“The main purpose is to learn and understand other cultures and make friends because if we have friends around the world and we understand them – that’s our strive toward world peace.”
That’s from Barb Clarke, the president of Lethbridge Friendship Force.
The non-profit cultural club organizes exchanges, trips and activities between members from other Friendship Force branches around the world.
The Lethbridge non-profit has been around since 1994 when it became the first branch of its kind in Canada. In total, there are over 300 clubs in more than 60 countries, offering people an opportunity to make friends out of strangers from across the globe.
“The idea [is] that if you have your feet under the table of someone’s house, morning and evening, you learn how they live, and you make friends. You learn about their culture; you understand [our] common humanity and realize that the differences are not so great,” explains Clarke, who joined the club with her husband in 2007.
The Lethbridge branch has organized trips for its members to the likes of South America, Russia and this fall, Japan. In 2025, Clarke says they are planning to go to Brazil.
Generally, the local club likes to welcome groups from elsewhere to Lethbridge for at least two weeks in the year and travel outside of Alberta or Canada for at least two weeks each year.
She adds the group does not receive grant money from any government but is supported by donations and membership fees. Clarke says it costs $65 per year to be part of the club.
“We keep our organization [going] by the fees that we pay to our international organization.”
Friendship Force International serves as the parent organization for clubs around the globe.
Clarke says the non-profit hosts world conferences, with Friendship Force Canada separated into two different areas. “So, we have a western representative and an eastern representative and they report back to our international organization.”
“There’s regional representatives from all around the world who are connected to the international, and that’s how we govern ourselves,” she adds.
UPCOMING HOSTING EXPERIENCE
From August 25 to 31, 2024, the Lethbridge club will host eight Friendship Force members from Stratford and St. Marys, Ontario. This past June, the branch hosted visitors from Australia.
The upcoming visit will include trips to sites like Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Waterton Lakes National Park, Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, Henderson Lake Park, Lethbridge City Hall and the Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation in Coaldale.
Clarke adds the trip will include “a fair number of agricultural sites” as well to showcase the sector in southern Alberta.
For people in Lethbridge, a post has been installed at Henderson Lake Park that features plaques highlighting all the clubs that have visited the city and region.
Clarke says the group is open to welcoming new members. Those wanting to learn more can visit the local club’s website.
