming the labor that was fueling growth in America. In 1946 Bobread an article about Ghandi in a small folk school paper written by a Quaker, Esther Harlan. He sought her out at her home in the hills ofBerkeley, CA. Their conversations planted the first seeds of aprecious friendship, and what was later to become "Servas".


"The beginning (of Servas) is not a date or a place. Peace buildersbegan as a movement and not as an organization." Pat Knowles, Servas: an Experiment in Peace Building.


Bob made his first trip to Europe in 1948, and returned to Denmark in 1949 with a general idea that soon became the basis of Servas(Esperanto meaning "service"), that of a Work-Study-Travel scheme witha strong educational aspect for young adults. The Folk High School Movement in Denmark of the 1940's contributed directly to these ideas. This included not only a practical adult education, but knowledge ofone's roots, the history and culture of one's country, which Bobbelieved gave stability and cohesion to a people, independent of thesize of their country, their organization, or of its power. When combined with an international point of view, these ideas spoke directly to peace, although it was never stipulated that a Servas member needed to be, or should be a pacifist.


"All over the world there are small groups and individuals who areworking for a Society based on Creative Vocation, Non-Violence andSocial Responsibility." Bob Luitweiler


Bob continued to believe that our only hope to turn us away from thegreed that is destroying our cultures and our planet is to mentoryoung adults. His vision of this was simple; plant the seed with asmall group of college-age students, provide a space in which they cangather and talk and eat together, to get acquainted, share ideas andbecome a physically active force of volunteer peace activists. Bob wanted to introduce these young adults to the ideas of "peacebuilders ", Bob's phrase for people meeting people, bridging culturaland class differences with compassion, love, work and gratitude. Then these people would reach out as a group into their own communities, volunteering and teaching about peace building. Bob described this as being as simple as helping an older person to clear an over-grown yardand help plant a vegetable garden. This might also manifest as an afterschool mentoring program for poor and immigrant children.


The only limitations on these Peace Builders would be their own imaginations.
Bob worked till the moment he closed his eyes to convey this vision ofwhat work he saw as necessary to keep us from our own destruction.