ICELANDIC VERSION HERE
ABOUT AUS
International Youth Exchange, AUS, is a non-governmental organization that sends and receives young people for volunteer work. The organization is run by young people for young people, with a non-profit ideal. Our ideal is to work against prejudice through cultural exchange of young people and to give young people aged 18-30 the opportunity to experience new cultures in a safe but beneficial way.
AUS is a member of the international organization ICYE, International Cultural Youth Exchange, but the organization also welcomes and send volunteers through the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), which is part of the European Union's youth programme.
AUS is a member of the international organization ICYE, International Cultural Youth Exchange, but the organization also welcomes and send volunteers through the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), which is part of the European Union's youth programme.
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
The beginning of the International Youth Exchange can be traced back to the end of the Second World War, when a pastor of German origin named John Eberly, who was a pastor in the American Church of the Brethren, had the idea to start a student exchange between the United States and Germany. The student exchange was originally conceived as the church's contribution to peace and reconciliation between the two countries after the Second World War. When the organization around this youth exchange was founded, it received the name International Christian Youth Exchange. The first youth exchange was organized by the Church of the Brethren with financial support from the Department of Culture of the US Department of State. In 1957, the work had become so extensive that more denominations in the United States joined together. More European countries soon followedactivities and the establishment of so-called national committees was an important stepin the development of the organization. They led to the creation of independence for the organizations in each country.
The youth exchange with Iceland started in 1961. Then 9 exchange students from Iceland went to the USA and Iceland received 3 exchange students from the USA. The youth exchange was then organized by the National Church, and its youth representatives were responsible for the organization. In the beginning, Reverend Ólafur Skúlason was in charge of student exchanges, as the then youth representative of the church, but he was replaced by Reverend Hjalti Guðmundsson. In 1965, the returned exchange students founded an association called Christian International Youth Exchange, abbreviated KAUS. They founded the association because they were interested in keeping in touch with each other, communicating with the foreign exchange students who came here and taking part in various social projects.
AUS has worked in a similar way over the years and received a number of volunteers every year and sent approximately 10-20 Icelanders from outside. The work is based to a large extent on voluntary work and mainly from returned volunteers, but in addition, there is usually one permanent employee working at the association's office in Reykjavík. In 1996, the organization began to use the grant program of the European Commission, specifically the part called European Solidarity Corps (ESC). That program supports voluntary projects within Europe and is therefore almost free for young people who want to take advantage of it. In the 15 years since the ESC project was established, more than 50,000 volunteers have moved between European countries with that event. In 2010, more than 5,000 ESC volunteers received funding to participate in projects, and it is one of the goals of the EU Commission that EVS volunteers reach 10,000 annually before long. AUS receives approximately 20 foreign volunteers each year, through ICYE and EVS, and sends out 10-25 Icelanders.