YFU Student Exchange is an independent, non-profit, non-sectarian, volunteer-supported organisation dedicated not just to international exchange for young people, but through them, the interchange and sharing of ideas, attitudes and mutual respect. YFU was originally established in the United States in 1951 to build friendship between the youth of the United States and Germany after the Second World War. The program was an immediate success and has expanded to 60 countries worldwide. In New Zealand began in 1985 and in Australia in 1977, when a group of interested people joined together to promote the benefits of an international exchange experience. The YFU network of organisations has successfully exchanged more than 250 000 students worldwide and has been praised by many organisations and governments for its contribution to intercultural understanding.