Friendship Force CEO Finds Concerns About Trump in World Travels; Urges People to Resist Global Divisions Driven by Politics
ATLANTA, GA (PRWEB) January 19, 2017 -- As political leaders in the U.S. and around the world use ego-driven bluster and bullying to promote suspicion, fear and distrust among nations, Friendship Force International CEO Jeremi Snook urges average citizens everywhere to unite and take personal action to resist the dangers of global divisions driven by politics.
“When I travel the world visiting Friendship Force members on six continents, I see and hear evidence of the spreading anxiety of average people who are now personally concerned about political trends in America and the world and how those trends will affect their lives,” commented Snook, President and CEO of Friendship Force International, a 40-year-old global non-profit with more than 300 clubs and 15,000 members in 66 countries.
Snook, a global NGO leader with access to the personal opinions of thousands of people worldwide, says the apprehensions expressed to him in countries outside the United States are not without merit. “People are concerned about the current shift in U.S politics toward isolationism, threats of broken treaties, trade wars, hostile tariffs, building border walls and state-sanctioned discrimination,” Snook comments.
The Friendship Force CEO says that especially in Asia, Central and South America and Europe, people are concerned about the effects of a Trump presidency on what remains of a sense of harmony and civility in the world.
“The relationship between the world’s most powerful nations is so fragile now that one wrong word, one thoughtless threat, or one careless affront by a politician who believes he can say anything he wants could trigger unthinkable consequences,” Snook says.
“Because our concerns about a peaceful future for mankind are mounting so intensely, we all need to work harder to avoid the spread of misunderstandings that inevitably lead to more violence. What can we do?”
The Friendship Force’s recommendation for action includes:
- Citizens of the world can rededicate themselves daily, both personally and professionally, to thinking hard about the value and meaning of every human life. Simply acknowledging a stranger with a smile and a friendly hello can have global effects if millions practice this daily.
- People must remind themselves daily of the importance of trying to understand and listen without judgment to the beliefs, hopes, and dreams of all around us – and all over the world – while rejecting the oratory of hate.
- People should take heart that the 40-year example of Friendship Force International has shown that building bridges of understanding across cultural and national differences that separate people can result in friendships that engender mutual trust. Trust among average people can be a powerful force for good, and the foundation of long-lasting peace.
“It is crucial that men and women of goodwill everywhere rise up and act now to reach out to one another to promote the process of mutual understanding and peaceful interaction,” Snook says. “Why is this movement so vital, so pressing, and so imperative? Because the other forces are way ahead of us.”
Andrew Bowen, Cleaview Communications + PR Inc., 404-822-3309, [email protected]
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