Youxie Friendship Forum - Fall 2008

USCPFA National Delegation

At USCPFA’s 2007 National Convention, National Youxie staff said that Youxie intends to sponsor a third International Friendship Forum in China, probably in late October or early November 2008. The Forum is to involve delegations from friendship associations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the USA, and possibly from other countries. Tentatively, participants would fly into Shanghai, and the delegations would meet and travel together in southern China for 10-14 days.

USCPFA will select its delegates by an application process, based on USCPFA and China involvement, to be decided by the USCPFA National Board. After receiving Forum/tour dates and details from Youxie, USCPFA will send information on these details and the application process to each USCPFA chapter, and will post it on the USCPFA website (possibly in May). Active USCPFA members in good health are encouraged to consider this opportunity to become better acquainted with members of the delegations and Youxie staff, to share and learn about the friendship associations’ work at the local and national level as they meet and travel together, and to give and get ideas for doing it better.

USCPFA National Tours will assist in arranging flights, to cluster arrivals in China, and will obtain visas for delegates. Full cost will be determined after Forum/tour details are known. USCPFA delegates will pay the travel agent or airline for their flights from home city to gateway and on to Shanghai (and return), and will pay to USCPFA National an amount to be decided by the USCFA National Board to cover costs incurred and expected. This tour is part of USCPFA’s continuing exchange with Youxie, and income from the tour will be used to cover the cost of hosting future Youxie delegations to the US and other USCPFA programming.