A group of 17 “friendship ambassadors” from Indonesia were welcomed to Langley on July 7 for a six-day cultural tour of the Lower Mainland, hosted through Friendship Force Metro Vancouver.
Introduced by former U.S. president Jimmy Carter 34 years ago, Friendship Force is a non-profit organization designed to promote worldwide peace and cultural understanding through international exchange programs.
“The premise is that if you go to another country, stay in someone’s house for a week, get to know them and learn how they think and live, then there will be no wars and there will be no prejudice,” said Pearl Wong, member of Friendship Force Metro Vancouver.
The friendship ambassadors stay with host families rather than in hotels to encourage international relationships and connections to form. The local FF club then provides tours around the area to show the visitors what their country is all about.
The Indonesian group was able to experience many of the sights and sounds of the Fraser Valley. For most of the group members, this was their first time in Canada.
On the first day they toured Fort Langley and White Rock, followed by a day trip to Vancouver the second day. Visits to Gastown, Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth Park and the Klahowya Aboriginal village had many of them in awe. A trip to Harrison Lake and Bridal Falls was equally as impressive.
“The most important thing [about Canada] is the beautiful scenery,” said Yati, one of the visitors from Indonesia.
“This is the first time to Canada for me. It is so marvelous and we are all enjoying the trip that Friendship Force Vancouver has arranged for us. And we are very thankful.”
The friendship ambassadors also shared their culture with the Canadian hosts, cooking them a traditional Indonesian dinner.
“The experience of going into another person’s world and culture is quite interesting,” said Orest Pyrch, head of Friendship Force Metro Vancouver.
“And living with people, you get to know more of the culture than if you were just a tourist in a hotel room.”
Pyrch first became involved with the program after he took a trip to Poland and realized how Americanized the tourist areas really were.
“We were staying in a hotel and the only TV station that worked was CNN, and this was during the Simpson trial,” he said.
“And there was nothing else on. I thought to myself, ‘There’s got to be a better way to travel than this.’”
With clubs in more than 50 countries around the world, nearly 6,000 people go on FF exchanges every year. The organization was even nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1992.
Yati says that one of the neatest parts of the program is that it exists in both developed and developing nations.
“Knowing that Indonesia is a developing country, we are thankful to do these trips,” she said.
The Metro Vancouver club has operated exchanges with France, England, Japan, the United States, Vietnam and Australia, since its beginning in 2005. In the fall they are planning their first trip to Brazil.
“We always have such a great time,” said Pyrch.
“It’s an unbelievable experience.”
To become involved as a host or a friendship ambassador in Friendship Force Metro Vancouver, contact Orest Pyrch, 604-888-3240 or odpyrch@shaw.ca.
