Guide to Growing the Family Diplomacy Initiative

Dear Family Diplomacy Ambassadors (FDAs),
This page guides you through specific ways you can get FDA points and grow the Family Diplomacy Initiative.  This is a long guide, but in one page you have all the instructions and templates you need.  Note that at the FDs & FDAs page, you can also get points for families that (a) fill out the FDI Family Poster Survey, and/or (b) present about their family at a family diplomacy dialogue via Zoom.  I don’t detail ways you can make these things happen in this email, but you can apply the same tactics below, and all Family Diplomats (FDs) and FDAs are expected fill out the Family Poster Survey.

As you go about your FDA work, I encourage you to share other ways you find effective so we can share these with present and future FDAs.

If you need to translate the templates messages or email below into another language, I recommend using Google Translate.  It should produce a good draft translation from the English version below that you can then edit as needed.

Thanks for your work as an FDA to engage people in international family diplomacy!
JOIN FDI ON FACEBOOK (1 point per joiner)
Ways to facilitate people joining the FDI group on Facebook (FDI Fb):
  1. Go to the FDI Fb group page, and use the red +Invite button at the top right of the page (see screenshot above) to invite your Fb friends to join the FDI Fb group.
  2. Ask Fb friends of yours to invite their Fb friends to join using the red +Invite button.  Here’s a template request you can use:
    1. Hi [First Name], Would you please join the international Family Diplomacy Initiative (FDI) on Facebook, and use the red +Invite button at the top right of the group’s page to invite your friends to join the group?  I’m volunteering as a Family Diplomacy Ambassador (FDA) to help grow FDI on Fb.  The group helps people across the world connect, learn and dialogue online about family life.  People can also volunteer as an FDA or a Family Diplomat. https://www.facebook.com/groups/familydiplomacy/ 
  3. Social media message or email your friends individually to ask them to follow FDI Fb.  Message your connections on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Whatsapp, etc.  Here’s a template message you can use:
    1. Hi [First Name], Would you please join the international Family Diplomacy Initiative (FDI) on Facebook?  I’m volunteering as a Family Diplomacy Ambassador (FDA) to help grow FDI on Fb.  The group helps people across the world connect, learn and dialogue online about family life.  You can also learn about volunteering as an FDA or a Family Diplomat. https://www.facebook.com/groups/familydiplomacy/
  4. Post an invite to your social media (Facebook, Linkedin, TikTok, Instagram, etc.), and flag/hashtag persons or organizations you know that may be interested.  Here’s a template message you can use:
    1. Like #family and #worldaffairs?  Then join the #international #FamilyDiplomacy Initiative (FDI) on Facebook. The group helps people across the world connect, learn and dialogue online about family life. https://www.facebook.com/groups/familydiplomacy/ 
  5. Invite people in other relevant groups on Facebook.  You can join other groups, or if you’re already a member of other relevant Fb groups (groups about family, diplomacy, international relations, language learning, cultural exchange, travel, etc.), then just go to their Members page, scroll down to “New to the Group,” put your cursor on their name, then click “Message.”  If you join groups that are growing fast (at least 20 new members per week), you can send, say, 30-50 invites to 30-50 of their members per week, and in our experience, about 1 out of 5 to 10 of those you message will join.  Here’s a template message you can use:
    1. Hi [first name], I’m a volunteer Family Diplomacy Ambassador with Learning Life, an educational nonprofit based in the USA. As a fellow member of the Facebook group “[Enter name of the Fb gp you are both in],” I invite you to join Learning Life’s Family Diplomacy Initiative (FDI) on Facebook.  FDI helps people across the world connect, learn and dialogue online about family life. It’s free to join and participate: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familydiplomacy
  6. Ask friends and family in person: When you’re with friends or family in person, tell them briefly about FDI, and have them easily join FDI on Fb via your phone or their phone.
  7. Ask people at events in person: Find relevant events in person near you, and at the event, ask people you know, or don’t know, if they’d like to follow FDI on Fb. Good events may be conferences, church gatherings, or else, where you can sit in one place with high traffic with your laptop open to the FDI Fb group to show them the group, then have them request to join the group on the Fb app on their own phone while they are with you. You can record the names of those who sign up, and email the names to email@learninglife.info to get your points.
  8. Speak to groups in person: Find schools, university departments, or organizations in your community focused on global affairs, family, cultural exchange, language learning, travel, or other relevant topics, and ask them if you can speak in person to their members.  You can use the above templates to briefly explain, then pass around this sheet with 3 QR codes.  They can use their phones to scan the QR codes, then (1) follow/like Learning Life on Facebook,  (2) join the FDI Fb group, and (3) subscribe to the FD Dispatch.  If they do not allow you to speak, but are willing to share an email, use the email below.  You can ask those who take any of these 3 actions to give you their names, and email their names to email@learninglife.info to get points if we confirm they liked, joined and/or subscribed.
FOLLOW/LIKE LEARNING LIFE ON FACEBOOK (1 point per follower)
Ways to facilitate people liking/following Learning Life (LL) on Facebook:
  1. Go to LL on Facebook and click the three dots (…) on the top right of the page, below the LL logo, then click “Invite Friends” to send them an invitation to follow LL.
  2. Ask Fb friends of yours to to do #1 above.  Here’s a template request you can use:
    1. Hi [First Name], would you be willing to invite your Facebook friends to follow Learning Life on Facebook?  Learning Life is a USA-based educational nonprofit that is working to help more people participate in democracy and diplomacy for a more caring world.  For example, I am volunteering with Learning Life as a Family Diplomacy Ambassador (FDA) to help people across the world connect, learn and dialogue about family life (learninglife.info/fdi).  You can follow Learning Life’s activities and events on Facebook, and invite your Fb friends to do the same.  Just click the three dots (…) on the top right of the Learning Life page, below their logo, then click “Invite Friends” to send your Fb friends an invitation to follow Learning Life.  https://www.facebook.com/letlearninglive
  3. Social media message or email your friends individually to ask them to follow Learning Life on Facebook.  Message your connections on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Whatsapp, etc.  Here’s a template message you can use:
    1. Hi [First Name], Want to help spread democracy and diplomacy for a more caring world in an easy way? Follow Learning Life on Facebook. Learning Life is a USA-based educational nonprofit that is working to help more people participate in democracy and diplomacy for a more caring world.  For example, I am volunteering with Learning Life as a Family Diplomacy Ambassador (FDA) to help people across the world connect, learn and dialogue about family life (learninglife.info/fdi).  You can follow Learning Life’s activities and events on Facebook, and volunteer too if you like.  Just follow Learning Life on Facebook, and invite your friends to do the same by clicking the three dots (…) on the top right of the Learning Life page, below their logo, then click “Invite Friends.”  https://www.facebook.com/letlearninglive 
  4. Post an invite to your social media (Facebook, Linkedin, TikTok, Instagram, etc.), and flag/hashtag persons or organizations you know that may be interested.  Here’s a template message you can use:
    1. Want to help build a more caring world in an easy way? Follow Learning Life on Facebook. Learning Life is a USA-based educational nonprofit that is working to help more people participate in democracy and diplomacy for a more caring world.  For example, I am volunteering with Learning Life as a Family Diplomacy Ambassador (FDA) to help people across the world connect, learn and dialogue about family life (learninglife.info/fdi).  You can follow Learning Life’s activities and events on Facebook, and volunteer too if you like.  Just follow Learning Life on Facebook, and invite your friends to do the same by clicking the three dots (…) on the top right of the Learning Life page, below their logo, then click “Invite Friends.”  https://www.facebook.com/letlearninglive
  5. Invite people in other relevant groups on Facebook.  You can join other groups, or if you’re already a member of other relevant Fb groups (groups about democracy, diplomacy, international relations, politics, family, cultural exchange, etc.), then just go to their Members page, scroll down to “New to the Group,” put your cursor on their name, then click “Message.”  If you join groups that are growing fast (at least 20 new members per week), you can send, say, 30-50 invites to 30-50 of their members per week, and in our experience, about 1 out of 5 to 10 of those you message will join.  Here’s a template message you can use:
    1. Hi [first name], as a fellow member of the Facebook group “[Enter name of the Fb gp you are both in],” I invite you to follow Learning Life on Facebook.  Learning Life helps more people participate in democracy and diplomacy for a more caring world.   For example, I’m a volunteer Family Diplomacy Ambassador that helps engage more people in international family diplomacy.  You can learn more and follow Learning Life here: https://www.facebook.com/letlearninglive 
  6. Ask friends and family in person: Same as #6 above under JOIN FDI ON FACEBOOK but focused on following LL on Fb.
  7. Ask people at events in person: Same as #7 above under JOIN FDI ON FACEBOOK but focused on following LL on Fb.
  8. Speak to groups in person: Same as #8 above under JOIN FDI ON FACEBOOK but focused on following LL on Fb.
NOTE: So we can confirm the persons who follow LL or join FDI Fb are coming from you, you OR the person(s) who follows LL, or joins FDI Fb must email email@learninglife.info with their first and last name(s) plus a sentence like: “I/These person(s) followed Learning Life on Fb thanks to [FDA’s First and Last Name].”
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FD DISPATCH (2 points per subscriber)
Ways to facilitate people subscribing to Learning Life’s Family Diplomacy Dispatch:
  1. Social media message or email your friends individually to ask them to subscribe.  Message your connections on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Whatsapp, etc.  Here’s a template message you can use:
    1. Hi [First Name], like family, and international affairs? Subscribe free to the Family Diplomacy Dispatch.  Starting in 2026, every two months you will get an email with: (a) upcoming international family diplomacy discussions online, (b) profiles of families and family diplomats across the world, plus (c) interesting international facts, insights, and media to better understand families, and how they can be empowered for a more caring world. https://bit.ly/FDDispatch
  2. Post an invite to your social media (Facebook, Linkedin, TikTok, Instagram, etc.), and flag/hashtag persons or organizations you know that may be interested.  Here’s a template message you can use:
    1. Like family, and international affairs? Subscribe free to the Family Diplomacy Dispatch.  Starting in 2026, every two months you will get an email with: (a) upcoming international family diplomacy discussions online, (b) profiles of families and family diplomats across the world, plus (c) interesting international facts, insights, and media to better understand families, and how they can be empowered for a more caring world. https://bit.ly/FDDispatch
  3. Invite people in other relevant groups on Facebook.  You can join other groups, or if you’re already a member of other relevant Fb groups (groups about family, diplomacy, international relations, cultural or language exchange, etc.), then just go to their Members page, scroll down to “New to the Group,” put your cursor on their name, then click “Message.”  If you join groups that are growing fast (at least 20 new members per week), you can send, say, 30-50 invites to 30-50 of their members per week, and in our experience, about 1 out of 5 to 10 of those you message will join.  Here’s a template message you can use:
    1. Hi [first name], as a fellow member of the Facebook group “[Enter name of the Fb gp you are both in],” I invite you to subscribe free to the Family Diplomacy Dispatch.  Starting in 2026, every two months you will get an email with: (a) upcoming international family diplomacy discussions online, (b) profiles of families and family diplomats across the world, plus (c) interesting international facts, insights, and media to better understand families, and how they can be empowered for a more caring world. https://bit.ly/FDDispatch
  4. Ask friends and family in person: Same as #6 above under JOIN FDI ON FACEBOOK but focused on subscribing to Learning Life’s Family Diplomacy Dispatch.
  5. Ask people at events in person: Same as #7 above under JOIN FDI ON FACEBOOK but focused on subscribing to Learning Life’s Family Diplomacy Dispatch.
  6. Speak to groups in person: Same as #8 above under JOIN FDI ON FACEBOOK but focused on subscribing to Learning Life’s Family Diplomacy Dispatch.
VOLUNTEER AS A FAMILY DIPLOMAT (FD) OR FAMILY DIPLOMACY AMBASSADOR (FDA) (10-25 points per FD or FDA)
Ways to encourage individuals or families to serve as FDs or FDAs:
  1. Social media message or email your friends individually about serving as an FD or FDA.  Message your connections on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Whatsapp, etc.  Here’s a template message you can use:
    1. Hi [First Name], like family, and international affairs? Want to gain experience in citizen diplomacy (i.e., helping to improve relations between countries/peoples)?  You may want to volunteer as a Family Diplomat (FD) or Family Diplomacy Ambassador (FDA).  I am currently serving as an FDA, which is why I am messaging you!  Learn more: https://learninglife.info/fdsandfdas/
  2. Post an invite to your social media (Facebook, Linkedin, TikTok, Instagram, etc.), and flag/hashtag persons or organizations you know that may be interested.  Here’s a template message you can use:
    1. Like family, and international affairs? Want to gain experience in citizen diplomacy (i.e., helping to improve relations between countries/peoples)?  Volunteer as a Family Diplomat (FD) or Family Diplomacy Ambassador (FDA).  I am currently serving as an FDA, which is why I am sharing this opportunity!  Learn more: https://learninglife.info/fdsandfdas/
  3. Invite people in other relevant groups on Facebook.  You can join other groups, or if you’re already a member of other relevant Fb groups (groups about family, diplomacy, international relations, cultural or language exchange, etc.), then just go to their Members page, scroll down to “New to the Group,” put your cursor on their name, then click “Message.”  If you join groups that are growing fast (at least 20 new members per week), you can send, say, 30-50 invites to 30-50 of their members per week, and in our experience, about 1 out of 5 to 10 of those you message will join.  Here’s a template message you can use:
    1. Hi [first name], as a fellow member of the Facebook group “[Enter name of the Fb gp you are both in],” you may be interested in volunteering as an international Family Diplomat (FD) or Family Diplomacy Ambassador (FDA) to gain experience in citizen diplomacy (i.e., helping to improve relations between countries/peoples)?  I am currently serving as an FDA, which is why I am messaging you!  Learn more: https://learninglife.info/fdsandfdas/
  4. Ask friends and family in person: Same as #6 above under JOIN FDI ON FACEBOOK but focused on recruiting FDs and FDAs.
  5. Ask people at events in person: Same as #7 above under JOIN FDI ON FACEBOOK but focused on recruiting FDs and FDAs.
  6. Speak to groups in person: Same as #8 above under JOIN FDI ON FACEBOOK but focused on recruiting FDs and FDAs.
EMAIL TEMPLATE TO SHARE WITH INDIVIDUALS & GROUPS
This email shares all the ways above that people can connect and get involved.  Make sure to enter your name at the end of the email where indicated below. Also, include the FDI photo collage below with each email you send to give people a visual sense of family diplomacy.
Email subject line:
You’re invited to family diplomacy for a more caring world
Body of email: 
Hi [First Name(s)],
I hope you are doing well!
I am volunteering as a Family Diplomacy Ambassador (FDA) with Learning Life, a USA-based educational nonprofit.  FDAs connect people to Learning Life’s Family Diplomacy Initiative, an international program that helps people in different countries connect, learn and dialogue about family life for a more caring world.  If you like family, learning, and international cultural exchange, here are several ways you can connect and take part in family diplomacy:
  1. Follow Learning Life on Facebook, and invite your Facebook friends to do the same by clicking the three dots (…) on the top right of the Learning Life page, below their logo, then clicking “Invite Friends.”
  2. Join the Family Diplomacy Initiative on Facebook to get notices of upcoming international family diplomacy dialogues, and to connect and learn about family with thousands of people across the world who care about family. Invite your friends to join too using the red +Invite button at the top right of the Facebook group page.
  3. Subscribe to the Family Diplomacy Dispatch, and starting in 2026, you’ll get an email every two months sharing: (a) upcoming international family diplomacy discussions online, (b) profiles of families and family diplomats across the world, plus (c) interesting international facts, insights, and media to better understand families, and how they can be empowered for a more caring world.
  4. Apply to volunteer as a Family Diplomat (FD), or Family Diplomacy Ambassador (FDA).  FDs and FDAs serve online, not in person, so you can serve from the convenience of your home.  The FD time commitment is about 2-3 hours per month.  The FDA time commitment is about 4-12 hours per month, depending on how much you want to achieve and whether you want an FDA certificate.
Your Name
Family Diplomacy Ambassador
Learning Life