Australian members of the Global Friendship Force visited Waterton National Park with the Lethbridge chapter in an effort to turn strangers into friends.
The global organization, which has more than 300 chapters in 60 countries, aims to foster new friendships. Barbra Clarke, chairperson of Lethbridge Friendship Force, explained that the Lethbridge chapter is unique in that its members stay in each other’s homes.
“Initially it was about helping to bring peace to the world. The idea was to make friends because you don't want to have an enemy, you want a friend,” Clark explained. “So initially if you're in someone's house, sitting under their table morning and night, you learn about their culture and then become friends.”
Groups that want to visit different countries apply to the headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, which then connects the group with the country's host and sends them on their way from there.
The matching process is based on interest. For example, the Australian group is known for having a large number of academic professionals, so they are paired with other teachers and professors in Canada.
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Organizers then get to know the visitors and create an itinerary based on their interests and limitations. The Lethbridge chapter is determined to ensure that visitors have a great time.
“We show them all the tourist attractions, including visits to the First Nations and Blackfoot and Buffalo Run, but we also do things they’re interested in. Most groups that visit Lethbridge want to see our area, especially the Rocky Mountains,” Clark said.
“But we also plan get-togethers and lots of good food because we all love to eat and that's how we make friends. Laughter, good food and fun.”
Mount Gambier Australian Friendship Force chairman Bill McGregor said the trip was long awaited.
“We were originally planning to go to Lethbridge and Vancouver Island in 2020, but COVID put a stop to that,” McGregor explained. “So, this is our journey four years ago. It took us a long time to get here, but we’ve really enjoyed it and the club has been great to us.”
The Mount Gambier delegation was accompanied by another Australian Friendship Force delegation from Mount Baker, which is only a four-hour drive from Mount Gambier.
Mount Baker chairman David Adams was elected as the chief liaison between the Australian delegation and its Canadian hosts.
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“We found that we quickly became friends at both clubs we visited because we all matched well with people from similar backgrounds,” Adams said.
Clarke herself is the host of this special group and is excited to share her own culture while learning about other cultures around the world, and her Australian guests feel the same way.
“When you’re communicating with people from all over the world, even if you don’t have a translator and have never spoken the language, you can still really connect with other people,” McGregor said, adding that you can still make people laugh and have a good time just through your mannerisms.
Clark said she has traveled around the world with her Friendship Power group, making valuable friendships in places ranging from Thailand to Moscow and Germany.
“It's amazing because you have to have that sense of adventure, and I've been hosted by people my kids' age,” she said. “One thing that still fascinates me is that they offered their homes. So, you know they tried their best. Some were very modest, some were very exotic. But it's the person that matters, it's not the house you remember, it's the person.”
Another example is that no matter where you go in the world, it is the people who enrich your life that make it so wonderful.
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