"The Friendship Force" is a private, non-profit organization, active in about 60 countries worldwide, with the target to "bring people closer together through international exchange of civilians".
By doing so, "The Friendship Force" creates a soul in which the seeds of friendship can grow, ignoring all borders that separate its members, and lead to a world of peace.
"The Friendship Force" succeeds again and again in reaching "that" what many professional diplomats can only dream about.
The biggest force behind "The Friendship Force" are its members. Because of their unique contribution, supported by their talents, loyalty and involvement, "The Friendship Force" has a long tradition of successful man-to-man diplomacy and cultural enrichment. Volunteers at all levels have contributed to the evidence that a world of friends is a world of peace !
Official club name : The Friendship Force of Flanders
Closest major airport : Brussels National Airport (Zaventem)
Cost of
transportation between the airport and our city (by train) :
-group of 15 persons (2002) : 2.40 € (one way)
-individual : 6.40 € (one way)
Maximum number of Ambassadors that our club can host : 20/25
About the club:
The Friendship Force of Flanders was formed in 1985 and is the first Friendship
Force club in Belgium. We have about 30 members; of whom half are retired
and of whom half are still working, reason why you sometimes will be taken care of
by a day host. A lot of our members live in nearby cities, about half an
hour away.
About the region/country:
Our club is situated in Zottegem in Flanders, the Flemish part of Belgium, about
20 km from Ghent and 50 km from Brussels. Zottegem is a small city with
approximately 25.000 inhabitants. Flanders has a large number of buildings and
sites of outstanding historical and cultural importance over a relatively small
area. UNESCO has placed Flemish Belfries and beguinages at the most prestigious
World Heritage list, together with the Grand Place in Brussels. Our country is
world famous for its chocolates and beers.
About the hosting/exchange: Many of our homes have two floors, so be prepared for stairs! Because of Summer holidays of working members, until now we have always hosted in July/August or at Easter. We recommend you foresee a sweater and a rain-coat, just in case. You will often be invited to dinner at other people's homes.
In agreement with the incoming club, we ask € 75,00 extra (in 2002) which allow us, beside a welcoming reception and a farewell dinner, to organize some excursions (including train tickets, lunches, entrances, guides and a boat trip when visiting Bruges). Depending on the interest of the visiting club we can organize excursions to Bruges (called the Venice of the North), Ghent (a medieval and university city, also capital of our province, East Flanders), Brussels (capital of Belgium), Leuven (University city) and Oudenaarde (famous for its tapestries). Places you will visit are about an hours journey. Good walking shoes are recommended as our day trips involve a certain amount of walking. In addition there is usually a visit to meet the mayor of Zottegem at the town hall.
We look forward to receiving you into our homes and await the opportunity to share with you our lifestyle and show you our small but interesting country.