Soroptimist Clubs across the world are connected through Friendship Links. This is a way to share Soroptimist work, partner in community projects and in times of disaster come together – as they did in the time of the landslide tragedy in Uttrakhand in India, or the typhoon disaster in Philippines Together linked Clubs share ideas to mark International Women’s Day or 16 days of Activism, a recent event.
The SIGBI Federation has 29 countries in UK, Republic of Ireland, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean Islands and Malta. The diversity is immense. Friendship Links afford the opportunity for Clubs to highlight the similarities and celebrate the dissimilarities of different cultures in different societies. It becomes a learning curve for visiting Soroptimists, and so a take off point for better understanding and goodwill.
Tied to these links come opportunities for Grants of Friendship, study tours, extended visits pre or post the Conference and many more exchanges. For newly chartered Clubs Friendship Links open up a world of Soroptimist possibilities.
Clubs make and develop friendship links as part of their club activity. In fact the thrust is that through Friendship links clubs must come together on projects with the three Es (Educate, Empower, Enable). So friendship links are woven into Programme Action. Several clubs across regions, countries and federations are already co-operating on joint projects and the resultant success is inspirational.
SI Rossendale has friendship links with SI Kokkola in Finland