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, 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

CFP Hosts Reunion for CFPNI Alumni

2023 CFPNI ALUMNI RECEPTION * Saturday, October 7, 2023 * 2 – 4 pm * Ulster University Atrium, Belfast

Preserving the CFPNI Legacy

Over 2,000 teens from every county in Northern Irelandhosted in 35 states in the USA and Canadaby 954 American familiesover 21 years!! CFP is actively collecting CFPNI materials to preserve them for the creation of a history of its volunteer grassroots organization begun in Northern Ireland and continuing today in other countries. We have received many of the organizational documents thanks to former Board Secretary Roxanne Landis and former Board Treasurer Glenn Martinsen. We have received most of the participant lists of U.S. host families and NI teens from former U.S. Executive Directors and U.S. Area Coordinators.We hope to find …

U.S. Residency Program

Each CFP hosting area provides a program which includes four required elements as well as opportunities unique to that area. The required elements are team building, conflict management, environmental projects and community service.

Summer 2023 – DC Metro

Unique Opportunity DC Metro teens met former Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro, recently appointed as the State Department’s senior advisor for regional integration to advance a more peaceful and interconnected region, and to deepen and broaden the “Abraham Accords.” The meeting was arranged by Jonathan Berger, former Cultural Affairs Officer in Tel Aviv and new CFP board member.

Summer 2023 – Houston

Conflict Management Houston teens learn about intercultural communication from Terry M. Thibodeaux, Ph.D. and Richard Bello Ph.D., professor emeriti from Sam Houston State University. The workshop was held in one of Houston’s favorite pie shops!

Summer 2023 – New Hampshire

Community Service Community service encourages an interest and concern for the welfare of others and the improvement of one’s community. New Hampshire teens helped maintain the beauty and accessibility of Squam Lakes Natural Science Center by removing invasive plan species from the walking trails. Following their hard work, they enjoyed a lake cruise and the Center’s wildlife.

Summer 2023 – Oregon/SW Washington

Team Building Team building in each area begins in a ropes course with zip lines and team problem-solving instruction. Oregon/SW Washington teens enjoy their ropes course in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Summer 2023 – San Francisco

Environmental Project Protecting our shared environment encourages cooperation, even in divided communities. In San Francisco the teens use their environmental workshop to save marshlands in the SF Bay.

Cypriot Camp in Kormakitis

Others attended the new retreat facility located in the Maronite village of Kormakitis. Parents and vlllagers joined the campers for a farewell celebration.

Cypriot Camps in Troodos Mountains

100 Turkish speaking and Greek speaking youths are bonding their life long friendship on the Troodos mountainWeir Camp and Rocky Point Camp

Host Family Enrichment

On June 15, Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, the director of Israel, The Palestinian Territories, and the Region program at the U.S. Institute of Peace, provided CFP’s hosting community with an hour-long discussion on the present state of the conflict, the situational context, and the dynamics at play in forming youth attitudes. Constituting CFP’s inaugural Host Family Enrichment event, this Zoom meeting offered current and former hosts the opportunity to understand what lies behind the headlines and to gain insight into the value of our immersive homestay model and how best to support our teens during their time in the United States and …

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