Friends Forever International

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

Friends Forever International Friends Forever International empowers leaders to connect, strengthen, and serve globally

The first delegation of FFI leaders, made up of Catholic and Protestant young men from Northern Ireland, traveled to New Hampshire in 1986. For many years, FFI was engaged primarily in the practice of intergroup contact theory. More recently, FFI has evolved its understanding of conflict transformation beyond the status quo of traditional conflict resolution programs that are focused on large scale geopolitical issues, personalities, and themes into one that emphasizes individual leadership and community-level action. We have grown from a grassroots group of volunteers to a global organization with campuses and leadership programs on three continents. FFI offers rigorous leadership programs for individuals and groups in the United States and internationally. We currently work with middle and high school students,
senior citizens, professional leadership groups, civic organizations, faith-based organizations, universities, and more. Every program emphasizes elements of team building, leadership development, cultural appreciation, healthy living, and creativity & the arts.

🌸 A little behind-the-scenes look at some of the beautiful details that made this year’s FFI Annual Dinner & Roast so sp...
10/23/2026

🌸 A little behind-the-scenes look at some of the beautiful details that made this year’s FFI Annual Dinner & Roast so special!

Students from Monarch School of New England helped create the floral arrangements that decorated the tables at our celebration honoring Ben Auger. With a focus on meaningful, hands-on learning and opportunities that help students develop skills for life beyond the classroom, Monarch students put their creativity to work turning buckets of flowers into beautiful centerpieces for our event.

A huge thank you also to Studley Flower Gardens in Rochester for generously donating the florals and helping make this collaboration possible. Studley’s has a long history of supporting organizations in its community. 💐

Last week, FFI held our Annual Dinner & Roast fundraiser to present Ben Auger with the 2026 Eileen D. Foley Award, recog...
10/23/2026

Last week, FFI held our Annual Dinner & Roast fundraiser to present Ben Auger with the 2026 Eileen D. Foley Award, recognizing his decades of service, generosity, and commitment to making the Seacoast (and communities far beyond it) a better place.

The Eileen D. Foley Award recognizes a New Hampshire citizen who takes personal responsibility for making the world better, and Ben has certainly lived that spirit. From supporting and serving dozens of community organizations to helping establish a school in Tanzania, his belief in giving back has been a constant throughout his life.

We were also incredibly proud to hear from our 2026 Eileen D. Foley Fellow, FFI alumni Lauren Bond, who joined us from Europe and shared her journey from participating in an FFI programme to representing young people on an international stage, including her recent selection as the European Union’s Youth Delegate to the United Nations.

A huge thank you to Amanda Auger, Jay McSharry, and Jeff Furber for taking on the very important task of roasting Ben, and to everyone who joined in to laugh.

This year’s celebration felt especially meaningful as FFI marks 40 years of bringing people together and helping young people become leaders in their communities. From ten young people in 1986 to thousands of leaders around the world today, evenings like this remind us just how many people have helped make that journey possible.

Thank you to all of our sponsors, supporters, friends, and members of the community who made the evening possible.

We’re grateful to The Boston Globe for sharing the story of FFI New Hampshire alumna Hannah Edgar and her experiences wi...
10/20/2026

We’re grateful to The Boston Globe for sharing the story of FFI New Hampshire alumna Hannah Edgar and her experiences with Friends Forever International!

This past summer, Hannah traveled to our Northern Ireland campus with three other New Hampshire-based alumni for two weeks of cultural immersion, team building, and community engagement alongside fellow high school students from 10 countries around the world.

In her interview with The Globe, Hannah reflects on what it was like to live and learn alongside young people from backgrounds very different from her own, the common ground they discovered, and how her FFI experiences have helped shape her confidence and future goals. The article also looks back at Hannah’s first FFI program in New Hampshire and how she has since put what she learned into action in her own community.

From creating Project Good Morning, a daily check-in program for older adults living alone, to developing opportunities for younger students to learn about nature, Hannah is a wonderful example of what we hope happens after an FFI program -- young people take their experiences home and find their own ways to make a difference.

Thank you to reporter Madyline Swearing and photographer Danielle Parhizkaran for taking the time to share Hannah's story.

📰 Read the full feature in The Boston Globe.

To commemorate FFI’s 40th anniversary, board members and supporters spent several days experiencing their own version of...
10/16/2026

To commemorate FFI’s 40th anniversary, board members and supporters spent several days experiencing their own version of an FFI program while staying at our campus in Annalong, Northern Ireland—complete with the same memory books our youth use during programs, tours of the Peace Walls in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry, the Book of Kells in Dublin, and so much more.

They were even invited to dinner at the Dublin home of an alumnus from our second-ever program in 1988.

The trip was also a wonderful opportunity to see firsthand the many recent improvements made to our Annalong Center and to spend time with FFI alumni, staff, and volunteers from Ireland, the U.S., and beyond.

It also included our 40th Anniversary Celebration at Stormont, where three generations of alumni shared what FFI has meant to them: Gordon, an alumnus from 1995; Una, from 2017; and Conor, from 2025.

Their stories were a powerful reminder that while our programs may last days or weeks, the relationships and impact can continue for decades.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make our 40th anniversary so special. We’re excited to see the friendships, collaborations, and future projects that grow from the connections made along the way.

Cheers to 40 years! 🎉

A special night at Stormont to honor 40 years of Friends Forever International. Alumni from 1986 to 2026 came together t...
10/02/2026

A special night at Stormont to honor 40 years of Friends Forever International. Alumni from 1986 to 2026 came together to reconnect and celebrate all the personal, community, and planetary impact of this unique organization. Thanks to all who attended and for those who couldn’t join us, we’ll hopefully see you soon!

Having a blast with our friends at one of our favorite places ever!
09/30/2026

Having a blast with our friends at one of our favorite places ever!

Dine at Ore Nell’s Kittery on October 8th for an FFI Community Night!Grab some friends or family, come out for dinner, a...
09/22/2026

Dine at Ore Nell’s Kittery on October 8th for an FFI Community Night!

Grab some friends or family, come out for dinner, and mention Friends Forever International when you order. Ore Nell’s will donate 20% of your qualified dine-in purchase to FFI.

Funds raised will help provide full scholarships for young people to participate in FFI leadership programmes, giving them opportunities to build confidence, develop new skills, meet people from different backgrounds, and make a difference in their communities.

The important part: You MUST mention Friends Forever International when ordering for your purchase to count toward the fundraiser.

Thursday, October 8th
4PM - 8PM
Ore Nell’s Barbecue, Kittery, ME
Dine in only

Come hungry and help us fill some tables for FFI! 💛

Takeout, online orders, and third-party delivery purchases do not qualify.

FFI is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and all alumni of our past programs are invited to join us for a cele...
09/18/2026

FFI is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and all alumni of our past programs are invited to join us for a celebratory evening of inspiring speeches, reconnecting with old friends, and more.

October 1st, 2026 6PM - 8PM

Stormont Building, Belfast

All alumni and their family members are welcome!

DRESS CODE: Hawaiian shirt or attire, in honor of our founder Bob Raiche

All alumni who attend will receive an FFI Alumni Movement shirt!

Not going to the reunion event? Still update your information on our brief ALUMNI UPDATE FORM so we can stay in touch with you and you can receive information on our events and opportunities!

Find registration for the event and the brief ALUMNI UPDATE FORM at www.ff.international/40thanniversary
Link in bio!

FFI is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and all alumni of our past programs are invited to join us for a cele...
09/11/2026

FFI is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and all alumni of our past programs are invited to join us for a celebratory evening of inspiring speeches, reconnecting with old friends, and more.

October 1st, 2026
6PM - 8PM
Stormont Building, Belfast

All alumni and their family members are welcome!

Not going to the reunion event? Still update your information on our brief ALUMNI UPDATE FORM so we can stay in touch with you and you can receive information on our events and opportunities!

Find registration for the event and the brief ALUMNI UPDATE FORM at www.ff.international/40thanniversary

Link in bio!

🍂 Fall weekends in New England are hard to beat.The FFI Farmhouse in Durham, NH is available for short-term stays, with ...
09/11/2026

🍂 Fall weekends in New England are hard to beat.

The FFI Farmhouse in Durham, NH is available for short-term stays, with plenty of room to bring family or friends together for a peaceful getaway.

With 3 bedrooms, 8 beds, 3.5 bathrooms, and space for up to 12 guests, it works especially well for larger groups.

Spend the morning walking nearby Wagon Hill or visiting Emery Farm, head into Portsmouth, Dover, or Kittery for an afternoon of shopping and dining, explore local trails and the beauty of the Seacoast, then come back to the Farmhouse to cook, relax, and spend time together.

Families of UNH students also appreciate the quick 5-minute drive to campus.

100% of guests’ purchases for their stay goes towards funding full scholarships for young people to participate in educational leadership programs.

If a New England fall weekend is on your calendar, come stay with us. 🍁

Address

1 Morgan Way
Durham, NH
03824

Telephone

+16033975301

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Friends Forever International posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Friends Forever International:

Shortcuts

Share

Category