Founded | March 1, 1977 |
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Founder | Wayne Smith Jimmy Carter |
Products | Homestay |
Services | Hospitality |
Key people | Jeremi Snook, President & CEO |
Website | thefriendshipforce |
Friendship Force International (FFI) is a nonprofit organization with the mission of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, friendship, and intercultural competence via homestays. The organization operates in more than 60 countries and in 6 continents, with 15,000 active members and over 300 annual programs, called "Journeys".
The organization holds continuing fundraising campaigns and has a goal of increasing membership from 15,000 to 25,000 people. [1] [2]
The program got its foundation in a project established by Presbyterian minister Wayne Smith and then-governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter in 1973, after organizing an exchange program with Pernambuco, Brazil in which the Brazilians stayed in the Georgia Governor's Mansion. [3]
FFI was unveiled on March 1, 1977, by President Jimmy Carter and Smith at a White House gathering of state governors. [3] First Lady Rosalynn Carter served as Honorary Chairperson until 2002.
On July 4, 1977, the first exchange took place; it involved 762 members that traveled between Atlanta and Newcastle Upon Tyne. [4] [5] For the first five years, FFI used air charters to shuttle delegations of 150 to 400 visitors between partner cities. [5]
In 1982, the format was changed from large simultaneous homestays to smaller non-simultaneous visits using commercial airlines. [5]
In the 1980s, Ryōichi Sasakawa donated money to the organization that allowed the program to grow internationally. [5]
In 1985, FFI instituted the American Russian Mutual Survival program to encourage "the use of arms that embrace rather than arms that destroy" and facilitated exchanges between the United States and the Soviet Union. [5]
In 1992, FFI was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for its work building understanding between the people of the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. [5]
In June 2012, on its 35th anniversary, FFI launched a program to Cuba. [6]
In July 2013, Joy DiBenedetto was named President and chief executive officer of FFI. [7]
Effective November 9, 2015, Jeremi Snook became the 6th President and chief executive officer of the organization. [8]
In November 2017, FFI announced a partnership with Global Green USA to promote environmental sustainability, peace, understanding, and friendship. [9]
AIESEC is an international youth-run and led, non-governmental and not-for-profit organization that provides young people with leadership development, cross-cultural internships, and global volunteer exchange experiences. The organization focuses on empowering young people to make a progressive social impact. The AIESEC network includes approximately 40,000 members in 120+ countries.
Andrew Jackson Young Jr. is an American politician, diplomat, and activist. Beginning his career as a pastor, Young was an early leader in the civil rights movement, serving as executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and a close confidant to Martin Luther King Jr. Young later became active in politics, serving as a U.S. Congressman from Georgia, United States Ambassador to the United Nations in the Carter Administration, and 55th Mayor of Atlanta. Since leaving office, Young has founded or served in many organizations working on issues of public policy and political lobbying.
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit organization. CFR is based in New York City, with an additional office in Massachusetts. Its membership has included senior politicians, numerous secretaries of state, CIA directors, bankers, lawyers, professors, corporate directors and CEOs, and senior media figures.
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. He and his wife Rosalynn Carter partnered with Emory University just after his defeat in the 1980 United States presidential election. The center is located in a shared building adjacent to the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum on 37 acres (150,000 m2) of parkland, on the site of the razed neighborhood of Copenhill, two miles (3 km) from downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The library and museum are owned and operated by the United States National Archives and Records Administration, while the center is governed by a Board of Trustees, consisting of business leaders, educators, former government officials, and philanthropists.
Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through [the] fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders". It is a non-political and non-religious organization. Membership is by invitation and based on various social factors. There are over 46,000 member clubs worldwide, with a membership of 1.4 million individuals, known as Rotary members.
WESCO International, Inc. is an American publicly traded Fortune 500 holding company for WESCO Distribution, a multinational electrical distribution and services company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The School of International Service (SIS) is American University's school of advanced international study, covering areas such as international politics, international communication, international development, international economics, peace and conflict resolution, international law and human rights, global environmental politics, and U.S. foreign policy.
Established on February 27, 1977, the Fulbright Association is a private, nonprofit organization whose members are Fulbright Program alumni and friends of international education. The association supports and promotes international educational and cultural exchange and the ideal most associated with the Fulbright name—mutual understanding among the peoples of the world.
Sister Cities International (SCI) is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between communities in the United States and those in other countries, particularly through the establishment of "sister cities"—broad, long-term agreements formally recognized by civic leaders. Its mission is to "build global cooperation at the municipal level, promote cultural understanding and stimulate economic development". A total of 1,800 cities, states, and counties are partnered in 138 countries worldwide.
The Experiment in International Living, or The Experiment, is a worldwide program offering homestays, language, arts, community service, ecological adventure, culinary, and regional and cultural exploration programs of international cross-cultural education for high school students. It is administered by World Learning, a non-profit, international development and education organization based in Brattleboro, Vermont, in the United States.
The Air Cadet League of Canada is a volunteer organization that provides financial support and oversight to the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. The Air Cadet League owns all of the aircraft used in the Air Cadet Gliding Program. The League is organized into three levels: the National, the Provincial, and the local level, each of which is responsible for different areas of the League.
Mary Jean Eisenhower is an American humanitarian. She is the chairman emeritus of People to People International. She is a granddaughter of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States.
Homestay is a form of hospitality and lodging whereby visitors share a residence with a local of the area (host) to which they are traveling. The length of stay can vary from one night to over a year and can be provided for free, in exchange for monetary compensation, in exchange for a stay at the guest's property either simultaneously or at another time, or in exchange for housekeeping or work on the host's property. Homestays are examples of collaborative consumption and the sharing economy. Homestays are used by travelers; students who study abroad or participate in student exchange programs; and au pairs, who provide child care assistance and light household duties. They can be arranged via certain social networking services, online marketplaces, or academic institutions. Social networking services where hosts offer homestays for free are called hospitality exchange services.
Nacha, originally the National Automated Clearinghouse Association, manages the development, administration, and governance of the ACH Network, the backbone for the electronic movement of money and data in the United States, and is an association for the payments industry. The ACH Network serves as a network for direct consumer, business, and government payments, and annually facilitates billions of payments such as Direct Deposit and Direct Payment. The ACH Network is governed by the Nacha Operating Rules, a set of rules that guide risk management.
Peace Boat is a global non-government organization headquartered in Japan established for the purpose of raising awareness and building connections internationally among groups that work for peace, human rights, environmental protection and sustainable development. "Peace Boat" may also refer to one of the ships embarking on a cruise under the Peace Boat organization. Since its founding in 1983, the Shinjuku, Tokyo based organization has launched more than 100 voyages. These cruises, the main operation of the Peace Boat organization, are on average carried out at least three times a year. Peace Boat, described by the San Francisco Chronicle as a "floating university of sorts", offers educational opportunities aboard, with conferences related to global events. They also provide humanitarian aid at their various stops and visit local organizations.
Asian Pacific Children's Convention in Fukuoka, Japan, is a non-profit making organization which promotes peace and co-existence throughout the world under the theme "We are the BRIDGE: We connect dreams around the world".
The Gusi Peace Prize is a private award given by the Gusi Peace Prize Foundation, based in Manila, Philippines. The Gusi Peace Prize is given to recognize individuals and organizations who contribute to global peace and progress through a wide variety of fields.
World Learning is a 501(c)(3) international nonprofit organization that focuses on international development, education, and exchange programs. Based in Brattleboro, Vermont, World Learning "unlocks the potential of people to address critical global issues" through its core program areas: The Experiment in International Living, the School for International Training, and International Development and Exchange Programs.
World Culture Open (WCO) is a non-profit organization that promotes cultural diversity and unprejudiced cultural exchange around the globe. WCO has its regional offices in New York City, Seoul, and Beijing.
AFS Intercultural Programs is an international youth exchange organization. It consists of over 50 independent, not-for-profit organizations, each with its own network of volunteers, professionally staffed offices, volunteer board of directors and website. In 2015, 12,578 students traveled abroad on an AFS cultural exchange program, between 99 countries. The U.S.-based partner, AFS-USA, sends more than 1,100 U.S. students abroad and places international students with more than 2,300 U.S. families each year. More than 424,000 people have gone abroad with AFS and over 100,000 former AFS students live in the U.S.
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Homestays |
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