Terms and Conditions

Registering online gives you access to special information only available to members as well as expands your overall security and privacy as you participate in in-person and virtual experiences. In order to register you must agree to the following terms and conditions.

Included in this agreement:

  1. Welcome to Friendship Force International!
  2. Privacy and security (statement of GDPR compliance)
  3. General waiver of liability

  1. Welcome to Friendship Force!

If you are new to FFI, it is a pleasure to have you with us! As a member of Friendship Force International (FFI), a world of friendship opportunities is available to you. These take the form of both in-person cultural exchanges as well as virtual experiences.

In-Person Cultural Exchange - FFI arranges for groups of citizen ambassadors to share the lives of a host family living in another country for one or two weeks. The Ambassadors and Hosts are usually members of local Friendship Force clubs (over 360 worldwide!). Host families receive no payment for opening their homes. The participants who travel, called "Ambassadors," pay their own travel expenses plus an administrative fee which covers most of the operating costs of Friendship Force International. Participation in a Journey is determined through an application process and the club carefully selects Ambassadors and Hosts to ensure compatibility with the program. For more details and a list of our upcoming journeys, please visit our website: www.friendshipforce.org

Virtual Experiences - FFI offers three online opportunities for international cultural exchange: Virtual Journeys, Learning Space, and Members Connect.

  1. A Virtual Journey is a Virtual Experience that takes place over the course of about a month. Clubs are matched to "visit" one another virtually, with one club assigned as the host club and one club as the ambassador club. The members of these clubs come together using online tools like Zoom. There is a "welcome party" with participants from both clubs in a Zoom meeting, a period of 2 - 3 weeks when paired hosts and ambassadors get to know one another through email, written letters, video chats and phone calls. The experience culminates with a "Farewell Party" in which the ambassador club shares about their culture and country and participants share their experiences or impressions.
  2. In the "Learning Place", you can take advantage of training materials designed to help you learn new skills and become more successful in what you do. Here you can find all kinds of resources, from best practices to help your club flourish, leadership training to support your members, technology tutorials to help you stay connected, and chances to learn about Friendship Force activities that support our mission. Connect with an online community, talk with other registrants and webinar moderators, and grow with us.
  3. Members Connect is where FF members come to connect to spend time online with one another, learn from our members about their country, culture and traditions, and connect on a deeper level through interacting via FF Pen Pals or FF Bridging the Gap experiences.

Friendship Force Virtual Experiences are added regularly so please check out what's on offer and welcome to Friendship Force!

  1. Privacy and Security (GDPR compliance)

GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation. It protects one's rights to protection of their personal data. FFI operates under Article 4 no. 1 of the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) ("GDPR"). Processing shall have the meaning as defined in Article 4 no. 2 GDPR.

GDPR aims to guarantee the data subject that their rights are respected. The law requires companies to process the minimum of personal data necessary for their activity and that this treatment be made very clear to data subjects. Personal data is any data that can identify a person or make a person identifiable. Examples of personal data are: name, surname, date and place of birth, address, telephone, email address, etc.

FFI processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection law and ensures that personal data is processed only to the extent required to perform Friendship Force activities.

  1. Waiver of Liability

The Friendship Force Member understands that the scope of their relationship with Friendship Force International is limited to a volunteer position and that no compensation or employment-related benefits are expected in return for services provided by the Friendship Force Member. The Friendship Force Member recognizes that connected with any travel there are risks of loss, damage, and injury to persons and property, and the Member is willing to assume and bear those risks. The Member also recognizes that they are responsible for complying with all laws of all countries visited. Therefore, the Friendship Force Member agrees to and does hereby release, indemnify, and hold harmless Friendship Force International (which shall include the directors, officers, and employees thereof, as well as its volunteer leaders and members) from all claims, actions, and causes of action related to Friendship Force events, journeys, or other activities. The Friendship Force Member understands and acknowledges that this release discharges Friendship Force International from any liability or claim that they may have against Friendship Force International with respect to bodily injury, personal injury, illness, death, or property damage that may result from the Member's involvement in Friendship Force activities.

Please forward any questions or concerns directly to [email protected] and again,

WELCOME!