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The early history

Finland 1946

MS was founded January 24th 1944 under the name "Fredsvenners Hjælpearbejde" to work in favour of reconciliation and reconstruction in post World WarEurope. In 1949 the name was changed to the present name, Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke.

In the beginning MS was engaged in relief work in, as examples, Norway (1945-47), Finland (1946-52), Poland, Austria and Germany (1946-48). MS had arranged workcamps since 1946, community development in Italy since (1953-59) and in India (1959-69). Furthermore, MS took active part in the aid to Hungarian refugees (1956-60), built high schools in Ghana (1958-63), collected money for blacks in South Africa (1960) and had a leading role in "Landsindsamlingen Danmarks U-landshjælp" (1961-63).

In 1963 MS received a grant from the state to post the first team of so-called volunteers to Eastern Africa - the technical assistance which was later to become the backbone of MS's development efforts in the South.

Click on pictures to go to the three section!
See pictures from the first post-war years! See pictures from the beginning of the volunteer programme! See pictures of the first publications!
The first post-war years The first volunteers The first publications

The first stamp
A stamp which was sold during the first years in favour of the reliief work - painted by Elisabeth Bergstrand Poulsen. It portrays Lill-Lin, main character in the novel <i>Hjältar och Hjältedåd</i>, written by the painter herself.
A stamp which was sold during the first years in favour of the reliief work - painted by Elisabeth Bergstrand Poulsen. It portrays Lill-Lin, main character in the novel Hjältar och Hjältedåd, written by the painter herself.