2008 International Conference

The 2008 conference was held October 2- 5, 2008 at the Marriott Surfers Paradise Resort, Gold Coast Australia, which is where Queensland meets New South Wales on the east coast of Australia. The airport is at Coolangatta. Just south of  Brisbane, the Gold Coast boasts of 35 miles of white sand beaches, islands, perfect temperatures, nearby mountains, wildlife and national parks, and friendly people. The conference will be followed by homestays nearby and tours. 

Four-night homestays were offered from October 5-9. Hosting is offered by The Friendship Force one of the six FF clubs located within 2 -3 hours of Brisbane and the Gold Coast. There was also a homestay in Sydney the week before the conference and a post-conference tour of the best of Australia. 

2009 International Conference

Okinawa, Japan - November 19-22, 2009

CANCELED

We received this communique from FFI on 6/23:

2009 International Conference in Okinawa is Cancelled

 

FFI is sorry to report the cancellation of this year's International Conference, which was scheduled for Okinawa in November.

In addition to very low registration numbers, three other factors were taken into account in making the decision to cancel the conference: (a) We have received word from many clubs that normally attend the conference that they will not be represented this year due to global economic concerns; (b) Conducting a very small conference would result in considerably increased costs; and (c) By cancelling now, five months in advance, FFI will avoid any financial penalties and those who were planning to attend have time to make other plans.

FFI remains committed to holding a successful international conference in Japan in the future, and also to developing a club on Okinawa. We will be working with our Japanese leaders in the months ahead and will be able to make an announcement regarding these priorities by the end of this year.

With the cancellation of the 2009 International Conference, the 2010 conference takes on even greater importance. Plans are well underway to have an excellent conference in Washington, DC, October 15-18. 2010. Full details and registration materials will be available before the end of this year.

**********************

Okinawa!

Friendship Force International
233 Peachtree St, Suite 2250 | Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: 404.522.9490 | www.thefriendshipforce.org

Top

2010 International Conference

The next conference will be held in Washington, DC– October 16-18, 2010. 

See the FF International page for full information.

World Friendship Day

Letter from FFI president George Brown: 

Dear Friendship Force Clubs,

World Friendship Day is an important time in our Friendship Force Club community, and now is the time to put the date on your calendar and begin your planning. The official World Friendship “Day” is March 1st, but many clubs use that as a starting point for multiple events that occur over a longer span of time. This special day, recognized in 2008 by the United States Senate, is our opportunity as a global community to get the world’s attention with public events and activities in the name of friendship. This is a great time to reach out to your community, to the press, to individuals, and to other clubs in the spirit of forming new connections, and creating new friendships.

Our theme for the 2010 celebration of World Friendship Day is: Friendship On Six Continents. As a
Friendship Force club, you will be part of an event celebrated globally. This theme is a symbol meant to convey the breadth and reach of Friendship Force clubs and relationships around the world. It is an opportunity and challenge to make your event special by reaching out to as many world friends as you can. For example, see how many of the continents are represented in your own community; re-connect with friendships made on earlier exchanges; form a community partnership. Not every continent or world region will be represented in every community. But, by setting our sights high, we can find new ways to celebrate international friendship right in our own backyards. In this document, we are including suggestions and ideas to assist your brainstorming process. Feel free to use
these exactly as you find them, or use them as a starting place for creating your own unique World Friendship Day celebration. More details, including a dedicated webpage [on www.thefriendshipforce.org], will follow in the next weeks.

Please don’t hesitate to call on me if you have questions.
In Friendship,
George Brown

Top

****************************************

SAVE THE DATE!
WORLD FRIENDSHIP DAY 2010
Fact Sheet

DATE: March 1, 2010

THEME: Friendship on Six Continents

SLOGAN: The Friendship Force: We Connect Six Continents

FACT: March 1st 2005 – First observance of World Friendship Day by Friendship Force Clubs

FACT: March 1st 2010 is the 6th observance of WFD by Friendship Force Clubs worldwide

FACT: In 2008 the United States Senate issued a proclamation designating March 1st as “World Friendship Day”

HISTORY: The first celebration was March 1st, 2005, and was known as “Friendship Day Around the World.” At that time, March 1st was officially designated as the anniversary date for the entire organization. The selection of March 1st for World Friendship Day is a tribute to founder, Wayne Smith, and acknowledges the original founding day of The Friendship Force on March 1st, 1977, when it was announced in a White House ceremony by President Jimmy Carter. 

CONCEPT: To employ the WFD 2010 theme of “Friendship on Six Continents” in the service of increasing public awareness for the Friendship Force’s Global mission.

CHALLENGE: FFI encourages Friendship Force clubs around the world to celebrate World Friendship Day of 2010 with club activities and /or public events that will:
•   Increase public awareness for the Friendship Force
•   Provide a platform for gaining new members
•   Create opportunities for real-life examples of executing the FFI mission*
•   Serve as a fundraising opportunity for your club
(*To promote global understanding across the barriers that separate people)

Nine Ways to Celebrate Friendship on Six Continents

1)  Hold a wine tasting featuring wines of the world
2)  Stage a concert with music and performers representing multiple cultures
3)  Organize a “Skype” phone conference with FF people/clubs in other countries
4)  Look around your community for foreign nationals newly re-located to your town and invite them

      social event with your club members
5)  Hold a costume contest and give an award for the costume best depicting one of the 6 Continents
6)  Make a contribution to the FFI Legacy Fund in honor of your club
7)  Connect with your local government (city, municipality) with a request for an official proclamation

      recognizing your club, and March 1st, as World Friendship Day. (Proclamation template included

      on www.thefriendshipforce.org)
8)  Contact civic organizations and ask to be included in an upcoming program, an opportunity to

      promote Friendship Force
9)  Be creative and design a unique celebration!

FFI will be recognizing the most creative celebrations at the World Conference in Washington, DC–
October 16-18, 2010.

Top

Click here for Dallas Photos, March 1, 2005 - World Friendship Day

Top

Open Doors Weekends

The "Open Doors Southwest" weekends are underway. Each club in the Friendship Force Southwest Conference has agreed to home host members of other SW Conference clubs for a 3-day weekend. The weekend may be chosen to coincide with a special event in the host club's city.

The Fort Worth club hosted the first Fort Worth event on September 17-19, 2004 for a weekend of Jazz on the Boulevard and the Latin Arts Festival. Jazz on the Boulevard is a free event on the lawn north of the Will Rogers Complex and includes free concerts. Many excellent jazz musicians performed and two tours were also offered. These events added options for the weekend visitors. 

Contact Jim Young (jim_and_berry@hotmail.com) if your club would like to schedule an Open Doors events. 

Top

Exchanges

See Other Clubs page for festivals and other clubs' exchanges.