Closing Remarks of Ernesto ReyMoreno, Chair of the AFS International Board of Trustees, at the AFS Chapter Leadership Summit in Spain, November 2025
HOLA HOLA Dear AFS Volunteers and Friends, Voluntarios y Amigos,
As we come to the end of the AFS Chapter Leadership Summit, my heart is overflowing with gratitude, admiration, and deep, deep joy. Talking with each one of you during these days has helped me grow. It has filled me with hope. And it has confirmed something very important in my heart:
What we all stand for is a better world built on the spirit of volunteerism.
All the challenges we face — and yes, there are many — suddenly feel lighter, easier, more possible… because now I feel, very strongly, that we are not alone. We are really many. We are together. And we are united by a friendship capable of overcoming any wall, any obstacle, any doubt.
What we have lived together during this Summit has been truly special — something that each one of us will carry for the rest of our AFS journey and, I am sure, for the rest of our lives. No question, we keep building something extraordinary.
We arrived from different countries, chapters, cultures, and realities. And yet, in just a few days, we recreated something extraordinary:
A community of trust.
A community of friendships.
A community of leaders united by purpose.
We didn’t just attend sessions — we connected. We shared meals, stories, challenges, laughter, ideas, and dreams. Also, salsa, karaoke and many national dances. And because of that, something very real and very beautiful happened: We became stronger together.
Friendships That Will Last
The friendships born here are not accidental. They come from our openness, our generosity, our passion for young people and for this mission that makes us part of the same family.
These bonds are not temporary. They will be with us in every chapter meeting, in every decision, in every new project. They will be the spark that keeps moving our communities forward.
And please believe me: what happened in this Summit will NOT stay in this Summit. Normally, when AFSers spend nights singing, dancing, and celebrating, they like to say: “What happened here, stays here.” And yes — a small part of that is true. The joy, the music, the dances… those memories will always be ours.
But NOT for the essential part of this event.
This time, what happened in this Summit must travel with each one of you. It must return to your chapters, your volunteers, your communities and your teams. Everything we learned — about Leadership, Collaboration, Creating the Best Volunteer Experience, Excellence and Impact in our Programs, Intercultural Competences, Promoting Active Global Citizenship Opportunities, Community Engagement and Long Lasting Local Chapters: PURPOSE – PEOPLE – PROGRAMS – PLANNING — is meant to be shared and multiplied.
And AFS International is fully ready to support you. All the materials, tools, and activities we created here are already available so that you can replicate them, adapt them, and expand them in your countries.
We Came Here Not Only to Learn about Leadership… But to Become Better Leaders
These days were not just about learning. They were about transformation. We questioned assumptions. We strengthened our vision. We recognized the extraordinary power each one of us holds to inspire others, mobilize volunteers, create impact, and lead with empathy, clarity, and courage.
Leadership is not a title. Leadership is a daily practice.
And during this Summit, I personally saw leadership alive, real, generous, and powerful. It is in each one of YOU, I can testify to that.
Ecosystem ONE: Something Truly Extraordinary Happened Here
Many of you spoke about that natural feeling of unity and flow that emerged here.
It happened in workshops. It happened under the sun. It happened in those quiet moments of reflection. And it happened in the laughter of our corridors and in every one of our sessions.
Why?
Because we decided to show up with honesty, with openness, and with purpose. We realized that volunteers and operation staff — the Yin and the Yang of our organization — are two sides of the same coin. And yes, sometimes dancing in perfect coordination is hard…
But something powerful is changing.
We are building structures that allow that dance to flow more harmoniously. We are finding ways to make volunteerism easier to understand, easier to join, easier to love.
The AFS Volunteer Engagement Manifesto is a strong beginning – a way to organize our volunteer journey and make it clear and welcoming for everyone who wants to join our mission.
My friends: we are an ecosystem where every idea matters, every voice counts, and every person feels part of something larger than themselves. That is the AFS we believe in. That is the AFS we are building — together. Everything we do, everything we believe in, always returns to the heart of AFS: Our volunteers.
This Summit has reminded us of the extraordinary commitment of AFS volunteer leaders around the world — people who offer their time, their energy, their compassion, and their deep love so that young people can grow, learn, and transform.
Your presence here is proof of your dedication. Your return home will multiply your impact.
A Final Message from My Heart!
Before we leave, I invite you to pause for just a second and look around you.
These are your colleagues. These are your partners. These are your friends — from every corner of the world. This is our AFS family.
Carry this energy with you. Carry this purpose with you. Carry this joy with you.
Because the future of AFS is not built in offices or just in formal meetings.
The future of AFS is built in chapters, by volunteers, guided by leaders like you.
Thank you for giving these days your intelligence, your heart, your generosity, and your trust.
Thank you for showing what true leadership looks like.
And thank you, above all, for being part of this mission—for believing in our power to change the world, one young person, one family, one school, one community, at a time.
A better world is what humanity needs and it is what we stand for here.
Un abrazo muy fuerte Amigo,
and may the spirit of AFS continue illuminating your leadership wherever you go.
Ernesto ReyMoreno
Chair, AFS International Board of Trustees
Closing Remarks of the AFS Chapter Leadership Summit in Mollina, Spain November 23, 2025