AFS is an international, voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit organisation that provides intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowlegde, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world. Through its activities, AFS will maintain and promote the core values: dignity, respect for differences, harmony, sensitivity and tolerance. (AFS Mission statement)
EFIL is more than a federation. It is a partnership, a grouping of different national units committed to stand up for their common interest. That means that to be successful, EFIL depends on the active participation of each Member Organisation.
As its statutes say, EFIL’s aims are:- to promote peace by stimulating an awareness of mankind’s common humanity, both between and within nations, and by encouraging a wider understanding of the diverse social, cultural and physical environment which make up world society (...);
- to contribute to the education of young people;
- to support national and international organisations with similar purposes.
In the “Ends of EFIL”, as at 1 July 2005, the Global Ends are described as: Endorsing the ends of the international organisation AFS IP, EFIL promotes intercultural understanding and sensitivity among European countries, organisations and citizens as a tool contributing to peace and justice in a diverse world threatened by inequity and intolerance.