Friendship Force celebrates 13th annual World Friendship Day; Urging everyone to “Make a friend and make a difference”

ATLANTA, Feb. 12, 2018 -- Have you ever thought you’d like to make a difference in the world some day? You can, right now.  

This year on March 1, on the 13^th anniversary of the founding of World Friendship Day by Friendship Force International, the theme is “Make a friend and make a difference.”

“Our world today sometimes seems more divided than ever,” says Jeremi Snook, President and CEO of Atlanta based Friendship Force International. “So, now more than ever, we need people everywhere to reject the political and partisan rhetoric all around us, look beyond it and into the eyes of another person and extend a hand of friendship. That seemingly small act, multiplied millions of times around the world, will indeed make a difference!”

Since its founding in Atlanta more than 40 years ago in 1977 as the original global citizen homestay journey/exchange program, Friendship Force International has helped to coordinate journeys of friendship and discovery by more than 1 million people who have visited in the homes of strangers for a week or more and returned home as friends.

Today, journeys of exploration, education, service or cultural immersion can be arranged in more than 60 countries around the world, where more than 15,000 Friendship Force volunteer members open their hearts, homes and communities to world travelers eager to immerse themselves in local cultures to help build bridges across the barriers that separate people.

World Friendship Day is officially recognized on March 1 each year by the United States Senate and other governing bodies around the world that encourage average people to get to know one another better because, as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter once said, “International friendship is a powerful antidote to war.”

On World Friendship Day, Friendship Force International also invites you to make a difference in your community by taking part in special initiatives in the name of global friendship.

Here are some ideas for ways to make a positive impact on World Friendship Day:

• Read or give a presentation on the meaning of friendship at a library, school, neighborhood or youth organization.
• Host a dinner in your home for foreign exchange students or the new family from another land just down the street.
• Volunteer at an international school for an English (or other) language class; learn it or teach it, it doesn’t matter.
• Donate supplies or volunteer at a refugee center.
• Invite local religious leaders from various faiths for a round table discussion on religious tolerance or world peace.
• Host a World Friendship Day dinner or party for a cultural organization in your community; the Six Continents Dinner idea is a popular one.
• Donate supplies to a humanitarian or refugee organization.
• Simply make it a point to make eye contact and say hello to each and very stranger you meet on World Friendship Day (and see how good it feels).

In addition to journeys between established Friendship Force clubs, Friendship Force International conducts a variety of specialized travel programs that include individual journeys; family jamborees; humanitarian and educational journeys; Friendship Festivals that include participants from many countries; professional and academic group travel and more.

Friendship Force believes that each and every person can make an important contribution to the world on World Friendship Day March 1 and every day.

To learn more about how you can experience different views and discover common ground, visit the Friendship Force website.

Media Contact:

Andy Bowen

404-822-3309

[email protected]