Every three years, Servas delegates and members from around the world gather to discuss the functioning and future of the organization. During this Servas International Conference and General Assembly (SICOGA), in addition to the official General Assembly, there are workshops, conferences, and, of course, cultural exchanges.

The last edition took place from October 3 to 9, 2025, in Dijon, France, with 200 Servas representatives from 50 countries.

Representing Servas Belgium & Luxembourg were Sylvia VdW as delegate, Rita D. as volunteer for Servas International, and Rita B. and Luc V. as observers/visitors.

Rita B. sent us this testimony.

In October 2025, the international Servas meeting was held in Dijon. Servas France hosted the meeting and did an excellent job. 

During the first few days, discussion groups considered topics that are important for the future functioning of Servas, such as rejuvenation and communication.  The discussions were open and respectful, with plenty of room for different perspectives and concrete ideas for the future. During the last few days, the official representatives of the various Servas countries voted on the various resolutions in the plenary session.

In addition to the substantive program, there was also room for cultural discovery. We visited the beautiful city of Dijon and the Saline royale d’Arc-et-Senans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about an hour’s drive from the city. This impressive 18th-century saltworks complex, designed by the visionary architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, is conceived in a harmonious semicircular structure and is considered a progressive example of Enlightenment architecture and social vision.

I returned to Belgium with new insights, inspiration, and a strengthened sense of international solidarity within Servas.