Friendship Force International creates global goodwill through personal friendship. Through the world of friends in the Friendship Force global network, a world of peace is created. Organizational History Friendship Force International (FFI) exchanges are conducted through a global network of independently chartered clubs. Clubs are administered by volunteers within a local community, while the worldwide network is supported by a staff at the headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, USA and overseen by an international Board of Directors. Since its establishment in 1977, with the support and endorsement of President Jimmy Carter, FFI has actively sought to foster positive relations between diverse people and cultures in more than 60 countries. The organization was recognized for its achievements in 1992 by being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. FFI is financed by participant fees and charitable donations. Programs Club Exchanges link ambassadors from one club to hosts from a club in another country. Groups of 15 to 30 ambassadors spend five days to two weeks in the homes of the hosts. The ambassadors partake in the hosts daily activities from morning tea to trips to the market. The host families receive no payment for opening their homes. The host committee receives an event activity budget. Ambassadors pay their own travel expenses plus an administrative fee. Exchanges are led by a volunteer Exchange Director, who is appointed by a local Friendship Force club. Bridgebuilder Exchanges are based on a specific theme and have the same structure as the club exchange. Themes include: professional, youth, family, hobby, and humanitarian. Many bridgebuilder exchanges are conducted through partnerships with other leading international organizations. Festivals of Friendship combine cultural programs and tours with the home-hosting experience. Participants spend several nights in a hotel setting followed by a homestay experience in the region. Festivals are open to all Friendship Force members. Conferences provide current and prospective volunteers the opportunity for leadership training. In 2006, there will be 17 regional conferences held and the international conference will be in Dublin, Ireland. Participants stay in a hotel during the conference. Facts 367 chartered clubs in 55 countries on 6 continents with 22,345 members. 262 clubs are outside of the US. Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have more than 20 clubs each. 39 US states have 105 active clubs. 245 exchanges were conducted in 2005 with 4,579 ambassadors hosted by 7,128 local hosts. 58 years old is the average age of a Friendship Force participant. In 2005, the youngest participant was 5 years old and the oldest was 92. 1.8 million hits were received by www.friendshipforce.org in 2005. 175,000 ambassadors and 525,000 hosts have participated through more than 5000 exchanges since 1977. # # # # # |
Friendship Force International |