About Us

Creating Friendships for Peace, Inc. is a volunteer grassroots organization whose mission is to promote and strengthen friendships between teens from divided communities and extend those friendships to their families and friends.  The friendships are developed through home stays with American families.  Each family hosts two teens – one from each side of a conflict.  The teen pair shares a bedroom and learns about each other, understanding their different perspectives and realizing that friendships can develop despite significant political and cultural differences.  With friendship, an atmosphere is created that allows for mutual respect and understanding – a key ingredient for peace. CFP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in the United States.  Our volunteers were active in Northern Ireland from 1987 until 2007.  We are currently active in Cyprus since 2009 and Israel/Palestine since 2018. In our efforts to maintain neutrality, we do not accept government funding and rely solely on gifts from individuals, charitable foundations and businesses who wish to make a difference for peace in the world. Creating Friendships for Peace believes in self-determination and peaceful conflict resolution for all cultures and nations.  “I know if everyone had a sister/brother/sibling on the other side that they felt close to as much as I did to my pair, we would all be so much closer to peace.”  Summer ’22 CFP Teen

Latest News

New CFP Board Member

Jonathan Berger recently retired from the U.S State Department after 21 years of service. His tours included Denmark, Serbia, Lithuania and Israel. Before that he worked on Capitol Hill for almost eight years, both on the House and Senate side. He currently lives in Wilmington, NC with his wife Liz and daughters Lillian and Eve.

New CFP Board Member

Ken Crognale is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with more than 20 years in the not-for-profit sector. Prior to joining CFP, Ken was Director of Finance and Administration at the Migration Policy Institute since 2014 and has held senior roles in the finance departments at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Israel-and-Palestine

Special Message on Israel/Hamas War

CFP writes this as the world is deeply distressed by the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas. CFP is challenged by this moment, but we also exist for this moment.At the recommendation of our In-Country Coordinators, and with the support of our other on-the-ground partners, CFP plans to open its applications beginning January 1st for the 2024 youth cohort from the Middle East and Cyprus. As always, our priority will be to ensure the emotional, intellectual, and physical safety and well-being of all CFP youth, especially in response to current challenges. We re-commit to offering friendship and peacebuilding experiences for …

2023 CFPNI Alumni Reunion

Thank you to Ulster University for hosting the 2023 CFPNI Alumni Reunion This year’s reunion on October 7 was held in the beautiful atrium of Ulster University’s Belfast campus and featured a bountiful and beautiful wine and cheese reception that was enjoyed by all. CFP is deeply grateful to Catriona McCarthy and Suzanne Hewitt for arranging this special event.The attendees enjoyed the opportunity to renew friendships and each received a copy of the Alumni Directory, which included profiles of alumni, some unable to attend. A special surprise were welcome letters from former U.S. Senator George Mitchell and former U.S. Secretary …