We create Global Citizens
About Us
Friends of AFS in Australia (FAFSA) is a values driven intercultural learning organisation.
We offer programs that empowers global competence in Australians across all generations and walks of life.
We are a volunteer led and managed not-for-profit association offering people the opportunity to develop their global skills for the 21st century world.
Our Board
Passionate, committed and skilled alumni
Experienced AFS leaders and innovators
Friends of AFS in Australia (FAFSA) is overseen by a Board, supported by members and managed by volunteers.
Our current and founding members and supporters are AFS alumni, each with their own story of how their lifelong experience in intercultural learning has enriched their lives and touched the lives of others, through lifelong learning and connections, volunteer service and their employment.
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Working and volunteering with AFS in Australia and overseas has been impactful in our personal experiences, building our own global skills while fostering a commitment to help others gain
global competence.
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That’s why we have come together to create Friends of AFS in Australia.
Our Origin Story
AFS Intercultural Programs has been operating globally for more than 70 years. You may have heard of, or your school may have hosted 'AFS students' from all around the world on exchange programs.
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AFS Australia operated from 1956 until the pandemic in 2020 forced its closure. During those 60 plus years, more than 15,000 Australian teens had an intercultural learning experience overseas and a similar number of overseas students stayed with Australian families and went to an Australian school on an AFS program. Thousands of people supported AFS Australia as volunteers and hundreds of companies supported a scholarship program for their employees children and Australian youth.
AFS has had a lifelong impact on the lives of generations of Australians and their families, and for this reason AFS Alumni have come together to create Friends of AFS in Australia.
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Offering AFS virtual global competence programs to Australian teens, adults, educators and workplaces will provide many more Australians an opportunity to build their global skills and make lifelong connections with friends in different ways.
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FAFSA is an independent association, offering AFS Global Competence programs.
Meet our Board
Barb Durance
Chair
Barb has global experience in delivering intercultural programs for youth, corporate expatriates and their families in multinational corporations and NGOs. Her passion for intercultural learning began as a teenager with AFS Australia when she was an exchange student. She developed her leadership skills as a youth AFS volunteer. Barb worked for AFS Australia as an Operations Manager and AFS UK as a Programs Manager bringing innovations to both roles that led to growth in both volunteers and participants. Barb is a qualified facilitator of the AFS Global Up Programs. Barb manages her own marketing and communications agency with clients from fields that include intercultural learning, tourism and independent media for private and government clients.
Richard Beamish
Treasurer
Richard’s AFS experience was as the Finance Manager for AFS Australia from 2000 to 2005 and he has many fond AFS memories from those years. Whilst Richard is (nearly) retired he has worked in the finance manager role, including some company secretarial responsibilities, for a wide variety of entities, including manufacturing, professional services and other not-for-profit organisations. Richard joined the FAFSA Board in October 2024.
Peter Walton
Association Secretary
Peter Walton OAM CF spent a year in upstate New York in 1967/68. Upon returning to Perth he was active in the AFS Returnees Association and became the inaugural Deputy Chair of AFS Australia upon its formation in 1973. He served as Chair of AFS Australia in the 1970s and 1990s and was a Director of AFS International in the 1980s and a Trustee in the 1990s. Peter has held senior volunteer leadership and board positions in other organisations and senior executive management positions in government and higher education. He was a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors for 20 years before retiring. AFS has had an invaluable lifelong impact on Peter and he wishes to see its benefits continue for others.
Annette Hazell
Minute Secretary
AFS has had a lifelong impact on Annette's life and she is excited to be part of FAFSA Board in the role of Minute Secretary. Annette is an AFS Returnee and spent a year in the USA in 1971/72. Annette's daughter was also and AFS student and her family hosted students in Australia. Over the years Annette has been involved with AFS Australia at Chapter, Region and Board level and joined the FAFSA Board in 2023.
John Shuey
John is a passionate believer in the importance of intercultural learning and global citizenship. An AFS exchange student to the US in 1965/66, John was an AFS Australia staff member during 1970s, and also worked at AFS International in New York before taking up a role as National Director at AFS UK. John then established his career in corporate public affairs, media and communications, continuing as a volunteer with AFS. His volunteer roles have included: Board Member and Chair, AFS Australia; Member of the Board of Trustees, AFS International; Advisor to the Board, AFS Australia. His daughter was an AFS student to Denmark 1995/96.
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Vice Chair
Robert Larosa
In his professional life, Robert is a health operations management professional, driving change and building success in multi-country and international teams. As a teen, Robert was awarded a scholarship that saw him participate in an AFS exchange program to Japan in 1995. As a young returnee he undertook various local and regional roles including chapter chairperson 1995 - 2000. He was involved in a Youth advisory and leadership development committee from 1997 - 1999 that created a Youth Leadership Program before becoming the Youth representative on the AFS Australia Board on which he was a member from 2000 - 2006. Robert is passionate about our work to create opportunities for the development of culturally aware global citizens.
Judith Timbs
As an experienced educator, Judy is pleased to be a member of the FAFSA Board to support the delivery of intercultural understanding programs. Judy is an AFS hosting and sending mum, who volunteered in various roles at the local AFS chapter level before becoming a Director on the AFS Australia Board (2010-2016). During this time Judy delivered face to face and webinar workshops to teachers and students nationally based on the AFS Global Competency Framework.
Bella Chisolm
Bella’s journey with AFS started in Germany in 2011, and since then she has been a volunteer in Auckland, Wellington and now a FAFSA volunteer, and facilitator. Bella attend the AFS Youth Assembly in New York in 2024 where she was able to connect with to connect with youth leaders from over 100 countries and learn and develop with them about the incredible work that is being done all over the world. Due to her AFS experience she knows the importance of developing intercultural skills and global competence, and is excited to share these with others. Bella views global competence as a lifelong commitment, and is excited to continue to do that herself while serving on the board.
Jordan Adams
Jordan brings a background in Education & Sales, Global business studies, and deep commitment to intercultural learning to her role as a board member and newly qualified AFS Global competence facilitator. After participating on an AFS semester exchange to Japan in 2015, Jordan continued to volunteer in her local AFS chapter to further nurture her active global citizenship. She is eager to promote cultural awareness as an immigrant to Australia herself and is committed to the FAFSA vision as it represents the values that forged her own.
Our statement of purpose
The Friends of AFS in Australia Inc (FAFSA) is a voluntary, non-government, not-for-profit organisation with no political affiliations which, being open and inclusive, provides intercultural learning and social networking opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills, understanding and bonds needed to create a more just and peaceful world.
FAFSA motivates and enables people to act as responsible global citizens working for peace and understanding in a diverse world. In doing so, it promotes peace as being dynamic and threatened by injustice, inequity, intolerance and global environmental instability.
FAFSA seeks to affirm faith in the dignity and worth of every human being and of all nations and cultures. It encourages respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms without distinction as to race, sex, language, religion or social status.
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In support of the above, FAFSA seeks to create ethical partnerships that support activities which are based on its core values of dignity, respect for differences, harmony, sensitivity and tolerance and global goals for a sustainable world.