They have made friends around the world and now members of a local club have another reason to smile.
The Friendship Force Club of Edmonton and Area was announced as the recipient of the Outstanding Club Award for 2010. The presentation was made during the 33rd annual conference of Friendship Force International last month in Washington, D.C.
Lou Duigou is the publicity chairman for the local chapter. The St. Albert resident said the win is a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to its leadership both past and present.
“This was a distinctive honour,” he began, recalling the club’s reaction to the news. “They were elated because it was unexpected.”
The group had nominated its past president for an honourable mention at the ceremony but the international body in turn decided to celebrate the entire membership.
“Because of what had been done [by our president] over the last couple of years, Friendship Force International decided to recognize the whole club.”
He likened the work of the club to international diplomacy on a personal level.
“There is a purpose behind all of this. That’s to develop understanding and spread peace. We call ourselves ambassadors. Maybe it’s a play on vocabulary but nevertheless it conveys a certain meaning.”
These exchanges called home stays are usually more than just visits as lifelong friendships often develop. Hosts welcome their guests into their homes and often co-ordinate guided tours of their locations as a way of introducing them to their culture and giving them a crash course on what life is like in that part of the world. There’s a loftier objective as well, Duigou stated.
“It’s about meeting people but one of our objectives is to promote peace and understanding around the world. With all the fighting and so many wars and misunderstandings … this is an opportunity to meet people from other countries — either they come to visit us or we go and visit them — and we sit at their kitchen table, so to speak … and develop some mutual understanding.”
The Edmonton club has a membership of about 90 people. Friendship Force International is a non-profit organization that promotes a kind of diplomacy between distant neighbours through its home hospitality program. It sees about 250 different exchanges each year between 346 clubs in almost 60 countries. In 11 years the local chapter has sent members to 17 countries. Next year, they have planned trips to Florida, Colombia and Ecuador in February.
If you would like to learn more about the local chapter of the club or become a member, visit www.friendshipforceedmonton.org. It is always looking out for new members to get involved. Annual membership fees are only $25.
