The current economic crisis has hit many arts institutions and organizations very hard. Cancelled cultural exchanges, concert tours, and service projects abroad; teachers laid off, NGOs facing closure, and funds for cultral programming themselves in jeopardy.

FAF believes this is a time to move from "Good to Great" and capitalize on the strength of the overall 'cultural exchange' and 'in-country service' movements in a way that was never necessary to embrace in the past.

Friendship Ambassadors Foundation believes in creating mutual exchange opportunities and hopes to encourage a continuation of support for exchanges now among our colleagues who conduct international, mission-based group travel. As a field, those interested in international, cultural exchange need to collaborate amongst themselves so as to increase its impact before there are any further cutbacks.

Considering the current desire to improve our country's image worldwide, the foundation has proposed to the US State Department that a new database be created that would gather basic information about these international trips undertaken and self funded by artistic ensembles, service groups, and volunteer organizations of every kind - aggregated onto one, free to the public database, called The Global Consortium (as a working title).

The purpose is threefold: 1) to enable the State Department to better understand how large the field is - so as to use this general information in a way that may help help 'win hearts and minds' around the world; 2) to encourage touring groups to learn which other groups will be in the area and how they might collaborate to increase their programming, media, or fund development capacities, and 3) to alert the media at home and in the visited country about the wide range and large numbers of Americans traveling abroad each year in pre-formed, cultural and service based projects - and how they help make the entire world a better place to live and grow in.

It may also encourage other groups to join the tens of millions of Americans who travel abroad to help with medical, reconstruction, development, and cultural sharing with regions of the world sorely in need of such relationships. It will demonstrate the strength, educational, and social values of these programmes in ways that are indisputable. For example, the last time we found statistics on the subject, nearly 10 million people traveled in these kinds of pre-formed groups and arts ensembles providing $8.9 BILLION in revenue to the travel industry alone. That is clout in anyone's books.

For years, Friendship Ambassadors Foundation has been promoting a cultural view of global diplomacy, where interculturalism tops multiculturalism. The foundation hopes to help create a world where we all appreciate each other's culture with mutual respect.

FAF hopes that the creation of a new, free, online service, unveiled in March, called The Global Consortium, will promote this idea by encouraging all pre-formed, mission-based travel groups, of all kinds, to list their names, project, location, dates, regions,and proposed outcomes at the online intranet service we have provided at: www.faf.org.

The purpose of the Consortium will be to encourage collaboration in programming, fund and media development at a time when more voices are better than fewer, while also enabling the US State Department to recognize the vast importance of these cultural and service based tours, and for the media themselves to know more about the depth and breadth of these projects around the world.

We hope you will decide to sign on, no matter how or whom you are traveling with, soon. Good Travels!

Have you visited FAF's website recently? (www.faf.org) Well if not, be prepared it is changing and there is much more to come!

Responding to the changing demographic of travelers, the foundation has now created some excellent legacy tours, FAF's own branded concert tours that promote mutual understanding and voluntourism projects of its own. We are now serving both our traditional groups, arts ensembles, and individuals who come to FAF to be a part of larger programs and service tours that have real impact around the world.

These days, FAF is known for its excellent concert tours, service or voluntourism programming, its annual Youth Assembly at the United Nations, the United Cultures (UC) Peace Arts Festival annually at the UN, and its own well-received (and 55-wind - instrument strong) Youth Band for the United Nations.

The foundation has worked with academic institutions to help internationalize their portfolios and drive global recruitment to them through FAF's own recognized, international presence and the special access we provide for the institutions and organizations we serve.

So, if you haven't seen the FAF site in awhile, take a visit. Whether or not you are planning any group travel in the near future, are deciding on a programme to join yourself or for one of your students, or perhaps considering joining nearly 1000 young people and their mentors every year at FAF's very successful UN Youth Assembly in New York.

In keeping with the FAF mission to ensure cultural involvement in the process of global development, the foundation created and directs the annual Youth Assembly at the United Nations each August, at UN Headquarters in New York City. This year, the free after registration events will take place August 5 - 7, 2009 at the UN - the gathering will feature well known speakers, workshops and a large arts festival called the (United Cultures) U.C. Peace Arts Festival.

The 6th annual Youth Assembly at the United Nations is a partnership with the UN Department of Public Information and others. It is endorsed by dozens of Permanent Missions to the UN.

The YA, as it is called by the thousands of young people, arts ensembles, and leadership mentors who attend, is a place to unite those seeking a peaceful and more equitable world for all - while also allowing those involved in policy and volunteer service to interact with those who see the arts and cultural exchange as an essential part of that dialogue going forward.

Individuals, arts ensembles, faculty and students alike are encouraged to sign up while there are still Delegate and Observer places available. Check out the blog, past assemblies, and log onto to our registration page soon. We already have over 375 registrants (more than half full!) and we look forward to seeing YOU there in 2009, too!