On a recent visit to Washington, at the time of President Obama's trip to the Middle East this June, it became apparent that everyone was talking about two things - the economy and our need to re-engage culturally throughout the world. President Obama directly referred to the importance of 'cultural exchange' and at her confirmation hearings, Secretary Clinton reminded her colleagues how much we 'owe' the Americans who travel abroad on mission-based tours. Nice to know that FAF group leaders and others have been on the 'cutting edge' of this 'new trend' for decades!

Executive Director Patrick Sciarratta went to Washington to promote FAF's new Global Consortium that was unveiled in March (seeking to bring together all outbound tour organization information) and found others already promoting the very same thing - and to very large and powerful arts gatherings! The purpose of the Consortium is to encourage collaboration in programming, funding, and media development at a time when more voices are better than fewer. The economic downturn is not the time to turn away from travel-with-a-purpose and group experiences abroad - it is the time to move from "Good to Great" and FAF will be there for you as this "new" concept continues to grow.

The Global Consortium encourages 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 address we have provided at: www.faf.org. The Consortium site enables NGOs to learn about each other's work in the same regions they will travel to, thus increasing each one's ability to work together and seek additional media and sponsorship attention. This also enables 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.

TELL YOUR STORY: if you would like to submit a case study on how your work abroad has shaped your art, academic, or community relations over years, we would like to hear these and post them on our Global Consortium site. And who knows: soon the emissaries of the international may be coming to our informed travel community for advice!

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

"I appreciate your time and effort, am grateful for your support and am quite overwhelmed with pride to read the amount of effort you have made on behalf of our trip. You have a true concept of what diplomacy involves and effect it repeatedly."
- John McIntyre, Tour Coordinator, Greenwich Choral Society, June 2008 (Part of FAF's Sister City Project between Greenwich, CT and Vienne, France)

"The Movement Laboratory Youth Ensembles' 'Goodwill thru Dance Program' has traveled with FAF for over 20 years ... Thanks FAF for helping ... We will continue to create illuminate and teach peace."
- Judy Williams Henry, Founder and Artistic Director

"If you saw the impact you have on youth (and young at heart), you would have to shade your eyes from the brightness of hope."
- Paulette Schatz, Project Manager, United Nations Development Programme, Afghanistan

"We are truly appreciative of the time you take to involve the world's youth in the process of global development."
- Astrid Hurley, U.N. Programme on Youth

THIS SUMMER:
Join in on 1 of 2 SPECIAL MUSIC APPRECIATION TOURS

ˇ A SPECIAL, AFFORDABLE TOUR THIS AUGUST: The Greenwich Music Festival will perform "Der Kaiser Von Atlantis" in Greenwich, CT and then bring singers and patrons on tour to the Czech Republic to visit the Terezin concentration camp museum (where the opera was written during World War 2) and the Jewish Quarter in Prague, with an extension to Budapest for a visit to the vibrant and uplifting Jewish Arts Festival. The dates for that tour is August 24 - 30, with the extension going until September 3. INCLUDING AIR, THIS LOW COST 9 DAY TOUR IS UNDER $1800!!

ˇ Maestro Harold Rosenbaum leads a summer choral cruise from July 11-20 through the Adriatic stopping in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and elsewhere: workshops and concert opportunities onboard. All individual singers and small ensembles are still welcome to join.

ˇ A new relationship for FAF: with the Abraham Path Initiative
Connecting the Human Family Step by Step
The Abraham Path (Masar Ibrahim al Khalil) is a route of cultural tourism which follows the footsteps of Abraham / Ibrahim through the Middle East. The story of Abraham / Ibrahim's journey, which has been kept alive for some four thousand years in the landscape and memory of this region, records the origin of a spiritual tradition shared by more than three billion people in the world today.

By retracing this journey, the Abraham Path provides a place of meeting and connection for people of all faiths and cultures, inviting us to remember our common origins, to respect our cultural differences, and to recognize our shared humanity. The path also serves as a catalyst for sustainable tourism and economic development; a platform for the energy and idealism of young people; and a focus for positive media highlighting the rich culture and hospitable people of the Middle East.

Thanks to the generous welcome which has been extended by host communities along the way, the first walking sections of the path are now open to travelers - and available exclusively through Friendship Ambassadors Foundation. Call today for more details: 1-800-526-2908.

ˇ Attend a conference arranged in collaboration with the Indian Federation of University Women (IFUWA) entitled "Women, Water, and Food Protection" taking place in Calcutta, India, with a side trip to Nepal, November 5 - 21, 2009.
Interested parties can sign up right on the FAF website. All are invited: This is a unique opportunity to foster cultural exchange and stretch out our hands to women around the globe, sharing ideas and dreams in a mission to invest in women worldwide.

ˇ High school and college level youth leaders, and those interested in cultural diplomacy on the international scale, will not want to miss the annual Youth Assembly at the United Nations in August. See below for more.
(For the First Time Ever: Younger High School students will want to visit www.superfutures.org for a chance to join in on the Youth Assembly at the United Nations, too.)

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 events (free after registration) 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.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: THE YA REGISTRATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED!
Due to the concerns over swine flu, some prospective delegates did not or were not able to register for that the events in New York until now. In order to accommodate their late registrations, delegates can still sign up for the YA until FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2009.
THE 6th ANNUAL YOUTH ASSEMBLY IS DEFINITELY ON: Thankfully the flu has been mild and has not had much impact in New York. Planning Committee meetings are underway and the coalition of YA producers in 2009 are all working hard to make the events the best ever.
PLEASE REGISTER THROUGH JULY 17: THE FLU DID NOT AFFECT THE YA IN 2009!

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 450 registrants and we look forward to seeing YOU there in 2009, too!

GREAT, LAST MINUTE TOUR OPTION ˇ An Appearance in NYC during the annual Youth Assembly at the U.N. and A Week in NYC at a Glance, FAF Style!

Day 1- Upon arrival in New York City, an FAF representative will be there to welcome you. Board your private motor coach for your transfer to your accommodations in midtown Manhattan. After settling in and depending on arrival times, enjoy a welcome dinner at a nearby restaurant or a short FAF orientation before turning in for the night.
Day 2- Board your private motor coach this morning to the Empire State Building; tour the Observatory Tower. After getting to know New York from above, take some free time to discover 5th Avenue and the Grand Central Station area. Your motor coach will take you to your first indoor performance and exchange. Have dinner together at a restaurant nearby, arranged by FAF.
Day 3 - Enjoy breakfast then join FAF staff and interns: explore the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art (entrance included), one of the world's finest museums. Have lunch in the museum's cafeteria. Enjoy some free time in the afternoon for shopping or individual sightseeing. Tonight: special exchange opportunities will be tailored for each group.
Day 4- After breakfast, stroll through Rockefeller Center and the famous Central Park. Visit the Central Park Zoo, Conservatory Garden, enjoy the Carousel and Carriage Rides, or do some row boating on the Lake. In the afternoon, board your motor coach for your transfer to Greenwich, Connecticut. Meet the members of the Youth Band for United Nations and have an indoor joint concert at the Greenwich High School. Reception and dinner arranged after the performance.
Day 5 - Depart to Downtown and take a cruise to the Statue of Liberty. Upon arrival, prepare for your first outdoor concert at the Statue of Liberty Flagpole area. After a fun, al fresco performance, take time on your own to explore the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Upon your return to Manhattan, visit Ground Zero. Explore Chinatown and Little Italy. Tonight: special exchange opportunities will be tailored for each group.
Day 6 - In the early afternoon, meet for lunch at the hotel and then transfer to United Nations headquarters in New York City for a visit and your concert. Upon arrival, enjoy a guided tour of this vital peacemaking institution. Visit the gift shop for your souvenirs. Mail them with special stamps available only from the UN! In the early evening, join other international performers for the annual U.C. Peace Arts Festival inside the United Nations. This is also an award ceremony for UN officials involved with cultural activities.
Day 7 - After breakfast, enjoy a 2-hour, semi-circle cruise around Manhattan, which will be a breathtaking experience and allow you to get to know some of the history of Manhattan, New Jersey and Brooklyn. In the afternoon, enjoy some free time at Times Square. After an early dinner at Times Square, enjoy an included, evening performance on Broadway tonight!
And: all at a very inviting price that is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law through FAF. Make an impact at a fraction of the cost of high rate, for-profit tour operators (Actually, even tour operators use FAF these days to increase the impact of their tours and lower costs overall. With no profit motive whatsoever, the foundation is happy to oblige.)

FAF has prepared successful, university level courses for your review. These courses offer students and continuing students the opportunity to earn course credit while having the opportunity to have beautiful cities around the globe as their classrooms! These courses can be tailored to your needs and destinations as well as to any academic discipline.

Here a few offerings to consider in 2010:

ˇ Nuts and Bolts: Examining the administration and management of cultural nonprofit organizations. Held at your university and on site at influential NGOs in New York and elsewhere.

ˇ Cultural Leadership in the Age of Private Citizen Diplomacy: A Positive Role for Non-State Actors.

ˇ Our most impressive success has been our Central Europe Cultural Immersion course in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary. This inviting three week course can be offered by a variety of departments with confidence: International Relations, Liberal Arts, Continuing Education among them. Below is an email that captures the highlight so our most recent Central European Cultural Immersion Course. Take a moment and scan Professor Devon MacNamara's letter and the itinerary FAF developed for she and her students at West Virginian Wesleyan College students this Spring:

"RE: Wesleyan East Central Europe experience -- brava, bravo!

Great trip, wonderful guide, Michala couldn't be more helpful, accommodations excellent, the program unfolding harmoniously, and the kids very happy and amazed.

Good flights, although a REAL sprint in Paris to change planes. Thank you for all the work you have done on this experience, Yin-Chu.

What a wonderful time for our students, and for us, in east central Europe his May! Thank you for all your preparations, each of which resulted in harmonious connections, well planned excursions, enlightening programs, real fun, fine food, excellent cultural exchanges, some happy surprises, like meeting with young gymnasium students in Prague,

There were valuable challenges too, like going to see the play in Budapest which was extraordinarily intense. The writer/actor H. Gabor was incredible and his young student, Zoltan Tar, talented and expressive. It was not a theatre event our students get to see every day so it was right on target for what we hoped for them and provided an opportunity for our students to talk with the actors, as well as students learning English in the audience. The concert in Prague in the Klementinum, the truly spectacular dancing at The Magic Lantern, classical ballet at The National Theatre in Bratislava, all were genuinely thrilling, and the historical/political talk with the indefatigable Dagmar was excellent -- on that "Botel!"

The writers that Dagmar and Peter managed to find for us were exceptional choices, being of a generation that knew the war and were blessed with long memories, and able to share intense accounts, modestly given, of what they had lived through with a depth of dignity today's young people, especially Americans who have not suffered, don't always encounter. Attila Melegh was perfect - in fact, the students couldn't get enough of him, and went trooping off to find his book after the lecture. He was gracious and energetic and funny and they were all very inspired to see the world with more informed eyes as a result of our time with him. We hadn't had a predominantly economic explanation of twentieth- century events up to that point so it was valuable. He was au courant about contemporary political trends and how to spot evidence in conversation and on posters around the city.

Sarolta couldn't have been more helpful, informative, motherly, practical, and caring, and we all got very fond of her. She has depths and depths and a deep love of her country, and Bill and I imagined for next time maybe a kind of panel with her and Attila on it presenting their different takes on Central European society twenty years after the fall of we-all- know-what. The final dinner at the Hotel Corvin, and the folk dancers afterward, was happy and charming and very stirring really - the singing! Oh my. And the dancers, as Sarolta explained, had regular jobs too, which made their presentation more brilliant and heartfelt. Again, for next time, as in Ireland, more dancing for all of us! It was a fitting finale as well as an invitation to return for more as soon as possible.

And that's really our only true complaint, too little time, and how and when can we return?

And the music! Oh my! From Dvorak and Smetana (of course) to Ligeti (an hommage, so he was in the audience) and of course much baroque brass, and all the gorgeous pianos in Vienna - truly magnificent, everywhere we went, from the streets to the churches to the concert halls. Brilliant.

Sorry this is so long. Many thanks once again. If I've left anything out you or your contacts would particularly like feedback on please let me know.

Can't we stay another month?

Cheers,
Devon"

Would you like to review our University Course in Central Europe for 2010? Have an idea for another course and need help with the itinerary and planning? Give us a call or send an email and we will be happy to forward the Central European course plan to you -- or work on a customized, credit bearing or noncredit course offering with your academic needs in mind!