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Sister Cities International:
Promoting Peace and Global Cooperation - One Individual, One Community at a Time
by Matthew Corso
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Against the ominous backdrop of the Cold War, the unique concept of enlisting volunteer “citizen diplomats” in a quest for peace and cooperation arose during a White House conference convened in September 1956. President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a new program called People-to-People to a group of government experts and private individuals. He summarized the goal of this program as “the most worthwhile purpose there is in the world today.” The primary idea was to connect ordinary U.S. citizens at the local level through reciprocal exchanges with their counterparts in all parts of the world, building bridges of cultural understanding and laying the groundwork for a more peaceful future.
The conference resulted in 33 committees to implement the activities envisioned by Eisenhower, with the Civic Committee of People-to-People mandated to coordinate the formation of sister cities. Originally housed within the National League of Cities, it became apparent following the groundswell of enthusiasm and support for the work of the committee that there was a need for an independent organization to oversee the sister-cities movement. In June 1967, Sister Cities International (SCI) became an independent nonprofit organization, seeking to build on the successes of the first decade to transform the nature of civic volunteerism. Today, SCI continues to motivate and empower private citizens, municipal officials and business leaders, articulating the advantages and necessity of international engagement.
At present, SCI represents more than 750 U.S. communities partnered with over 1,450 international communities in 122 countries. Sister-city programs have transformed themselves to respond to rapidly changing global needs and realities. Today, sister-city partners engage in a vast array of mutually beneficial, innovative and meaningful projects, including business and economic development, public safety, health care assistance, arts and education, environmental protection, humanitarian relief, and promoting the concepts of sustainable development.
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Why Have a Sister City?
On the most basic level, sister-city relationships allow citizens to exchange ideas, gain an international perspective and increase their understanding of global issues. However, many sister-city programs go much further, lending economic growth and development to their home and partner communities, as well as humanitarian support to communities in need. Sister-city programs not only build the foundations for increased tourism, reliable business contacts and cross-cultural awareness, they also breed a desire to reach out to the world’s less developed regions and build personal bridges toward world peace.
How To Get Involved
SCI offers membership to U.S. cities, counties, states and territories, and to international communities that have a recognized sister-city relationship with a U.S. community. Any official jurisdiction can become a member of SCI and begin to build a sister-city partnership. A sister city, county or state relationship becomes official with a signing ceremony of the top elected officials of the two local jurisdictions, following the approval by the local city councils, county commissions or state legislatures, as appropriate. The SCI “model” generally involves the formation of a sister-city committee by the local citizens, with involvement by city hall. The citizens committee carries out the majority of the work, and often the most successful programs will become their own private, not-for-profit 501(c) 3 organizations.
How Are Local Sister-City Programs Funded?
Local sister-city programs fund themselves in various ways, including operating as part of a city commission, receiving funds from their city budget; as voluntary citizen organizations, relying on membership dues and fundraising campaigns; or receiving support from partnership organizations such as Rotary or Kiwanis clubs, other community organizations, foundations or business partners.
How To Find a Sister City
Communities find each other in many different ways. Sometimes it is a top-down process, in which two mayors develop a friendship, then involve their respective communities. Other times, it is a bottom-up process, when a group or individual in the community takes the lead by organizing a sister-city committee with the assistance of their elected officials. Regardless of how a partnership is formed, it is important that several key overall factors have been considered:
Is there genuine interest in both communities?
Is there a long-term commitment to the relationship?
Is there adequate financial support to sustain the relationship?
To ensure successful partnerships, SCI works closely with potential partners, providing templates, sample agreements, bylaws, and other organizational capacity-building tools. Also, it is extremely important that the goals and objectives of the partnership are clearly understood and mutually agreed upon, that economic and political factors are taken into consideration, and that the role of city hall and the citizens group is defined to avoid miscommunication.
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Successful Sister-City Partnerships:
Lakeland and Jacksonville
The City of Lakeland has three sister-city partners: Balti, Moldova (1997); Imabari, Japan (1993); and Richmond Hill, Canada (1991). Recent activities and awards highlight the ability of the citizens of Lakeland in reaching out to their sister cities, such as the work they did in conjunction with the United Way. Lakeland Sister Cities International assisted an elementary after-school program in dedicating an international peace pole on the school grounds; learning about the ethics of citizenship and community service; participating in a pen-pal exchange with students in Balti and Imabari; and helping the schoolchildren raise funds to participate in SCI’s Wheelchairs for Peace program. Through the efforts of the students and with matching gifts from Lakeland Sister Cities International, a total of 38 wheelchairs have been sent to Balti. In addition, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded Dr. Greg Spirakis of the Central Florida Speech & Hearing Center the Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award for his work in establishing the Free Children’s Audiology Clinic in Balti. The clinic is supported by donations from Lakeland Sister Cities International and from children in the local area schools.
The City of Jacksonville has six sister cities: Bahia Blanca, Argentina (1967); Murmansk, Russia (1975); Masan, South Korea (1983); Nantes, France (1984); Yingkou, China (1990); and Port Elizabeth, South Africa (2000). The Jacksonville Sister Cities Association (JSCA), a not-for-profit, volunteer organization, has been involved in sister-cities relationships since 1967, when the mayors of Jacksonville and Bahia Blanca stated that they were “Sisters of the Hemispheres.” In 2002-2003, the JSCA received two grants from the Florida Department of State providing funds to send books about Jacksonville and Florida to the libraries of all six of Jacksonville’s sister cities. The other grant supported Jacksonville’s “Wheelchairs for Peace” project by sending wheelchairs to disabled citizens in Bahia Blanca and Port Elizabeth. The wheelchair project was launched in February 2003, at a reception honoring Archbishop and Mrs. Desmond Tutu, who played an instrumental role in Jacksonville’s twinning with a South African sister city.
Both examples highlight the important role that sister cities play – not only in bridging different cultures, but also in addressing quality of life issues in both communities. Sister-city relationships are founded on a commitment to two-way learning, and both communities involved learn not only about each other, but also about the importance of being internationally engaged in an effort to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time.
Matthew Corso is director of the Sister Cities Network for Sustainable Development. For more information, he may be contacted by phone at (202) 347-8636 or via e-mail.
Reprinted from Quality Cities September/October 2003
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