Detailed description

Friends Forever brings together teens from Northern Ireland -- Catholic teens taught to hate Protestants and Protestant teens taught to hate Catholics -- and makes them realize them how much more they have in common than they think. Two weeks learning and depending upon each other in the US is followed by a year back home, also spent sharing with one another. As they put a face on the "other," they realize that religious differences do not create the evil as they had always been taught to believe, and they indeed become "Friends Forever." The program started in 1986 as a club project of the Portsmouth NH club in association with the local YMCA; it has now spread to the Midwest and, most recently, the Gulf Coast, and has impacted over 1200 teens. It is a 501c3 and remains close to its Rotary roots for leadership and financing. Friends Forever is growing beyond its Northern Ireland beginnings and now brings together Palestinian and Jewish youth from Israel in similar fashion.

Community assessment: How the project team learned about the community’s needs

Project impact: How the project will help the community after the project ends

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Sustainability: How the benefits of the project will continue afterward

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PROJECT PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

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  Uploaded by

  Ms. Martha Peak Helman

  Friends Forever video debuted Rotary United Nations Day 2012
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  Uploaded by

  Ms. Martha Peak Helman

  Palestinian and Jewish youth from Israel find common ground.
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  Uploaded by

  Ms. Martha Peak Helman
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  Uploaded by

  Ms. Martha Peak Helman

  Friends Forever youth share their experiences with Rotarians
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  Uploaded by

  Ms. Martha Peak Helman

  Youth from warring faction discover their commonalities.

Engagement Tracker

Total volunteer hours

1,800

Hours

Number of volunteers

60

People

Total cash contributions

316,500

USD

Total in-kind contributions

64,500

USD