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| A bit of CISV History... |
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Dr. Doris T. Allen
Dr. Doris Twitchell Allen Born: October 8, 1901 Dr. Doris Twitchell Allen has dedicated more than half her life to working for peace around the world. Educated in psychology at the Universities of Maine, Michigan and Berlin, she was forty-five years old when she envisioned a celebration of diversity among international youth as a way to achieve peace through understanding among nations. In 1946 she started a non-profit, non-political volunteer organization that would bring pre-adolescent children together from many different cultures to share their similarities and celebrate their differences. She called it Children's International Summer Villages or CISV. The first peace camp or "village" was home to 32 children representing 8 different nationalities who worked and played together for a month. Over the past fifty years, the organization has grown to serve 134,799 youth (March '98 Growth Report) representing more than 100 nationalities. Dr. Allen has authored more than 60 articles, books and monographs. One of those articles detailed Margaret Mead's interviews of CISV delegates in 1964. Doris Allen served as a member of the White House Conference responsible for organizing and developing President Eisenhower's People to People program. Her early collaborative work with UNESCO resulted in the longevity of all her CISV programs which now include villages and village junior counselors, summer camps, seminar camps, interchanges, and local work projects where CISV youth educate their own local communities about issues of diversity and prejudice reduction. She has received letters of commendation from President Gerald Ford and from Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. She received medals and awards from the mayors of Paris, Savoie, Stockholm, Trento and the governments of Guatemala and France. In addition to a Ph.D. in psychology, she holds four honorary degrees. The Cincinnati Enquirer elected her Woman of the Year in 1970. And when Congressman Trent Lott nominated her in 1979, she became one of 56 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1999, she received national recognition from Diet Coke as one of five "People at Their Best." The tireless leadership of this dedicated and courageous American has resulted in creating thousands of ambassadors of change throughout the world. Dr. Allen has "raised the bar" on making a difference. She has created a legacy - a legacy of peace through understanding. |
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