For months, John Wilhelm watched the massive structure take shape along Atlanta's 14th Street.
He later learned it would be home to the Al-Farooq Masjid of Atlanta.
"The structure was beautiful," said Wilhelm, a sales representative for a trade book publisher. "I don't know anything about Islam. All we know since 9/11 is terrorism. ... I felt like that can't be what their religion is teaching."
This week, Wilhelm and more than two dozen others will get a closer look at the mosque as part of the Atlanta-based Friendship Force International's program, which promotes cultural and global understanding. Wilhelm is a former president of the group's Atlanta chapter and a field representative for Friendship Force.
Similar efforts will take place across the country. On Tuesday, the organization, which was founded in March 1977 by Wayne Smith and supported by former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, will observe "World Friendship Day." The theme of the day is to "Make a Difference." Some of the 387 chapters in more than 55 countries plan to hold international festivals; volunteers will also work with refugee centers or visit international schools.
"Make contact on a personal basis with people you see every day who are different from you," said George Brown, president of Friendship Force. "Tell them, ‘I don't know you, but I'd like to be your friend.' "
In the long range, efforts could include living with a family in a foreign country for a week or hosting someone from another country in your home. "If enough people do it, it can change the world," Brown said. "It's both a little idea and a big idea."
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