One of the true wonders of this age we live in is the ease of connections between people. I've found many old friends I'd lost in the course of international moves, and made an astonishing number of news ones, thanks to the pervasive and sticky threads of the World Wide Web.

Discovering what can link one person to another, and another, and another, is simply a "Google" away, as just about any aspect of life that that folks might have in common can be found, listed, described on the super search engines ... hobbies, illnesses, religions, personal histories, goals, foods, cultures, orientations, political affiliations, professions, ages, quirks, fads, diversions, pastimes, foibles, eccentricities, habits, are just a few acres of the common ground that draw thousands from the world over into daily conversations.

A favorite offshoot of this interconnectivity for me is the "fill the need" capabilities of potentially reaching so many easily. Setting up a global network has never been easier, and getting a group of far-flung, like-minded individuals up and running takes only minutes. Organizations like SERVAS and WWOOF are great examples of putting people together easily in ways that help everyone.

SERVAS is one of the best ideas I've ever heard come true:

Servas is a worldwide cooperative cultural exchange network established in 1948 and composed of member hosts and travelers working together to foster peace, goodwill and mutual respect. Servas seeks to realize these aims by providing opportunities for person-to-person contacts between people of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Our mission includes providing approved US and international travelers with opportunities to be guests of Servas member hosts around the world.

This international community of friends works together on a volunteer basis to create a climate of mutual understanding and tolerance. Originally called "Peacebuilders," Servas now encompasses over 15,000 homes and institutions in more than 125 countries on six continents. Our members believe that by meeting new people in our own homes and sharing our everyday lives with them, individuals have the power to build the necessary foundations for world peace.

Info on WWOOF, and an idea of my own, to follow ...