Tuesday, November 22, 2011
FFI in the News
Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch
Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, Illinois, U.S.A.
Patch.com
Oct. 24, 2011.
http://lakeforest.patch.com/blog_posts/friendship-force-as-window-to-the-world
A reader blog by Caryl Mikrut about how Friendship Force International has touched her life and been a “window to the world.” Mikrut is a member of Friendship Force Northern Illinois.
Some of her amazing experiences on exchange programs include sleeping in a tent at a refugee camp in Algeria, sipping tea with students in Iran and taking with East Germans about their life under Soviet control.
Estes Park Trail-Gazette
Estes Park, Colorado, U.S.A.
Oct. 25, 2011.
http://www.eptrail.com/ci_19190097
The Friendship Force of the Rockies hosted ambassadors in September from the Friendship Force of the Central Coast of Australia, as well as Friendship Force of Trujillo in Peru. The visitors spent lots of time enjoying the outdoors, with visits to Adams Falls and Bison ranch in Wyoming, as well as a tour of Denver and a trip to the Denver art museum.
Last year, the Colorado club spent a week in Trujillo as part of a Friendship Force exchange. Next October, Friendship Force of the Rockies will visit the towns of Maringa and Jundiai in Brazil through an exchange program.
TaftMidwayDriller.com
Taft, California, U.S.A.
Oct. 20, 2011.
http://www.taftmidwaydriller.com/news/x1872801496/German-tourists-get-a-taste-of-Taft
A group of 22 Germans recently visited Taft, California as part of a Friendship Force International exchange focused on learning English.
They checked out the West Kern Oil Museum and had lunch at the Historic Fort. They also visited the Oilworker Monument and met renowned sculptor Benjamin Victor, who just finished two new bronze figures for the monument.
The visitors, who hailed from five cities in Germany, then headed to Death Valley for a couple days before finishing up their U.S. stay in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
World Friendship Day: March 1, 2012
Building Friendships for a New Generation
World Friendship Day on March 1, 2012, is a great opportunity for Friendship Force clubs everywhere to get the world’s attention with special events in the name of global friendship. This year’s World Friendship Day also marks a special anniversary for our organization – 35 years of promoting understanding across the barriers that separate people.
On the 35th anniversary of the Friendship Force, clubs around the world will celebrate our strong global organization and enduring mission. What a great time to reach out to our communities, to the press, to individuals and to other clubs, in the spirit of forming new connections!
As we celebrate our proud history and enduring mission, we must also look to the future. What will the Friendship Force look like in five years, in ten years, or 35 years into the future?
The theme of this year’s World Friendship Day is: Building Friendships for a New Generation. New members, new programs, and new technology will all play a role in our organization’s future. This March, imagine the future you want for the Friendship Force, and start building it!
• FFI is producing a new 5-7 minute video in honor of the 35th anniversary. Watch for further notices regarding this video and other supporting materials.
• Review the WFD Fact Sheet containing facts about the history of World Friendship Day, and click here to see a list of activities recommended for last year’s celebrations.
• The Friendship Force Online Auction will coincide with World Friendship Day. Donate a hosting opportunity to be bid on, with proceeds benefiting the Legacy Fund. Click here to read more.
• World Friendship Day is a great time to honor your club’s most influential leader with a Wayne Smith Medal. Click here for more information.
What is your club planning for World Friendship Day? Let us know by writing to Communications Coordinator Jillian Walters at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or write to us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/friendshipforce.
FFI Board elects four new members
At its October 15-17 meeting, the FFI Board of Directors elected four new members to serve four year terms beginning January 2012:
Cinda Clark is a member of the Friendship Force of Northern Colorado, USA. She took early retirement from a 20 year career in banking, followed by 12 years as a part time bookkeeper, giving her the flexibility for international travel. Cinda is a charter member of her club, with extensive leadership experience at the local and regional level. She helped establish two clubs, is past president of the club, has led 20 exchanges and served as a US field representative in the Mountain States Region.
Yury Kazantsev has been a member of the Rostov on Don Friendship Force club since 2007. He has traveled on several outbound exchanges, serving as Exchange Director on a recent exchange to FF Richmond, USA. Yury, former military officer, is a customs broker. He has traveled internationally with his family and also with his work. As a young leader he looks forward to working with the Board to expand opportunities for younger members.
Cecile Latour is a member of the Friendship Force of the Canadian Capital Region where she has been an active host, as well as inbound Exchange Director. Cecile has extensive international experience, having been in the Canadian Foreign Service for 30 years, including service as the Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam.
Karen Overly Smith is a long time member of the Friendship Force in Pennsylvania, USA with connection over the years to both the Harrisburg and Lancaster clubs. She works as a community development policy analyst for Pennsylvania. Karen has served as club president and as Exchange Director to Ghana and China. Most recently she was FFI field representative for the mid-Atlantic and northeastern USA. Karen has extensive international travel experience.
In electing these four new members, the Board reluctantly said goodbye, with great appreciation, to the following who have completed their terms on the Board: Jack Cang, Tommy Dortch, Dave Kalan, Elza dos Santos and Andrew Stirling.
Friday, October 07, 2011
FFI in the News
Friendship Force of Northern Illinois is blogging!
LakeForest.Patch.com
Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, Illinois, U.S.A.
Check out several great stories from the FF Northern Illinois blog on their local Patch website. The most recent post tells what happened when ambassadors discovered their host in Thailand was a nationally renowned artist!
Many U.S. communities have a Patch website - does yours? If it does, contact your editor! They are a great place to publicize your club.
http://lakeforest.patch.com/users/friendship-force-northern-illinois/blog_posts
After a difficult year, Japanese ambassadors enjoy friendships in Canada
YouTube.com
Video of FFI gathering in Calgary, Canada
Watch the televison news story from Calgary, Canada, about the Friendship Force delegation from Koriyama, Japan. Their trip was delayed by the tsunami last spring, but they made their visit in August complete with home stays and walking tours of the city. This news clip shows them taking a tour of downtown Calgary and reflecting on the Friendship Force experience.
Click here to see a video entitled “Bon Dance” posted online of the Friendship Force of Calgary and their visiting Japanese ambassadors performing a Japanese dance together.
Click here to see a video of the Japanese ambassadors learning to square dance from their Calgary hosts.
Friendship Force brings group over from Egypt to stay with local families
West Hartford News
West Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.
Connecticut families are hosting 19 Egyptian visitors as part of an exchange through Friendship Force International. The Egyptian ambassadors are enjoying time with their host families, while also visiting many sites and attractions in Connecticut, New York City and Boston. Connecticut Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman greeted the Egyptians at a private meeting in Hartford.
Click here to read.
Sylvia Nicholson extends the hand of friendship
Messenger Newspapers
Manchester, United Kingdom
Local resident, Sylvia Nicholson, attended the Friendship Force International World Conference in Hamburg, Germany. Nicholson is a member of the Greater Manchester Friendship Force and has hosted ambassadors from Australia, Brazil and Russia.
Clubs from 23 countries were represented at the global conference, and Nicholson said a highlight was meeting members from all over the world and sharing experiences.
Click here to read.
FF Western North Carolina wins Club of the Year
BlueRidgeNow.com
Hendersonville, North Carolina, USA
The Friendship Force of Western North Carolina has been awarded the “Club of the Year” award from Friendship Force International. The award was presented recently at the FFI international conference in Hamburg. It was based on accomplishments from spring 2010 to spring 2011.
Friendship Force of Western North Carolina is based in Hendersonville, North Carolina and was the first FFI club in North Carolina. Members have been participating in international exchanges since 1980.
Click here to read.
International ambassadors discover the American Midwest
THonline.com (The Telegraph Herald)
Dubuque, Iowa, U.S.A.
A group of 30 members of Friendship Force International recently visited Dubuque, Iowa and the Mississippi River Valley. The visitors enjoyed snapping photos of landmarks in downtown Dubuque. The Friendship Force tour started in the Twin Cities and will end in St. Louis.
Read their impressions and see a cool photograph.
GlobalJax teams up with Friendship Force International
Jacksonville.com (The Florida Times-Union)
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.A.
The Jacksonville, Florida-based group known as GlobalJax is teaming up with Friendship Force International. GlobalJax is a 21-year-old organization that has helped bring visitors from 60 countries to Jacksonville.
Through Friendship Force, GlobalJax will offer an annual cultural exchange — featuring a home stay — with a new country every year. GlobalJax was scheduled to hold a celebration of the new partnership on Oct. 4 at Jacksonville’s main library, featuring guest speaker George Brown, president of Friendship Force International.
Click here to read more.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
You can make a difference! Donate to the Friendship Force Online Auction to support the Legacy Fund.
Each year, your personal and club donations to the Legacy Fund help us expand your network of Friendship Force Clubs. Most recently, activity in Indonesia, Morocco, Argentina and Albania has expanded, funded in part by the Legacy Fund. Wouldn’t it be great if every club could make a contribution to the Legacy Fund so we advance the mission of the Friendship Force, and we all get new opportunities to make friends?
Last year the Board of Directors instituted an on-line and silent auction of travel opportunities provided by Friendship Force members. It raised $13,000 for the Legacy Fund!
On Sunday evening, August 28, attendees of the World Conference will have the opportunity to bid again in a Legacy Fund Silent Auction. But the fun is just beginning! We are preparing to hold another Legacy Fund auction online, with the bidding to close on World Friendship Day, March 1, 2012.
What can you offer? Homestays, use of a time-share, use of a chalet or holiday house were all very popular last year and drew multiple bidders and strong bids. Last year’s donors were very pleased with the results: winning bidders and donors made new and lasting friendships.
Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to support the growth of the Friendship Force and have lots of fun at the same time. Click here to learn more or donate a travel opportunity.
Thank you,
Andrew Stirling, FFI Board Member
Friday, July 08, 2011
FFI in the News
FF Southern Oregon supports local study abroad students
Mail Tribune, Ashland, Medford and Southern Oregon, USA
Friendship Force of Southern Oregon has found a remarkable way to promote the Friendship Force mission and serve their community at the same time. They are funding an annual study abroad scholarship for Southern Oregon University. The annual gift will provide a summer study abroad opportunity for an SOU student. Junior Christina Burns, who is the first recipient, will travel to Oviedo, Spain.
Click here to read the article.
Friendship Force Cheyenne makes friends and memories in New York
TheFencePost.com, website focused on Colorado, Nebraska, Montana and Wyoming, USA
What does Wyoming have in common with New York City? People! The Friendship Force of Cheyenne recently visited New York City on an exchange with the Friendship Force of Long Island. They spent time touring Manhattan, including a visit to Ground Zero. Sites such as the Tenement Museum, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island reminded participants of the common struggles and dreams of their ancestors. Members said the visit was very memorable and filled them with patriotism.
Click here to read the article.
FF Northern Illinois visits 2,500-year-old fire in Azerbaijan
Patch.com, Lake Forest, IL, USA edition
The Friendship Force of Northern Illinois recently visited Yanar Dag, the “Burning Mountain,” on the Caspian Sea near Baku, as part of a Friendship Force exchange to Azerbaijan.
The site is called the Burning Mountain because it is a natural repository of methane gas that has burned continuously for 2,500 years! It is believed to be the inspiration for the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism and other forms of fire-worship in history.
Click here to read the article.
Friday, July 01, 2011
FFI in the News
New friends bond over alternative energy at Friendship Force festival
Greeley Tribune, Greeley, Colorado, USA
25 Friendship Force ambassadors from the US and Japan are spending this week learning about wind, solar and hydraulic energy, as well as ecological issues, during their weeklong visit to northern Colorado. The northern Colorado chapter of the Friendship Force, which promotes international goodwill around the globe, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
“We chose alternative energy as our focal point just because Colorado is a leader of the states in ingenuity,” Betty Jean DeMersseman of FF Northern Colorado says. “I thought if we show the rest of the country what Colorado is doing then they can go home and say, ‘Where are we in the spectrum?’”
Click here to read the article.
Wayne Smith Medal winner Dorothy Anderson reflects on 30 years with the Friendship Force
Taranaki Daily News, New Plymouth, New Zealand
Dorothy Anderson has been all over the world through Friendship Force International exchanges. She was recently awarded the Wayne Smith Medal by the Friendship Force of New Zealand – making her one of only two people in New Zealand to earn it. The award honors exceptional service and leadership.
The 88-year-old New Plymouth woman is still hosting travelers from all over the world on Friendship Force exchanges. She has visited more than 40 countries.
Click here to read the article.
Learning How People Live - Television news coverage of FF Cheyenne and Lethbrigde exchange
CBS 5, Cheyenne, Wyoming and Scottsbluff, Nebraska, USA
The Friendship Force of Lethbridge, Canada, is visiting Cheyenne club members this week. During their stay, they will see Fort Laramie, visit Snowy Range and take Cheyenne’s own trolley ride. The Friendship Force of Cheyenne visited Lethbridge three years ago.
Cheyenne Friendship Force member Eleanor Hanson spoke to local television reporters, explaining they are showing the Canadians how they live in Cheyenne and some of the things that are important to them. Hanson described what the Friendship Force has meant to her.
Click here to see the video.
Knoxville Mayor presents Japanese friendship ambassadors with Honorable Citizen certificates
City of Knoxville press release, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Knoxville Mayor, Daniel Brown, met with a Friendship Force International delegation from Nagasaki, Japan, and presented them each with Honorable Citizen Certificates.
The Knoxville Friendship Force then took the eleven Japanese visitors around Knoxville. They visited the East Tennessee Museum, the Symphony and art galleries.
Click here to read the article.
Your support was humbling - letter to the editor
South Whidbey Record, Whidbey Island, Washington, USA
This is a letter to the editor from Shirley Hauck, president of Friendship Force of Whidbey Island. She writes to thank the community for its participation in a recent Friendship Force fundraiser event benefiting Japan relief efforts.
Writing a letter to the editor is a great way to express your appreciation to the community and to spread the word about the good work your club is doing. Read Shirley’s letter, and consider whether similar opportunities exist for your club!
Click here to read the letter to the editor.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
FFI in the News
Friends reach across the miles from Washington state to Japan
South Whidbey Record, community news of Whidbey Island, Washington, USA
After Japan was struck by a devastating tsunami and earthquake on March 11, the Friendship Force of Whidbey Island acted immediately to help their Japanese friends.
Members of the Friendship Force of Whidbey Island organized a fundraiser at the Basil Café to benefit those in Japan suffering from the disaster. Friendship Force of Whidbey Island did considerable research to identify a non-profit organization that would make the most of the money raised. The club chose Peace Winds America, a non-profit based in Seattle with a sister organization in Japan. The group works to strengthen disaster preparedness and response in countries near the western Pacific Ocean.
Click here to read the article.
Cultural immersion caught on camera!
TDN.com, daily news of Lower Columbia, Washington, USA
Photo of Aztec dancer Benjamin Villegas of Mexica Tiattui dancing with Renny Isa and Betty Beharoedin who are both from Indonesia. The Indonesians visited the Longview area through Friendship Force International, a nonprofit cultural exchange organization promoting friendship and goodwill through a program of homestay exchanges.
Click here to see the photo.
Friendship Force volunteer honored as “Citizen of the Year” at St. Johns Parade
The Oregonian, newspaper of Portland, Oregon
Thousands of people gathered May 14 for the 49th annual St. Johns parade, one of the most famous neighborhood parades in Portland.
Daeng Kumdee, owner of Thai Cottage Restaurant, was honored as “Citizen of the Year” for her generous food donations over the years and her dedicated work with Friendship Force International, a non-profit cultural exchange organization. (Look for the pink vertical bar halfway through the article to read about Daeng Kumdee.)
Click here to read the article.
Tales of Turkey: Generous people amid wealth of history make for unforgettable journey
The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tennessee
BB Tilly, a retired librarian and historian who lives in East Memphis, shares her experience of a Friendship Force International exchange to Turkey. She describes her adventure and the FFI way of traveling into the heart of a country, while learning about the culture and people by living with local families. She also shares her photos.
The Memphis Friendship Force Club’s trip was to Urla, Turkey, where they spent a week with members of the Urla Friendship Force Club. Urla is a resort town on the beautiful Aegean.
Click here to read the article.
Denver Friendship Force lets members be “ambassadors” to other countries
YourHub.com, Denver, Colorado
A fascinating and informative profile of the Denver Friendship Force published on a local news site offers members of the community a way to get involved. Details of past and upcoming exchanges illustrate the unique Friendship Force mission.
Could your club publish something similar in your local news? Give it a try!
Click here to read the article.
Friday, April 29, 2011
What to expect at the World Conference
Friendship Force International
2011 World Conference
Hamburg, Germany
August 26-30, 2011
1. Learning and sharing ideas
Enjoy a variety of fun and informative workshops led by experienced volunteers, staff, and board members. Some workshops will have a fun cultural focus. Others will address important questions such as these:
How does FFI assign exchanges, and how can my club ensure a great year of exchanges?
What are the best new strategies for filling exchanges and screening ambassadors?
How can I help my club increase membership?
Can themed and educational exchanges benefit my club?
Can social media benefit the Friendship Force? How can I create a Facebook page for my club?
2. New in 2011: a multi-lingual conference program!
We are working to make the World Conference more amenable to non-English speakers. One workshop in each session will be available in German or with German interpretation. With a large delegation coming from Japan, we anticipate offering some Japanese interpretation as well.
3. Special features for Europeans
Workshops and discussion groups led by European leaders will address the unique challenges and opportunities for the Friendship Force in Europe. We will also spotlight initiatives such as Discover USA, which will offer new, interesting exchange programs for ambassadors to the US.
4. Faces and places!
Find friends new and old as you join Friendship Force members from more than 17 countries. Our host club, FF Hamburg, is eager to show you their city with a variety of cultural programs, including a special organ concert at St. Michael’s Church. They will also host a gala banquet with traditional Hanseatic theme. Past attendees say the best part of a Friendship Force World Conference is the people you meet!
Act now!* Click here to register: http://www.regonline.com/2011worldconf
*Post-conference homestays around Germany are limited and very popular. Reserve your spot today.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
We’re taking friendship to the high seas – follow the adventure online!
Forty enthusiastic members are representing Friendship Force International on a cultural cruise through Central America and the Panama Canal – President George Brown among them! The cruise is operated by Enrichment Voyages, a program that offers educational, cultural programs and excursions as the 700-passenger cruise ship journeys to diverse ports around the world.
Will Enrichment Voyages and the Friendship Force be a good match? Can we successfully pair cultural cruises with home stays? Will other Enrichment Voyages participants want to join the Friendship Force? We will find out!
George will be blogging from the ship over the next two weeks. Read about his impressions and experiences at http://GeorgesWorldofFriends.blogspot.com. We’ll also be posting each of George’s blog entries on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/friendshipforce, and we’ll be encouraging other participants to post their thoughts and photos there as well.
I hope you’ll enjoy following this adventure online. Cultural cruises, blogging and social media… this could be the beginning of something big for the Friendship Force!
Email Jillian Walters (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) if you have questions.
Friday, April 15, 2011
FFI in the News
Indonesian Students Visit FF Western North Carolina
BlueRidgeNow.com, community news of Blue Ridge, Georgia
Top students from SMA No. 8, a public school in Indonesia, are visiting Western North Carolina this week. The trip, arranged by Friendship Force International, is an opportunity for the students to explore a different culture and make life-long friends. While staying with local families, the students will spend several days visiting schools and partaking in local activities before moving on to Tampa, Fl for the remainder of their trip.
Click here to read the article.
Friendship Force of Marlborough Hosts Brazilians for a Wine Tasting Trip
The Marlborough Express, newspaper of Wellington, New Zealand
Friendship Force of Marlborough recently welcomed nine Brazilian visitors for an eight-day wine-lovers trip. Members of the Florianopolis chapter of Friendship Force visited many wineries around the region from April 4th to 11th. The Brazilians then left on a five-day South Island bus tour.
Click here to read the article.
East Coast Regional Conference Spreads the Friendship Force Message
The Daily Progress, local news of Charlottesville, VA
Members of various Friendship Force chapters from New England through the Mid-Atlantic met in Charlottesville last weekend for a regional conference.
They told the newspaper that Friendship Force exchanges are an inexpensive way to travel, meet people from other cultures, form lasting friendships and build relationships between countries. In 2007, about 6,000 Friendship Force ambassadors traveled between 58 countries and thousands more served as hosts.
Click here to read the article.
Rex Farrow, a Club President, Shares his Experiences Traveling with the Friendship Force
Bay of Plenty Times, a newspaper of Tauranga, New Zealand
A feature on the Western Bay of Plenty Friendship Force — a group of intrepid travelers who love immersing themselves in other countries’ cultures and customs. This local New Zealand chapter was founded in 1989 and has 55 members.
Rex Farrow, the group’s president, said it’s a great experience to travel overseas and live with people in their own homes to gain a better understanding of how they live. He added that it creates lasting friendships around the world.
Click here to read the article.
Friendship Force of Big Canoe Hosts Photographer Randy Lewis for Club Meeting
Bigcanoenews.com, community news of Big Canoe, Georgia
Award-winning photographer Randy Lewis will be the guest speaker at the April 17th meeting of the Friendship Force of Big Canoe/North Georgia. Everyone is invited to hear Randy speak about photography and learn about travel opportunities and experiences offered by Friendship Force.
Click here to read the article.
Friendship Force Hiroshima President to Speak as Atomic Bomb Survivor
Berkshires.com, local news of North Adams, Massachusetts
The president of the Friendship Force Hiroshima Club will speak at the Koussevitzky Arts Center at Berkshire Community College in Massachusetts on April 5th at 12:15 p.m.
Hiroshima survivor Takaaki Morikawa will share his personal history of the event and show “The Lost Generation,” a film about the effects of the atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Morikawa was six years old when the bomb exploded about five miles away from him, and he still carries vivid memories of that day.
Morikawa, who had a long career in the automotive industry, has worked overseas and traveled to 45 countries.
Click here to read article.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
High school bands make music and friends with the Friendship Force
ATLANTA – Students from the Dunwoody High School band and the Decatur High School band in Georgia, USA, are going abroad April 1st on cultural exchanges for spring break.
The trips are coordinated by Friendship Force International, an Atlanta-based organization promoting friendship and goodwill through exchanges in more than 50 countries.
Fifty-eight students from the Dunwoody High School band will visit a local high school band in Bavaria, Germany. The bands will play music together, and the Dunwoody High School band will perform for the mayor. The Dunwoody students will explore the ancient Roman town of Regensburg and the historic village of Bamberg. In addition, they will visit the document center that houses historical information about the Nuremberg Trials.
“They will have great musical experiences and form life-time friendships, and they will get to know on a personal level about a part of the world that none of them is familiar with,” said Will Henderson, band director at Dunwoody High School.
The Decatur High School band will visit a local high school band in the city of Tuxtla Gutiérrez in Chiapas, Mexico. They will perform in a parade together, and the Decatur band will put on a performance attended by the governor. The 40 students from Decatur will also enjoy a reception at City Hall hosted by the mayor, as well as visits to museums, monuments and Indian villages.
“The Chiapas trip is a great opportunity for our students to see music and culture in a place very unlike what they experience every day in Decatur,” said Megan Williams, band director at Decatur High School. “The students will have a life-changing trip and come home with a renewed perspective on the world around us.”
Friendship Force International has been coordinating band exchanges for Decatur High School for more than 10 years. The band has been to Japan, Germany, England, Slovakia and Belgium.
This unique program gives American high school band students the opportunity to spend a week with band students in another country. The visiting students (ambassadors) are paired with local host families who introduce them to their culture, school and daily life. They tour places of cultural relevance together, and the bands may perform together.
The exchange allows students to experience different kinds of music and meet other musicians. On a deeper level, it provides a unique opportunity for teenagers to experience another culture, said Jillian Walters, communications coordinator for Friendship Force International.
“These teenage ambassadors and hosts may be very different from each other, but the band, the practicing, the joy of performance and the love of music — these are things they all have in common,” said Walters. “By meeting and becoming friends with the student musicians of another country, they see that their differences don’t divide them.”
Founded in 1977, Friendship Force International organizes an extensive program of home hosting or exchanges in more than 50 countries.
In addition to exchanges between established Friendship Force clubs, Friendship Force International conducts a variety of specialized travel programs. These include the “discover” series that introduces Friendship Force members to new countries and cultures; humanitarian and educational exchanges; and Friendship Festivals that include participants from many countries.
The Friendship Force believes that each and every person can make an important contribution to the world. To learn more, visit http://www.thefriendshipforce.org.
For more information on high school band exchanges, please contact Jillian Walters at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (404) 965-4359.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Regarding the situation in Japan
The following letter was sent to club presidents and vice presidents on March 15, 2011.
Dear friends,
Just as our friends in Christchurch, New Zealand, began trying to recover from the earthquake there, the terrible disaster struck Japan. Our hearts go out to all the people in the areas affected by the earthquakes.
This is a devastating tragedy for Japan. The Friendship Force family in Japan stretches across the entire nation and includes the Friendship Force of Miyagi, which is located in and around the area of Sendai – the area that has been hit hardest by the earthquake, the tsunami and now the radiation leak from the nuclear power plant.
The most recent reports we have received from our leaders in Japan indicate that the Friendship Force members in the area are safe, but some have suffered damage and all are in shock over the devastation.
Now the entire Japanese nation is not only mourning the destruction of the earthquake and tsunami, but they are also living with the unknown outcome of the damage to the nuclear power plant. We are all hoping and praying that this problem is quickly solved without any more damage.
We understand that the months ahead will be difficult ones for our Japanese members. The staff of FFI is already working directly with all clubs that have exchanges to or from Japan in the weeks ahead, and we will make any necessary adjustments.
Many people around the world are asking how they can help. We encourage those people who want to provide financial support to make donations to organizations like the Red Cross that are already organizing major relief efforts. We know those donations will be well spent. In the long run there may be other ways for Friendship Force members to get personally involved with the recovery process, but that will come later.
Please click here to read the Friendship Force International policy statement regarding financial assistance to disaster areas. Please let us hear from you via email if you have questions or suggestions.
In friendship,
George Brown
President, FFI
Friday, February 25, 2011
FFI in the News
Friendship Force of Western Colorado hosts World Friendship Day Open House
KREX-TV NewsChannel 5, a western Colorado news station
Friendship Force of Western Colorado is celebrating “World Friendship Day” on Saturday March 12 with an open house. It will feature informational displays on each of the 20 countries that their Friendship Force chapter has visited or hosted. Friendship Force members will be there to answer questions and serve refreshments from each of the countries displayed.
Click here to read the article.
International Brotherhood for World Friendship Day
The Oakland Tribune, news of the Bay Area
The Bay Area Friendship Force will celebrate World Friendship Day with an event focused on Pakistan and international brotherhood. The free event will feature guest speaker Sahar Ghazi, an American-born journalist of Pakistani descent who worked in Pakistan for several years. She will be sharing her experiences and thoughts about the nation where she helped launch the country’s first English-language television station and produced a documentary on U.S.-Pakistan relations called “The Disposable Ally.”
In addition, the World Friendship Day event will feature Johannes and Anna Maria Brodel performing works by Polish composer Fryderyk Chopin. The event is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. Feb. 26 at the First United Methodist Church.
Click here to read the article.
Friendship Force of Sacramento invites you to World Friendship Day
accesssacramento.org, a Sacramento, California event calendar
The Friendship Force of Sacramento will be hosting a community event for World Friendship Day on March 6, 2011 from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm at the Fair Oaks Community Center Auditorium in Fair Oaks, California. Stop by to enjoy cultural displays, crafts, and entertainment.
Click here to read the article.
Making Friends in Bundaberg
Bundaberg NewsMail, community news of Bundaberg, Australia
When the Australian national Friendship Force conference came to Bundaberg, it inspired many new friendships.
The three day conference, attended by close to 220 members, brought together people from across the country to learn about the exchange process. Members shared stories, listened to local representatives, and celebrated the 20th birthday of the Bundaberg Friendship Force Branch.
Click here to read the article.
Make a Difference on World Friendship Day
dBusinessNews.com, business newsletter of Atlanta, Georgia
World Friendship Day 2011 is the perfect opportunity to make a difference in the world — right in your own backyard.
The theme of World Friendship Day 2011, which will be observed around the world on March 1, is “Make a Difference.” Created five years ago by Friendship Force International, World Friendship Day is celebrated as citizens of the world organize special events in the name of global friendship. Celebrate the day by organizing an event that will have a positive impact on your community.
Click here to read the article.
Flooded Brazilian town close to the hearts of Friendship Force Greater Manchester
Messenger Newspapers, local news of Manchester, England
Greater Manchester Friendship Force members from Trafford, England were especially concerned when they learned of the terrible flooding in Teresopolis, Brazil in January.
The English club has a long history with the affected region, having both visited the Rio club and hosted an exchange for them as well. Their visit to the area took place four years ago when they stayed in the now flooded and landslide-ravaged town of Teresopolis. As guests of the Rio de Janeiro Friendship Force, they attended a party there at the holiday home of Anna Maria Endler, president of the Rio Club. Fortunately, they were able to learn via email that Endler and her home were safe.
Click here to read the article.
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
The Friendship Force International Online and Silent Auction is back by popular demand!
• Spread the word – Offer up a homestay, use of a time-share, use of a holiday house, etc., for bidding to raise money for the Legacy Fund, and retain ONE THIRD of the funds for your own club!
• Last year the auction raised $13,000. It’s your chance to be a part of expanding the Friendship Force network around the globe.
• Don’t delay! Contact Board Member Andrew Stirling at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to put your travel opportunity up for auction!
Dear friends,
Each year, your personal and club donations to the Legacy Fund help us expand your network of Friendship Force Clubs. Most recently, activity in Indonesia, Morocco, Argentina and Albania has expanded, funded in part by the Legacy Fund. Wouldn’t it be great if every club could make a contribution to the Legacy Fund so we advance the mission of the Friendship Force, and we all get new opportunities to make friends?
Last year the Board of Directors instituted an on-line and silent auction as a trial run. This was very successful and added $13,000 to the Legacy Fund. The 35 auction items were given by board members themselves, by past members, field reps and some clubs that “got into the swing” early enough.
The trial run showed that if we start earlier and get many more clubs involved we can probably raise considerably more…and in a very painless way. The auction also had some unexpected benefits. Winning bidders and donors have made new friendships and are excited to meet each other. And ambassadors on pre-existing exchanges have been able to add short home-stays in nearby cities.
We have also learned that in 2011 we should have both an online and a silent auction component, because attendees at the World Conference often outbid the online bidders who were unaware of the higher bid.
To maximize the benefit for the work involved it is necessary to start early in 2011. The sooner the offers are listed, the earlier we can advise outbound ambassadors of the chance to bid on them. This is necessary because people make plans to travel and buy tickets many months before travelling.
It would be really helpful if clubs and individuals could consider making an offering to the Auction at their February or March meeting so that the items can get listed early. But if not, later offerings will be welcomed, of course.
What can you offer? Homestays, use of a time-share, use of a chalet, holiday house etc. were very popular last year and drew multiple bidders and strong bids. Though many of the bidders are in North America, offers from other countries are really valuable and particularly if made early. Last year’s offer to “Climb Mt Fuji and stay a week in Tokyo” and “Stay a week in Yogyakarta, Indonesia” were good examples of these offers.
Please put this request for help on the agenda of your next board meeting AND spread it among members for individual offers as soon as you get this letter. Send your offer to FFI Board Member and Auction Coordinator, Andrew Stirling, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). The Auction can really help expand Friendship Force if every club and every member thinks of what they can give. (As per last year, clubs may retain one third of the funds raised for club development purposes.)
In friendship,
Andrew Stirling, FFI Board of Directors
George Brown, FFI President
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
FFI in the News
Centerville-Washington Foundation honors local couple as Community Founders
TCNewsNet.com, community news of Dayton, Ohio
Friendship Force members David and Doris Ponitz are recognized for their community service and their contributions to international communities. Doris led the first Friendship Force exchange to Sarajevo, and David has been instrumental in starting community colleges in Qatar and India.
Click here to read article
Friendship Force Somerset prepares for Japanese visitors
ThisIsSomerset.co.uk, a news and information website for Somerset county in England
Click here to read the article
Monday, August 23, 2010
FFI in the News
Friendship Force prepares for Costa Rica trip
PennLive.com, news and information Web site about Central Pennsylvania
Click here to read the article
Monday, August 16, 2010
FFI in the News
Australian ambassadors to experience a bit of Iowa life
The Tribune, newspaper of central Iowa, USA
Click here to read the article
Indonesian students show their appreciation
BlueRidgeNow.com, newspaper of Blue Ridge region of North Carolina, USA
Click here to read the article
Monday, August 09, 2010
German volunteers save the day for stranded Brazilian ambassadors
Sixteen Brazilian ambassadors in Germany were almost stranded when their trip to Moscow, the middle week of a 25-day exchange, was called off due to increasingly dangerous weather conditions in the Russian capital.
The Brazilian ambassadors were participating in the Schwerin festival and homestay and were scheduled to leave Saturday, August 7, to spend a week with FF Korolev in the suburbs of Moscow before heading on to Estonia. But by Wednesday it was apparent that travel to Moscow would be impossible.
Wildfires resulting from record heat in Russia filled the capital with “an acrid, choking haze,” the Associated Press reported. Friendship Force members in Korolev and Moscow contacted FFI Headquarters reporting difficulty breathing in the city.
Many members who were supposed to host ambassadors have instead had to take in displaced relatives, whose villages were consumed in the blaze.
With only three days left for their German homestay, the Brazilians worried that they would not be able to find another host in time. With their Estonian hosts still expecting them the following week, they needed somewhere to go.
To their credit, many Friendship Force members across Germany came forward to offer whatever help they could provide, even if it was only a day or two of hosting.
The best solution came from the Friendship Force of Varel, whose members rallied to take in all 16 ambassadors for the full week.
FFI President George Brown applauded FF Varel and everyone who volunteered to help. “They demonstrated flexibility and strong leadership in taking responsibility in an emergency. They have the desire to serve the cause of friendship and the needs of others, and that comes from an appreciation of all people across the world,” Brown said.
FFI Headquarters extends its sympathy to our members in Moscow and the surrounding region as they endure these difficult times. We will continue to follow the situation closely. Click here to read more about the situation in Moscow.
Thursday, June 03, 2010
June 3, 2010
Between 1983 and 2009, Friendship Force International (FFI) published a magazine by the name of Friendship. Thousands of members enjoyed receiving this colorful and informative publication about the global activities of the Friendship Force. The subscription cost was minimal, but because of the time and cost of international postage, most subscribers were in the United States and Canada.
We now are pleased to begin publication of the next generation of Friendship as an on-line magazine. You’ll see the first issue in the website with a fascinating cover story about an exchange to Morocco. Reading the article and seeing the photos will make you want to join the next such exchange—and there is information attached on how you can do so.
But you’ll notice that for now the magazine has only a cover story. The rest of the magazine is being developed and will include timely articles on exchanges, clubs, and other news of interest to all members.
Best of all, the new Friendship will be accessible to everyone on the web, and it will be free of charge! As the magazine becomes complete in the months ahead we’ll be providing email alerts when the new issue is ready for all to see.
Like any good magazine, we will want to incorporate your ideas and feedback. Let us hear from you regarding what you would like to see. And if you have an article or idea to submit, please do so by sending it to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
