Friendship Force connects the world

“One way to do that is to get to live with someone for a few days,” he said. “That changes your view and theirs. There’s a personal enrichment and a sense that you’re part of something bigger than yourself.”

After 35 years of promoting personal friendships, the Friendship Force now operates exchange programs in 57 countries, and there are plans to add 45 new clubs around the world in the next few years. Members pay a nominal annual fee and are responsible for their own travel costs. They also have the option of taking trips with other clubs around the country. For most people who join, the primary attraction is getting to travel and experience different cultures first-hand.

“It’s a very different way to travel,” said John Wilhelm, a former president of the Atlanta club who has been part of exchanges to Norway, Brazil, Russia, Northern Ireland and New Zealand. “You can go on a cruise for about the same amount of money, but when you go on one of these trips, you see what a tourist would see as well as many things they don’t. You get to see what the local people think is worthwhile.”

Anne Earle, also a former Atlanta chapter president, got involved with Friendship Force in 2001 through an exchange with Decatur High School band students. She and her husband Joe have been to Australia, Italy and Uzbekistan and try to make a trip every year.

“Uzbekistan was the most completely different place I’d never been, a place I’d never have gone on my own,” said Earle. “We have met so many interesting people from all over the world. You always have so much to talk about because everyone is from somewhere wonderful.”

The Atlanta chapter of the Friendship Force is one of the largest with about 200 members from across the metro area. They hold various social events and plan two excursions each year. They also host foreign clubs twice a year, which gives Atlantans a chance to show off their home city.

“It’s always so interesting to see other people’s view of what we take for granted,” said Earle. “For instance, last September, we hosted a group from Lima, Peru, and we went to CNN, Centennial Olympic Park, the World of Coke and the top of the Westin for a drink. It began to rain, which we thought would ruin everything, but the visitors loved it. It never rains in Lima, so walking around with umbrellas was really exciting for them. But it really makes you appreciate your own city and country.”

The Friendship Force was started by people who still had memories of World War II and the Cold War, said Brown. In 1977, reaching out to other people was a great way to promote peace and understanding. Even today’s advanced systems of global communications haven’t changed that goal.

“One of the dynamics today is that people are connected globally, but that doesn’t necessarily  mean there’s understanding,” said Brown. “There’s just as much -- if not more -- need for people to encounter each other.”

Information about the Friendship Force and its programs is online at www.friendshipforce.org.

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