Creating Friendships for Peace – People UNITED in Countries Divided

Our Programs

Cyprus Friendship Program

The Cyprus Friendship Program (CFP) brings together teenagers from both Greek-speaking and Turkish-speaking Cypriot communities to promote peaceful interaction and understanding between the two groups. CFP is a two year peace-building and leadership training program in Cyprus, with a four week component in the United States in the summer.

Middle East Friendship Program

In our newly launched Middle East Program, CFP works alongside In-Country Coordinators and with Hebrew-speaking and Arabic-speaking teens to provide selected applicants with workshops in a U.S. summer program with American host families. We facilitate conflict resolution, promote leadership skills with teens from all sides of the conflict and offer opportunities to understand their relevance and future role in peacebuilding, addressing tensions between the young and the old, power, and resources. CFP’s homestay experience offers the teens valuable time in a secure and impartial environment to have honest dialogue with one another and develop long-lasting understanding and friendships.

About Us

Creating Friendships for Peace extends our heartfelt support and prayers for families in Turkey and Syria and all visitors traveling there impacted by the devastating earthquakes, especially to friends and family of our CFP community.

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

Celebrating the Good Friday Agreement!

Early in her 27 year career in the foreign service, Ambassador Susan Elliott served as US Consul General for Northern Ireland in Belfast. The organization she now leads, the National Committee for American Foreign Policy (NCAFP), was instrumental in facilitating the Good Friday negotiations held in New York City beginning in 1994. On March 13, the NCAFP held a day-long event in New York City to honor the many individuals and institutions who worked tirelessly to bring peace and prosperity to Northern Ireland and its communities across the political and religious spectrum. Susan and the NCAFP then traveled to Northern …

Celebrating the Good Friday Agreement!

CFP’s Northern Ireland Liaison, Meibh McKinney, attended a prominent gala event in Belfast where she was privileged to meet Senator George Mitchell, who played a leading role in the Good Friday negotiations.

Celebrating Border Crossings!

20 years ago today thousands of Cypriot people queued for hours to see their friends, neighbours, homes and the rest of their homeland. In recognition of the anniversary of this hopeful, but tearful day, CFP celebrates the incredible efforts of the peace activists who made this day possible and who continue to advocate for tolerance and diversity on this island. We look forward to the day when there are no barriers dividing the people of Cyprus, and we pledge to continue promoting friendships for peace.

2023 Cyprus Program Grows!

This year CFP received 131 applications for Year 1 Peace Camps in Cyprus and 33 applications for the Year 2 U.S. Residency.Announcing the new Kormakitis Centre for Cooperation!This summer CFP will provide a camp option for Year 2 teens in addition to the U.S. Residency so that every CFP teen may experience a full 2 years of programming. The site for this special camp will be the newly opened Kormakitis Centre for Cooperation, located in the Maronite village of Kormakitis. Funded by the EU, this facility will provide communities with a facility for education, youth activities, conferences and meetings, as well …

Welcome Steven Aiello

Steven Aiello is the founder and director of Debate for Peace and has been involved in Jewish-Arab Model UN work in Israel since 2011. He has run over 30 conferences and 15 delegations abroad for thousands of students. Steven is Jewish, Israeli and Italian-American. He studied economics (BA, NYU), diplomacy and conflict resolution (MA, IDC), and Islamic Studies (MA, Tel Aviv University). Steven is an Executive Board member for the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, and Project Officer and Dialogue Expert at Asfar. He is a senior journalist for Diplomacy.co.il and the Model UN Director at the Young Ambassadors School …

Read Prior News

Testimonials

Desmond TutuThe Elders

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu to 2012 CFP Graduation

“Sometimes you might feel that you are alone in this kind of work. Today, take a look around and realise that you are all part of something much bigger – bound together by a shared commitment to our common humanity. Remember that the sea is just drops of water that have come together. And together you can do extraordinary things.”

Institute of PeaceWashington, DC

2015 Peacebuilding Through Education Conference

“For peacebuilding to succeed it must take root at the community level. Communities working together to find common ground, support and communications. It must move beyond governmental action to individuals and community leaders to succeed long term.”

2019 Cypriot TeenCyprus

I would like to be considered as best friends with my pair after this month, and I plan on showing my relationship with him as an example to peers of mine, as a concrete fact that peace is possible and also essential.

2019 Jerusalem TeenIsrael/Palestine

My experience with my pair was super meaningful and important for both of us! Finally we got the opportunity to speak without being stopped by people and finally we got to some agreements and we understood each other.

Interested in becoming a CFP Host? Find information here