3. Snv’s Start: Bricks, Mortar And The Transfer Of Knowledge (1963–1972)

Two Dutch voluntary organisations started their activities in 1963: a state organisation (Jongeren Vrijwilligers Programma(JVP)) and a private, mainly confessional, initiative (Jongeren Vrijwilligers Corps(JVC)). In Stichting Nederlandse Vrijwilligers (SNV)'s first decades, the missionary and church tradition in developmental activities at times conflicted head on with state initiatives in the realm of development. While these may initially be seen as personal bickering, behind the controversies lay a structural conflict revolving around divergences in method and manner, the jealous guarding of each group's independence and the incompatibility of two, vastly different traditions. This chapter traces the origins of SNV in the light of these conflicting missionary and state traditions. The 1960s and early 1970s can be described as the SNV's bricks-and-mortar stage. Development work largely consisted of practical aid: SNV volunteers were active in building, farming, and carrying out medical tasks. The chapter describes the process that led to SNV's foundation.Keywords: bricks; Dutch development; Jongeren Vrijwilligers Corps(JVC); Jongeren Vrijwilligers Programma(JVP); mortar stage; Stichting Nederlandse Vrijwilligers (SNV) foundation