FAMILIES in the US who have hosted foreign exchange students in the past are on the decrease, according to this report on Fox9 News. Since 1973, more than 5,000 children have spent a summer in Minnesota, but this year, instead of bringing 60 kids over, the Children’s Program of Northern Ireland – which aims to foster greater understanding between young people from the two main communities – has been pared down to 20. It costs about $1,200 per child, and many Minnesota families are finding the cost prohibitive in the tough economic climate. On the upside, there’s another view that community relations here may be improving anyway. While the American schemes are well-intentioned, is it time to question whether this generation really are growing up as sectarian as their parents?
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