Type, Talk & Transform World Peace

So long Sister Cities...but not Farewell

2011-03-11T10:15:00.017-05:00

By the time you read this, I will be gone. But hopefully, not forgetten.

Friday, March 11 is my last day as the chief executive of Sister Cities International. It has been a incredible four years leading this global network of communities. I have enjoyed a personal international education along the way and I will not forget the people who make this network so incredible and relevent.

Over the next few weeks and months I will re-invent my blog in my new role as the Executive Director of the UN Association of the USA which is a program of the UN Foundation. In the meantime, you can continue to follow SCI on Twitter (@sistercityintl) and Facebook.

Instead of re-inventing my reflections about my tenure in a final post, I will share my remarks to the SCI members from the Annual Business Meeting on the last day of the conference.

"...As a closing footnote to my formal report as most of you know I will be leaving SCI in a few weeks to join the UN Association of the USA, a program of the UN Foundation.

I feel fortunate to have enjoyed this time, and to serve you and the sister cities mission. The idea of connecting communities and individuals is not just a noble one, but a vital one.

You follow in the footsteps of citizens, really generations of citizens, who believed and witnessed how one handshake and one relationship can make a difference.

Our network is ripe with opportunity. Its limitations are only bound by your imagination and of course, resources. I challenge you to leave this conference with a renewed commitment to invigorate your local sister city program.

These are efforts that cannot be done in Washington, DC – they are done locally. Putting on the same program or exchange every year is easy. Change is hard. Inventing, creating, imagining is difficult. But I have seen the strength and passion you bring to this work, and I have no doubt it is possible.

I wish each of you well on your sister cities endeavors. I will take all of these experiences and inspiring stories with me. Thank you for sharing sister cities with me. These are memories and friendships I will hold onto.

Thank you Mr. Chairman, this concludes my report."

Sister Cities Launches Africa Documentary - Spread the Word

2011-03-10T10:36:00.009-05:00

One of the great highlights of the 55th Annual Conference was the premiere of our Africa documentary, which highlights the work of the sister cities network and in particular, the African Urban Poverty Alleviation Program.

LA-based filmmaker Matthew Bardocz of Filmcz put together a four-part documentary, which is the first half of a larger documentary which will be completed late in 2011.

Each Thursday a new episode has been released on SCI's YouTube channel. Tune in next Thursday (3/17) for the final edition.

Click here to see the first 3 epsidoes.

Help create a buzz. Pass the word on. Email, tweet, blog, and honk the news about this documentary.

What A Conference! SCI Celebrates 55 Years

2011-03-08T11:25:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, March 5, Sister Cities International closed the 55th annual conference in Arlington, VA with more than 300 members from nearly 20 countries in attendance.

The anniversary celebration opened on Thursday with a Hill Day and included presentations from Senator Richard Durbin (IL) and Representative Mike Honda (CA). In the afternoon, attendees traveled to the Department of State for region and country breifings. Reta Jo Lewis, Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs was our host and made a keynote presentation about her work connecting local and state municipalities from the U.S. with other local governments around the world. In a short period the Department of State has established solid ties at the subnational level in China, South Africa, and Brazil among others. Maura Pally from the Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs discussed some of the department's recent work with youth, exchange alumni, and Muslim-majority countries. Our Sister Cities conference was featured in the State Department's blog - DipNote - the following week. The day closed with a reception in the Benjamin Franklin Dining Room and Diplomatic Reception Rooms. Great views!

Friday and Saturday were filled with workshops on social media, protocol, Africa, and fundraising, as well as conversations about the future of citizen diplomacy. We closed the event by tipping our hats to the best programs for 2010 at the Lou Wozar Annual Awards Luncheon.

President of China Hails Sister Cities and the Importance of Exchanges

2011-01-20T08:05:00.007-05:00

I'm pleased to report President Hu made reference to the importance of sister cities in the growing relations between China and the U.S. His reference also stresses the importance of all types of people-to-people exchanges. Read at his quote from the joint press conference yesterday with President Obama (who is also the Honorary Chairman of Sister Cities International).

PRESIDENT HU: "...I think that the exchanges between our two peoples represent the basis and the driving force behind the growth of our relationship. Ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries, we have seen more robust exchanges between our two peoples. And such exchanges have also helped promote the steady growth of our relationship.

The statistics I have show that each year we have about 3 million people traveling between our two countries. In other words, on every single day, about 7,000 to 8,000 will be traveling between China and the United States. This is something hardly conceivable 32 years ago when we first established diplomatic ties.

In addition, we have also seen very broad-ranging development of the exchanges at sub-national level. So far, our two countries have already established sister relationships between 36 provinces and states, and we have also developed 161 pairs of sister cities between our two countries.

The Chinese government is supportive of the friendly exchanges between our two peoples, and we have been creating all kinds of conditions to expand the friendly exchanges between the American and the Chinese peoples.

During this visit, President Obama and I reached an agreement that both sides will take positive steps to further increase the people-to-people exchanges. On one hand, we will encourage the young people in our two countries to go to each other’s countries to pursue further education and to learn more about each other. And at the same time, we have also decided to put in place dialogue and exchange mechanisms between different Chinese and American provinces and states.

Besides, we are also going to further expand cultural exchanges and develop tourism. We are going to use a variety of means to further increase people-to-people exchanges.

I would like to particularly stress here that the young people hold the future of this relationship. It is extremely important to increase the exchanges between the young people in our two countries. Through such exchanges, I hope that our friendship can be furthered. And I also hope that they in the future can serve as ambassadors of goodwill for our two countries, and they can make even more positive contribution to the development of a cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit."

Read the full press conference transcript.

Source: www.whitehouse.gov

2 Days Left to Help Sister Cities

2010-12-30T07:23:00.002-05:00

You have just two days left in 2010 to make your charitable contribution to Sister Cities International. I hope you’ll help us reach our fundraising goal with a year-end gift. We want to go into our 55th Anniversary year with a positive energy. What were some of our accomplishments in 2010…

• Convenings - an inspiring Conference in New Mexico brought together more than 400 sister city leaders from around the U.S. and the globe as well as online workshops and learning sessions throughout the year.

• Africa Urban Poverty Alleviation Program – a program where we are making a difference in 24 African cities in 13 countries with water, health, and sanitation interventions.

• Youth and Education – a robust set of gatherings (in-person and virtual!) to foster the next generation of citizen diplomats.

• Advocacy – a voice for our network on Capitol Hill, at the Department of State, and with other pivotal Washington institutions.

Here’s how you can help today with a gift. It's as easy as 1, 2, or 3!

1> Visit www.sister-cities.org/donate2010 and fill-in our online giving form. With a credit card in hand, this will take you about 45 seconds. (Timing may vary depending on how quick your hunt and peck typing may be!) I would suggest a $150 donation.

2> Donate using your mobile phone! Text SCI to 85944 and a one-time donation of $10 will be billed to your mobile phone bill. Messaging & data rates may apply. Donations are collected for Sister Cities International by mobilecause.com. (Reply STOP to 85944 to stop. Reply HELP to 85944 for help. For terms, see www.igfn.org/t.)

3> Write a check to Sister Cities International and mail it to Attn: Development Dept,1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 850, Washington, DC 20004.

If you’ve already made a donation, pass this along to your friends, family, and colleagues!

Thank you and here’s to a terrific 2011!

From Eisenhower to Obama: Citizen Diplomacy Marches On (Part 2)

2010-12-28T08:27:00.004-05:00

A few posts ago I mentioned the U.S. Summit on Global Citizen Diplomacy. This was the second convening of citizen diplomacy leaders since President Eisenhower's initial call to action in 1956.

Summit produced a range of materials, breifings, and presentations on Faith-based groups, the role of the private sector, how state governments are engaging in citizen diplomacy, the health field, youth and education, and much more. There are some terrific examples within these publications. You may also be interested in the Summit's final report, which calls for a 10-year initiative to engage more U.S. citizens in our work.

I was pleased to to-chair a Task Force on Community-based Organizations with Sherry Mueller, the President of the National Council for International Visitors. We were asked to seek out some of the best programs in the community-based citizen diplomacy sector. After a competitive application process, the task force selected 10 programs to showcase:

These programs are featured in a summit summary for our task force. Read about these stellar programs. Congratulations to these programs and the many others which were commendable but didn't happen to make the final selection.

Also, I want to add my appreciation to the supporters of this event, most importantly the U.S. Department of State's Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs and major corporate funders, including Verizon Wireless, Townsend Vision, American Express, The Coca-Cola Company, Visa, and the many others.

It took 54 years between the first summit and this one, when will the next one be?

Text SCI to 85944 to Give $10 Today!

2010-12-23T08:43:00.001-05:00

'Tis the Season to reflect on all of those wonderful sister city memories you've have this past year and help us continue our work into 2011.

Sister Cities International has a new way for you to support our work toward world peace. You can now donate using your mobile phone! Text SCI to 85944 and a one-time donation of $10 will be billed to your mobile phone bill. Messaging & data rates may apply. Donations are collected for Sister Cities International by mobilecause.com.

(Reply STOP to 85944 to stop. Reply HELP to 85944 for help. For terms, see www.igfn.org/t.)

From Eisenhower to Obama: Citizen Diplomacy Marches On (Part 1)

2010-12-02T21:43:00.003-05:00

The week before the holiday, I had the honor of representing Sister Cities International as part of the U.S. Summit on Global Citizen Diplomacy. This was the second convening of citizen diplomacy leaders since President Eisenhower's initial call to action in 1956.

More than 600 citizen diplomats from around the U.S. attended - including sister cities and international visitor council volunteers (as well as other community-based networks), business leaders, health workers, elected officials, educators (from elementary through university), young professionals, artists and culture purveyors. There were more than 40 countries represented. I have to say (to take a page from the Sopranos), I was very impressed by the presence of the heads of the families at this event (i.e. all the heads of all the exchange networks - large and small and all types pof exchanges).

During the event, some of the sessions provoked questions about citizen diplomacy and the formal diplomacy work of the State Department while others explored the local approaches to citizen engagement and cultural understanding. There were presentations on new programs and well-established programs. Attendees heard from a range of folks from the Department of State and Department of Defense. It was one big tent and many people joined in.

Tune-in for Part 2 on this blog when I outline the session discussion, which I co-moderated, on the top 10 programs from the Community-based Task Force.

Turning Red for World AIDS Day

2010-12-01T22:26:00.001-05:00

Today is World AIDS Day. A day where we have the chance to raise the dialogue. A few months ago, Sister Cities International decided to partner with Project (RED), a group affiliated with efforts to raise awareness of AIDS epidemic and bring it to an end. You've probably seen their (RED) products all around. They've spent the day turning Facebook and Foursquare red .

So we worked in coordination with (RED) to encourage US sister cities and municipalities abroad to turn their cities "red" for the day to draw attention to the day. Around the globe, 85 cities are turning monuments, bridges, city halls - red. (My effort includes turning this blog red.)

Go take a look at the map and check out some of the cool pictures that are already coming in.

A Discussion around Cultural Diplomacy

2010-11-05T12:46:00.005-04:00

The School of International Service of American University, along with its co-sponsors the Public Diplomacy Council and MountainRunner Institute, is hosting a half-day conference on Monday, November 8 at American University to explore the role of cultural diplomacy, Diplomacy 2.0 and Now Media, and the importance of "listening" as part of our diplomacy strategy.

“Cultural Diplomacy as a Listening Project?” will bring together stakeholders in the cultural diplomacy, including members of the policy community, diplomacy professionals, and academic researchers, to explore the challenges to, and potential for, listening across different approaches to cultural diplomacy.

It should be a terrific conversation, for directions and details, check out the event website.

Global Competence: Asia Society Calls for More Sister Schools

2010-10-30T22:34:00.005-04:00

In a landmark publication published this fall, Ready for the World: Preparing Elementary Students for the Global Age, the Asia Society calls for significant improvements in the approach U.S. schools take to open the minds of elementary students. The guide lays out a complete framework on how schools, administrators, and teachers and integrate global competence in their work.

The authors lay out a 10-point outline that they call a Vision for Global Education, which calls for “dynamic interactions and exchanges with sister schools to enhance learning and create understanding.” This is a chance to connect your sister cities program with the local education system. Check out Sister Cities International's sister schools toolkit.

Any interested reader will find the guide accessible, but I see it as an important tool to articulate the needed reasoning for increased integration of global topics in the classroom. Both readers outside the education system and those professional educators will find this useful.

I was especially impressed with the opening of the preface by Tony Jackson, the Vice President of Education at the Asia Society:

Consider a girl entering kindergarten in the United States. Though her classes may be full of students from around the world, chances are global issues and cultures will not be consistently woven throughout her coursework. Unlike young children in other nations who begin learning a second language in elementary school, she will probably learn only one language, English, until high school. When she starts her career, she will likely live and work in a world where China is the largest economy and the world’s largest cities are all outside the United States. Will her American education prepare her for the challenges and opportunities of a global economy?

Well said. Elementary School? Middle School? High School? College? We are not doing enough to expose, engage and educate the current and next generation to the rest of the world. Kids across the globe know English, U.S. major foreign policies, and definitely American pop culture. What do our kids know about Africa’s emerging democracies, Asian cultures, or contemporary history of South America? Very little - we need to get moving!

The Start Line Approaches - 2010 Race & Festival for World Peace

2010-10-19T10:32:00.006-04:00

Now's the time to make up your mind - what are you doing this weekend for world peace? Here's your options:

1> If you live in the greater Washington, DC area - sign up at www.raceforworldpeace.org/ and meet up at 20th & Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday by 9am for the start of our 5K run/walk through the Foggy Bottom neighborhood. In addition to cash prizes for runners, we have an array of free giveaways for runners/walkers during the post race awards ceremony and through out the cultural festival that follows.

(Live in DC but you are out of town this weekend? No worries. Sign up anyway and we'll count your registration as a donation and support for our cause. You do like world peace, don't you?)

2> If you don't live in the WDC metro area, host your own event. You don't need police barriers and permits. You need one or more friends. Pick a meeting point near your house and walk (or run) on Saturday. If you register your "virtual race" with the Sister Cities International office ahead of time, we'll send your group free race t-shirts. Contact our race director, Anna Valero, to register your hometown run/walk.

Congratulations to Fort Worth, Texas; Accra, Ghana; Casablanca, Morocco; and Stuttgrat, Germany - all of whom are hosting virtual races. Let us know if you are on-board!

3> Jogging isn't your thing? That's fine, do you like sitting? C'mon by for our FREE FESTIVAL from 10am-2pm at 20th & Pennsylvania Avenue for a mix of music, dance, and spoken word, as well as cultural booths, food, and fun kids activities.

So,what are you doing this weekend for world peace?

Reframing a "D" in the 3 Ds

2010-09-23T22:21:00.004-04:00

The White House announced a major development strategy to run complementary to the strength of our defense and diplomacy efforts. (Hence the three Ds - defense, diplomacy, and development). If this turns into increased aid programs and exchanges dollars over the next few years, it has the opportunity to recalibrate how much of the developing world thinks of us (using much less money than the other two Ds).

There are many policy papers and ideas generated in DC, but this is how things get started and can translate into progress abroad. We'll see how it plays out.

Check it out the new strategy.

Pardon my delay, I was being censored

2010-09-17T15:46:00.004-04:00

For my blog followers, I spent the past week in China at the World Cities Scientific Development Forum and participating in meetings with some local officals and NGO leaders. (Hence, the flurry of posts.) All in all, a very productive trip. However, I attempted to post to this blog in "real-time" on a number of occasions from China and found it odd that the Blogger site was down for maintence at the exact time I was trying to post...every day. Then it finally struck me. The site isn't down, it was being blocked.

City to city partnerships and citizen diplomacy between the U.S. and China are growing stronger and richer each month. But, this experience was a reminder. Some larger bilateral issues reach beyond the local level and still need to be addressed. We want everyone's voice to be heard.

Sister Cities in Beijing

2010-09-12T00:29:00.001-04:00

Sister Cities International delegation at the World Cities Scientific Development Forum, September 10-11 in Beijing, China.

Sister Cities in China, part 1

2010-09-10T01:36:00.002-04:00

A delegation of 10 sister cities leaders spent Sept 7-9 in Shanghai, China as part of the People's Friendship Association conference. Nearly 700 individuals from around the world convened to discuss partnerships in China. Lots of networking, connecting, and sharing ideas about exchanges and projects.

A Call for Hosting Exchange Students

2010-08-20T18:11:00.003-04:00

Take a look at this video call from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for more Americans to host exchange visitors/students. It makes a difference around the world.

A Week Later - Conference Success Stories

2010-08-14T11:12:00.006-04:00

Whoa - has it been a week (or two!) since Albuquerque. The praise continues to roll in. Between the youth and adult conference we had over 500 participants from nearly 20 countries. Were you there? See who was by checking out the attendee list.

The Africa and Mexico days were well attended and fostered a very useful dialogue.Our counterparts from US-Mexico Sister Cities Association and the Mexico-US Sister Cities Association were on hand and added a great deal.

Alicia Anstead led a terrific series of conversations around Arts & Culture for the day and her keynote speaker, Bob Lynch from Americans for the Arts.

The kick-off economic development presentations and networking breakfast were a huge hit. Kudos to the State of New Mexico Economic Development office.

Keynoter Anna Munio from Continuum challenged sister city leaders to look at their work through new lenses. Take a look at her PPT and other presentations from the conference.

We also transformed two conference sessions into webinars. Our popular Social Media and Fundraising sessions can be found online for members who didn't make it to the conference. Take a listen.

Many thanks to...Richard Buckler from the Albuquerque Sister Cities program and his army of volunteers, the Albuquerque CVB and mayor's staff, Carol Robertson Lopez for her support as a board member and well-connected New Mexican from Santa Fe, and our sponsors who helped us make it happen.

The debate and dialogue in the workshops, panel sessions and networking events covered the gamut and folks left with a renewed energy, a pocketful of ideas, and inspiration for another year of sister city exchanges and programs.

Join us next year for our anniversary conference at a special time of year: our 55th Annual Conference in Arlington, Virginia USA on March 3-5, 2011. Visit www.sister-cities.org/conference for speaker and session details and to secure the early bird discounted registration rate today.

Sister Cities Facebook Fan Frenzy

2010-07-31T13:24:00.000-04:00

We surpassed 1,100 fans on Facebook this month! Not too shabby considering the effort is less than a year old. (Kudos to our own Communications & Programs Manager Frances Reimers for her evangelizing on our behalf and nonstop tweeting!) Are you a fan?

Not Your Father's Sister Cities Conference!

2010-07-30T17:16:00.004-04:00

More than 100 youth and young professionals at the conference. No minimum middle age required.(Posted: from our social media session.)

(Author’s note: If you don’t “get” the title of this post, you are officially part of the sister cities youth(ful) movement. Apologies to Oldsmobile. Do they still exist?)

A Call for Community Diplomacy: Sister Cities International 2010 Conference

2010-07-29T01:05:00.006-04:00

This week we launch our 54^th Annual Conference in Albuquerque, NM bringing together more than 500 citizen diplomats and youth from 20+ countries to discuss community diplomacy.

We three top tier keynote speakers. Our opening speaker is from the design consulting firm Continuum. Anna Munio will challenge attendees to think about ‘how’ they approach problem solving in our network between communities. Continumm has been in the middle of creative thinking commercially for a long time (heard of the Swiffer? That was them!) but over the past few years they have expanded their practice to apply their concepts and solutions to social problems. The nonprofit buzz word is social innovation – I think our audience-goers will realize they’ve been social innovators long before it became trendy.

See below about national arts figure Robert Lynch's role at the conference.

Our closing speaker is Leanne Rios from the United Nations to talk about the U.N.’s progress toward the Millennium Development Goals. With an endzone of 2015, some countries are making serious progress while other problems seem to be getting worse. Rios will address a specific campaign to stop hunger.

In our other sessions, we plan to cover the globe in our own way:

Africa and Mexico have their own tracks on Thursday, letting delegates dig deep into
discussion and hear more about our urban poverty grant program.

Arts and cultural programs have been the foundation of many local sister city programs for decades. This subject gets its own track facilitated by seasoned journalist Alicia Anstead in a series of interviews (featuring Americans for the Arts President & CEO Robert Lynch), discussions, and workshops on Thursday as well.

On Friday, we are introducing a new educational model to our sessions: Sister Cities University. These three sessions on fundraising, Social Media, and Volunteer Management are designed to get members to roll up their sleeves and hear how experts and members programs address the topics while providing real-time answers and
tips to problems.

Friday has turned into a nonstop day of workshops and panels on: the Muslim World, Green/Energy exchanges, economic development, volunteer management, youth and multiculturalism, social media, fundraising, elected officials, and crisis management case study. See full schedule.

While I can’t recommend one over another one without getting into trouble with one group of the panelists over others (although I am moderating the fundraising one!), I have to say
hearing directly from local elected officials is always insightful.

Divide and conquer, there’s something for everyone. Learn, exchange ideas, energize your program and our network.

Sister Cities International & Africa (A 3-month Snapshot)

2010-07-28T10:56:00.000-04:00

This spring Sister Cities International selected its Phase II cities for the Africa Urban Poverty Alleviation Program (AUPAP), funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Read our formal announcement and the cities involved. This stretches the program to 26 locations in 13
countries around the continent. Phase I cities are well underway with projects finalized and the work on the water, health, and sanitation projects will begin soon. There are some terrific projects in development for the Phase I cities - take a look. This project continues to spin a ‘wow factor’ for us as we present about the program and talk about the impact in the African communities.

In May, a delegation of about 30 from Sister Cities International, lead by Board Chairman Mike Hyatt, participated in the Africa Global Sister Cities Foundation Conference in Accra, Ghana. Drawing participants from our AUPAP program, we added a richness to the dialogue with participants from Kenya, Swaziland, Liberia, and Ethiopia to share their progress on their urban poverty projects. The focus of the event was the intersection of influence between traditional rulers and local elected officials. I found the conversation very thought-provoking, educational, and inspiring. More than 70 traditional rulers (Kings, Chiefs, Queen
Mothers) were on hand.

We were fortunate to enjoy and audience with the President of Ghana John Atta Mills at the Presidential Castle. He expressed his appreciation for our participation and engagement in Ghana and stressed the importance of collaboration beyond borders.

What have you done for me lately?

2010-07-27T08:42:00.002-04:00

Not much on this blog, that’s for sure. It’s not for lack of desire or interest but sheer lack of hours in the day for thoughtful (and coherent) posting. Allow me to catch up with you over the next few posts…watch this space.

Mark Your Calendar: Race & Festival for World Peace – October 23, 2010

2010-05-24T21:45:00.001-04:00

Strap up your running shoes and get training. In connection with UN Day and UN Week celebrations in Washington, DC, Sister Cities International will host its second Race & Festival for World Peace this fall on Saturday morning, October 23 in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood.

Will you join us in DC? Will you host your own walk or run in your town? It’s not too hard to grab a few friends passionate about the world and go for a walk. Let us know about it (and send a picture or two!) and we’ll make a big deal of your efforts! Find out more at www.raceforworldpeace.org.

Shhhhh-Do you hear the crickets?

2010-04-30T12:00:00.002-04:00

That would be the sound of my recent blogging efforts. Yes, yes woefully delinquent. Stay tuned - new posts forthcoming.

ROI: Show Them the Money

2010-03-08T21:44:00.012-05:00

At the end of February I had the opportunity to attend and present at our Southern California (SOCAL) sister cities regional meeting. More than 100 citizen leaders assembled from Bakersfield, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Monica, San Diego, Torrance, among others – a great representation of the region.

Stelle Feuers, SOCAL’s leader, captained the day as the organizer and brought together a range of speakers to focus on economic development. Many of our local sister city programs are faced with showing municipal leaders how the local program delivers a “Return on Investment” for the community. Whether that means jobs (the magic word at the moment in politics) or actual revenue back to the city, this is a challenge for small nonprofits powered by volunteers. Some of our member cities have been doing economic work for years, but for some this is new ground to tread. The SOCAL meeting was a terrific mix of networking and a range of ideas, models, and best practices on how local sister city programs can accomplish this. Here’s an overview of the program:

· The morning started with well-known Adlei Wertman from USC. A compelling speaker who spoke about his experience as a social entrepreneur and the work of his USC program as it intersects business students looking to change the world.

· Susan Herlin from Louisville spoke about decades of economic and cultural work with their sister city, Kumasi, Ghana. Susan’s overall message was: slow and steady, success won’t happen overnight.

· SCI Board Member Carol Lopez from Santa Fe offered a terrific overview of her annual Santa Fe Folk Art Market. Her message: tangible micro-business opportunities can have a tremendous impact on individual artists and their native communities.

· Dave Zanetta from Long Beach gave a terrific summary of their work with their Chinese sister city. His message: get creative with your partnerships and get the word out about your efforts.

I had an opportunity to give the attendees and preview of some new research Sister Cities International undertook this winter on economic development and a range of economic development programs. My message: don't undervalue what your sister city program is delivering to your city.

Stay tuned for the roll-out of our economic development research in the next few weeks.

Reflections from Ghana

2010-03-08T21:38:00.004-05:00

Guest Blogger: Jim Doumas, Executive Vice President, Sister Cities International

It was close to one year ago that Sister Cities International, (SCI) received a three-year, $7.5 million grant to fund the Africa Urban Poverty Alleviation Program (AUPAP). This grant enables SCI to assist our members to develop 25 water, sanitation and health projects with twinned partners on the continent of Africa. In addition, the project focuses on assisting the development and increasing the capacity of Africa Global Sister Cities Foundation, (AGSCF), an organization based in Ghana dedicated to increasing citizen-to-citizen exchanges on the continent of Africa with the world.

I am excited about this opportunity for so many reasons. Above all, I welcome the opportunity to work directly with African communities and assist them with achieving the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. This is a remarkable opportunity to demonstrate to the world that the sister cities network is a dynamic force that changes lives on a variety of levels.

Following the grant announcement, the past eight months have been a whirlwind of activity. If you haven’t heard, we opened an SCI office in Accra, Ghana, hired various staff and consultants to assist with the implementation of AUPAP and, of course, selected our seven Phase I cities.

Last month, the Phase I cities and their African partners assembled in Accra for an intense six-day project work plan training session. For the first time, all the AUPAP leaders were in one room to discuss their projects and learn from each other. This was also an opportunity for AGSCF to illustrate their role within the project and to discuss how best to work together to develop sister city capacity-building within Africa.

What I saw during this week was a group of dedicated volunteers and professionals working long, intense hours to strengthen their proposals. While most of the U.S. participants had previously met, this training session was the first time all of the African citizen participants had an opportunity to work together in-person. Looking around the room I was reminded that nothing replaces face-to-face interaction and saw people-to-people interaction in Africa as an additional catalyst for creative ideas to help improve AUPAP. The groups shared their project designs, architectural schematics and their community outreach plans. It was apparent that the African city program managers have taken on a key leadership role. The communities illustrated how the local community committees are drawing from all areas of the community (private, public, NGO), far beyond their traditional sister city committees which is a critical component of the AUPAP project.

With the training session behind us, SCI staff and members have turned their attention to AUPAP Phase II which will increase the number of cities from seven to 25. SCI is also assisting AGSCF as they finalize plans for an international conference in Accra in May, and a parallel track on AUPAP at the SCI’s Annual Conference in Albuquerque this July at our Annual Conference. It is at this moment that I stop, take a breath and reflect on all that has been accomplished and all that is yet to be accomplished. I left Accra with a tremendous sense of excitement for our members and their future work with our partners in Africa and a sense that Sister Cities is on the precipice of something great.

“World Peace Doesn’t Telecommute!”

2010-02-14T19:39:00.002-05:00

This is what I told my staff a week ago on Thursday when Washington media and general population was in hysteria over the Friday arrival of the (first) blizzard of 2010. While parts of the DC region closed down in anticipation of snowflakes, Sister Cities International staff made their way into work and continued to press on. As a native Washingtonian, I was nonplussed by the forecast. No offense to the resident meteorologists, but this is town is notoriously tricky to forecast snow storms. Although, Nor’easters do tend to get the best of us – like this past week.

Little did I know that was the last time I was going to see my staff for a whole week. After 30”+ inches of snow (and a 2nd blizzard – aptly named Snozilla), we re-opened our office (along with the rest of the Washington, DC establishment and federal government) this past Friday to complete gridlock, few sidewalks, and snow islands that were randomly deposited in the middle of major thoroughfares in and around the region.

So…world peace may not telecommute, but apparently world peace does have issues with snow management. I can proudly report that the Sister Cities International staff continued their work (electronically) throughout the week. But, I could not help myself in the midst of this extreme weather event to spread the good word of our mission, in my front yard.

This got me thinking of other deep freeze exchanges. People in (regularly) snowy places press on with our work every year despite the weather! How about Barrow, Alaska - the most northern sister city community in our membership? Today’s forecast: -3 degrees and blowing snow (yea, the temperature was negative three without the wind chill!). Barrow has two sister city relationships: Inuvik, Canada and Ushuaia, Argentina.

Then there’s the famed Aspen, Colorado. They have a number of hilly sister cities that happen to be ski resorts, such as Chamonix, France; Davos, Switzerland; and, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany; among their six sister cities. Their snowiest exchanges include medical and life saving training for patrols as well exchanges that focus on mitigating environmental impact of ski resorts.

I know there are other examples – feel free to share them with me. Maybe there’s an exchange or two that weren’t meant to be snow adventures but turned into one. Send me an email and I’ll pass them along in our blog.

An Inspired Life Motivates US-Mexico Relations

2010-01-25T22:37:00.000-05:00

Guest Blogger: Michael Hyatt, Chair-Board of Directors, Sister Cities International

On December 30, 2009 Bobby Salcedo from El Monte, CA and a leader within the US Mexico sister city network was killed during a random act of violence while vacationing in Mexico. Bobby's life and work were celebrated at the US Mexico Sister City Association (USMSCA) Conference this past weekend in Cathedral City, CA. While some may shy away from relationships with Mexico in wake of such violence, members of the USMSCA called for an increase in the number of partnerships and exchanges with Mexico. The Association recognized that safety is a concern and needs to be addressed, but we must not live in fear.

I, along with Laura Giroux, attended the US Mexico Sister City Association conference this past weekend in Cathedral City, CA. Having formalized our partnership last year, we began to discuss ways to work together. We are working on a track for our 2010 conference which will focus on Mexico. We hope this will attract USMSCA members to attend as well as invite their partners in Mexico. I have also asked Gil Garcia to serve on our Mexico Task Force with its goals of increasing our relationships in Mexico as well as the level of activity.

A foundation in Bobby's honor for scholarships is being established in his name. I will have details on the Sister Cities International website when the foundation is complete. Bobby's death only highlights the need for our work to continue in Mexico and provide assistance to our neighbors.

If your city has one of our 151 partnerships in Mexico, please invite them to the conference in Albuquerque.

Honoring a Sister Cities Icon: Ruth Hashimoto

2010-01-06T23:33:00.003-05:00

I have been fortunate in my nearly three-year tenure to meet thousands of sister city volunteer leaders from around the U.S. and the globe. I am always struck by the passion and commitment of our members. Unfortunately earlier this week, the Sister Cities International family lost one of our leaders when she passed away - Ruth Hashimoto, a legendary figure in our organization.

Ruth’s daughter, Ada Jane Akin, shared this message about her passing:

"My mother passed away peacefully on Monday, 1/4/2010, about 5:15am MT. She had been in declining health for the past few months, and her 96-year-old body finally decided it was time to go. My family and I are comforted by the knowledge that she was well-cared for and comfortable during her last days."

As we circulated the news today, in a short few hours I received a notable number of personal messages from sister city members about Ruth. I’d like to share just a few:

A great loss to our organization. A friend to all, an inspiration and the kindest person you could ever hope to meet.
It is sad to lose our long-time friend. She inspired so many of us through the years. So many treasured memories... her twinkling eyes, her ready smile, her origami offerings to us, her picture taking and photographs sent to us after each meeting, and most of all, her faith in the good of her fellowman and her steadfast belief in and love for Sister Cities.
Ruth's legacy will live on through those of us who were fortunate to know - and love - her.
A great board member and great Sister City enthusiast.
My first impression of Sister Cities International was my Friend, Ruth. We both shared the same name and she sorta took me under her wing. Every time we met, she made me feel so very special. Her thoughtful and loving ways endeared her to so many of us that we each and all felt her “motherly instincts”. Her passion for SCI was contagious and certainly will linger with us for many years to come. To me, she WAS SISTER CITIES.

Thank you to all of those members who shared their thoughts with me. I didn’t have chance to meet Ruth, which is my loss, but based on everything I know of her, I think she’d appreciate this reflection by British Poet and Painter David Harkins:

“You can shed tears that she is gone,
or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,
or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her only that she is gone,
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back.

Or you can do what she'd want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.”

I invite those of you who knew her to share your stories, thoughts, and reflections. Add your comment below so we can celebrate her legacy and…go on.

~Patrick Madden, President & CEO, Sister Cities International

To-Do List Before Dec 31

2009-12-28T07:52:00.000-05:00

Before I get into a pithy 2010 blog post, I'm going to make one last pitch for your help. With a few days left before New Years, I've got a few quick ideas for how to spend your time - friendraising and fundraising for us!

Give a personal cash donation to Sister Cities International. If you’ve already given, can you give again? Visit www.sister-cities.org/donate. (When it asks, "How'd you hear about us?" mention my blog.)
Do some post-holiday shopping at Amazon.com by using our Sister Cities International link so we receive a donation back. Visit www.sister-cities.org/marketplace/index.cfm. (Save this link, you can use this link any time during the year for your online shopping needs.)
Send an email to all your Facebook friends, Twitter followers, and LinkedIn associates asking them to donate to Sister Cities International. Send them to www.sister-cities.org/donate.
Ask 2 of your friends who you know would be interested in helping advance world peace. Send them a personal note and ask them to visit www.sister-cities.org/donate. (This actually works, I know it sounds ancient, but it's VERY effective.)
Check with your employer/company to see if they will match your donation. Visit www.giveto.psu.edu/WaysToGive/MatchingGifts/index.html.

To all of you who have given a contribution to Sister Cities International - thank you.

Honoring Corporate Commitments: Google

2009-12-27T14:08:00.000-05:00

Each year Sister Cities International recognizes one company for their commitment to philanthropic investments in the international nonprofit sector. Past honorees include Motorola, AECOM, and CITRIX. This summer we honored Google with Sister Cities International’s Global Corporate Responsibility Award.

Since our conference was abroad, the company was unable to send a representative to attend the event, so I had the chance to visit Google’s headquarters this fall and present the award to Jessica Vaughan, a program manager for Google Grants (pictured above). Below you’ll find our short description of Google's recent philanthropic accomplishments:

Google aspires to use the power of information and technology to address the global challenges of our age. Through Google.org and Google Grants, Google has emerged as a powerful philanthropic force in a number of geographic and programmatic areas where sister cities members are active.

Google contributes funding in areas ranging from renewable energy, to global health, to information access, to small- and medium-sized enterprises. Most recently, Google funded research and programs in wind energy, solar thermal power and geothermal resources. Also, Google has invested in improving early detection, preparedness and response capabilities for global health threats and humanitarian crises in Africa and Asia as well as monitoring, analysis and prediction of the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, food and health in Africa and the Amazon.

In the education arena, Google made grants to improve the quality of education in Tanzania and in India focusing on student learning in primary education and benchmarking students to identify learning gaps. To help advance the private sector in Africa, Google funded business plan competitions and entrepreneurship programs in Ghana and Tanzania as well as provided support to spur job creation and strengthen poverty alleviation programs around the continent.

We hope their giving will inspire other corporations to grow their commitment to international philanthropy.

Use Your Facebook for A Good Cause

2009-12-04T14:50:00.000-05:00

Dear Sister Cities Fans & Avid Followers:

This is call to action...for those of you who have Facebook accounts and want to use them foster world peace.

Chase Community Giving has partnered with Facebook to run a campaign to give away $1 million. We need you to vote for Sister Cities International! (Not Chicago Sister Cities International – no offense Chicago – nor other local programs). Click the link below to help us make a run for the money

VOTE NOW!

Looking at Global Education

2009-11-18T03:43:00.000-05:00

Live from Doha, Qatar – I’m writing at the intersection of exhaustion and jet lag. It’s not a good place but I can sleep on the plane, right? I’m here attending the first World Innovation Summit on Education (WISE). The event is hosted and underwritten by the Qatar Foundation.

This is a serious meeting of the minds from the education sector – university presidents, national policy makers, NGO leaders, education reformers, multinational funders, community education advocates, open source and techie types, heads of state, corporate executives – more than 1,000 people are in the conversation. The Institute of International Education, one of our sister institutions, is one of the key supporting organizers.

The conference has been exploring three major themes: innovation, sustainability, and global education. With breakout sessions looking at inequality, higher education, funding, technology, women's education, e-learning, special needs, global mobility, access, social media, conflict zones, and minority inclusion among other topics.

The breadth and depth of the dialogue in and out of sessions has been terrific, but let me start with some facts:

115 million children around the world are not attending school
776 million adults cannot read or write
40% of the population in the Arab world is under 25
One quarter of the world’s youth lives in the Arab World
One of every three youth in the Arab World are unemployed
The E.U. provides .5% (of GDP) budget subvention for education and 40% subvention to agriculture
The cost of one additional solider stationed in Afghanistan is equal to building 20 new schools in the country
In developing countries, 90% of working women with an education reinvest their salary in their family, compared to 40% of men who reinvest in their family
40% of West Africa and South Africa is illiterate
Half of all the teachers in Sub-Sahara Africa are untrained or undertrained
Africa needs 4 million new teachers in the next 5 years to meet demands
One third of higher education students in South Africa are studying via distance learning
There are 4 billion active mobile accounts worldwide
There are 1.5 billion active web accounts worldwide
2% of student learning worldwide is happening via mobile technology
A new study suggests adults will have 10.8 jobs by the age of 42
Only 2% of U.S. students study abroad

(Note: Facts are from various sources and speakers throughout the conference.)

Since I can't do the conference sessions justice by recasting them in summary, (information and speaker videos are online at the WISE conference website), I'm sharing some of my favorite soundbytes, comments, and opinions:

Education is a basic human right and there is an education deficit globally.
Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. (Arabic saying)
We need to create knowledge societies.
It’s no longer a career for life, but a lifetime of careers.
Nothing is more dangerous than a world view from someone who has had no view of the world.
We need excellence and equity in education.
We need to create global competence among our citizens.
Knowledge transcends time. Knowledge travels.
We need to change the system. Real reform puts the student front and center not the bus schedule.
Education is an economic driver.
Knowledge is the human adventure.
We have corporate social responsibility, but what we need is intellectual social responsibility.
An unexamined life is not worth living. (Socrates)
An educator makes the hard seem easy.
Technology breaks isolation and brings learning to remote sites.
Education and innovation will be the currency of the 21st century. (Obama)
Teachers bring knowledge to life.
Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire. (Yates)
Education is the key to building a culture of peace.

My deep appreciation to all of the speakers and participants (quoted and unquoted) who I spoke with for their thoughts, opinions, and passion. My less-than-stellar note-taking doesn't allow me to properly attribute each quote, so I apologize. But clearly, they left an impression on me.

All this has me thinking…what else can Sister Cities International and our network of 2,000 communities do to flex our muscles of influence on education globally?

President Obama: Sister Cities Exchanges Are Wonderful

2009-11-16T16:08:00.001-05:00

In a town hall meeting today in Shanghai, China, President Obama mentioned the value of more than 200 friendship cities between the U.S. and China. Later in the event, he was asked about the Shanghai-Chicago partnership. His response:

"I was just having lunch before I came here with the Mayor of Shanghai, and he told me that he has had an excellent relationship with the city of Chicago -- my home town -- that he's visited there twice. And I think it's wonderful to have these exchanges between cities."

He continued by talking about the types of exchanges he thinks would be favorable, such as climate change and clean energy. He finished by saying, "..it's a terrific opportunity I think for us to learn from each other."

Citizen Diplomacy is on the move! A great acknowledgement for the sister cities movement.

Read the whole Town Hall Transcript.

And We're Off! Race for World Peace (part 3)

2009-11-15T16:11:00.009-05:00

A visual post from our Festival - enjoy the array of photos. I couldn't squeeze in all 12 performances. But we have a little something from the eight cultures/countries represented.

Many thanks to our major sponsors Collective Media, The Hill, and BP, as well as all of our in-kind donors. Without their help our event could not have been a success.

Our African drummers thundered Pennsylvania Avenue

Modern Dance

Traditional Indian Dance

Ukranian wedding dance

DJ Undadog with World Beats

Clowns and Henna tatoo artists

Jugglers and face painters

Flamenco energy warmed up the audience

By the end of the festival, the Bolivian dancers had us jumping

Medical Supplies to Iraq

2009-11-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

Laguna Niguel, CA is not wasting any time connecting with its new sister city in Al Qaim, Iraq. Check out this brief video about the delivery of vital medical supplies.

And We're Off! Race(s) for World Peace (part 2)

2009-10-29T11:14:00.017-04:00

While we were busy squaring away our event in during dark morning hours in Washington, DC, our 1st Race for World Peace was busy 'going global.'

Illinois & France's Race Exchange

The Palatine (IL) Sister Cities program hosted it's own mini-walk locally. Members of Palatine Sister Cities braved the cold and the rain to take a an architectural tour in downtown Palatine. The walk, created by Marg Duer, gave historical information about past owners of homes. At the end of the tour, the group enjoyed an inside tour of a home over 100 years old, which took 20+ years to renovate by the current owners. The walk concluded at Palatine’s farmers market, with hot coffee, fresh baguettes and French butter.

Earlier that day, Palatine’s sister city in France (Fontenay-le-Comte) took a walk in their own downtown, where the buildings are much, much older but shared a similar day of cold weather.

With the economy in its present state, it is difficult for Palatine and Fontenay to schedule an exchange, so this sister city partnership opted to “share something together” through the mutual event without being on the same continent.

(Thanks to Sue Minott for her reporting on these events.)

Fort Worth, Texas
(As reported from one of the Fort Worth participants)

It’s very dark, and very cold at 6am in Ft. Worth in October. That was check-in time for Team Texas at our satellite Sister Cities Race for World Peace. The race course wound along the Trinity River in a park in downtown Ft. Worth - we ran by a sign for geese crossing, underneath a beautiful canopy of trees and past a statue of Mark Twain reading in the park – a far cry from the city course in Washington, but that’s the way we roll in Texas!

We had lots of energy (for being as early as it was, and for the lack of caffeine prior to the race) and managed to get the crowd involved, so much so that along the course, and the turn we had runners as well as several of the course marshals chanting “Go Sister Cities! Go World Peace!” It was a great experience, and it was fun to participate, even remotely, with the amazing efforts that took place in Washington DC!

Cluj, Romania
A small but hearty group of citizen diplomats (of all ages!) in the third largest city in Romania took to the streets and mountains in their efforts to spread the word of world peace.

Thank you to each of the local sister cities programs that organized a satellite race/walk in conjunction with Sister Cities International. Bravo!

Add your hometown to our list of host cities for 2010 - email us and we'll tell you how easy it is.

Many thanks to our major sponsors of the event: Collective Media, The Hill, and BP, as well as all of in-kind donors,

And We're Off! 1st Race & Festival for World Peace (part 1)

2009-10-29T09:49:00.019-04:00

I'm out of breath and so is the staff. Two weeks ago, we hosted the Sister Cities Leadership meetings in DC and last weekend, the Race. Gladly I can say, both were a rousing success.

Anytime you host a first time event it is - how can one say this politely - a learning experience. The staff "learned" quite a bit about how to navigate the DC city government to get all of the appropriate event permits. We learned how to correctly hold an 8oz cup of water for runners whirling by a water station. We even learned that there are such people as grouchy balloon artists. But most importantly - we had a lot of fun getting to our finish line, which was Race Day.
The festival stage set-up started at the pre-dawn hour of 3am. The Pennsylvania Avenue transformation started. By 7am, the staff had the registration and information tents ready and sponsor banners were lightly flapping in the breeze.
As 9am approached the police appeared en masse, the roads closed, and the course marshalls were in place. With over 500 runners/walkers registered from 17 states and DC, folks hurried to find their place for the start. At this moment, all the open-ended questions I had thought about for nine months ran through my head: would the runners like the course, will people show up for the festival, are the first festival performers here, do we have enough port-a-johns, will the rain hold-off to name a few. As I stood about 50 yards down from the Start Line, it was definitely a thrill to have the participants rush by as the event got underway.
I should note that despite the 90% chance of rain forecast the evening before, we happily enjoyed overcast skies and 65 degree temperatures for the whole event (with the exception of a brief 5-minute shower at the start of the festival.)

Just 15 minutes later, it was all over - sort of. At least for the quickest male athlete, Demesse Tefera was the first winner of the Race for World Peace with a time of 15:10. The top female runner appeared shortly thereafter. Hirut Mandefro took the top female prize with a time of 17:04. Supporting family members and friends created a human channel of cheers and applause that stretched from the Finish Line about 100 yards out.
Over the next hour we encouraged, hooted, and prodded our participants on to the Finish Line. (Official timings.) On to the awards ceremony and the festival!

Many thanks to our major sponsors of the event: Collective Media, The Hill, and BP, as well as all of in-kind donors,

(Stay tuned to this space for a series of perspectives on the race, our festival, and the four virtual races that happened in the U.S. abroad.)

Here It Is: Race & Festival for World Peace

2009-10-23T23:55:00.008-04:00

Finally the Race & Festival is upon us. We've got about 500 folks who have registered to run/walk in the morning. (We are currently haggling with the weather genie to hold off the rain.) It'll be a terrific event to celebrate UN Day.

The Festival is ready to roll. We've got artists from India, China, Bolivia and much more. Check out the event map and Festival's artist line up. The whole event is emceed by Pamela Sorensen of Pamela's Punch fame. Figure out your day - here is the schedule:

9am Race Begins
9:30am Festival Begins
10am Awards Ceremony
10:45am Festival Resumes
2pm Festival Concludes

Swing by - we are two blocks from the GWU metro on Pennsylvania at 21st street.

Case Closed: Booker Cashes in on O'Brien

2009-10-23T23:49:00.003-04:00

Newark Mayor Cory Booker closed the books on his feud with the Tonight Show's Conan O'Brien last Friday. You can watch the segment and read about O'Brien's donation to a Newark nonprofit as a symbol of lasting peace between the two figures. It was fun while it lasted.

City of Newark vs. Conan

2009-10-14T23:59:00.005-04:00

Well, this Friday we'll get resolution to the on-going feud between The Tonight Show's Conan O'Brien and Newark (NJ) mayor Cory Booker. You may recall Booker invoked "the brotherhood" of the sister cities network (so to speak) when O'Brien banned Booker from the Burbank airport and Booker retaliated by banning him from the Newark airport, New Jersey, and ultimately, all of Newark's sister cities.

Mayor Booker appears this Friday on The Tonight Show, so tune-in to NBC for the resolution of this diplomatic crisis.

Sec. Sec. Clinton to Conan & Cory: Give Diplomacy a Chance

2009-10-08T23:47:00.004-04:00

Our chief diplomat, Sec. Hillary Clinton, chimed in this evening on the The Tonight Show's Conan O'Brien/Cory Booker feud. It may not be the Dayton Peace Accords, but it feels like the end is near. Brokered peace is possible. Extend that olive branch, Conan.

Booker to Conan: Give Peace a Chance

2009-10-06T21:01:00.003-04:00

The discussions between Conan O'Brien & Cory Booker (Mayor of Newark, NJ) continues. Bad video, but really Conan, can't we just get along?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVZKETJ4i_o&NR=1

Conan O'Brien - You've Got Trouble!

2009-10-02T10:50:00.005-04:00

NBC's Tonight Show host Conan O'Brien is known for taking on 'important issues' over his career, but he may have stepped a bit too far this time. Conan has been taking on the city of Newark, NJ and Newark Mayor Cory Booker has a few things to say about that and he's invoked the sister cities network. Enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZSSBUWJm0o&feature=player_embedded

Conan, you've got some problems now. You think New Jersey mayors roll together? You wanna be banned from 2,000 sister cities around the globe? Watch yourself.

You're Gonna Need Your Sneakers

2009-09-30T23:04:00.010-04:00

I'm inviting blog followers, your friends, your relatives, your neighbors, and all Sister City members to join us on October 24, 2009 for the first-ever Sister Cities International Race & Festival for World Peace. Hosted on UN Day, we'll be hosting this 5K Run/Walk in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, DC. The event is followed by our World Cultures Festival which is free and open to the public. There will be prize giveaways, kids/family activities, food, music, dance, DJs, and tents to explore cultures and countries from around the globe. Sign up for the Race before October 10 and get the best registration rate.

We have concurrent races happening in Fort Worth, TX and Dixon, IL as well as locations in France and Romania.

Aren't DC-based? No problem - register for the Race on our site, we'll send you the event t-shirt, and you can get some friends together to walk that same morning and be part of this inaugural international event.

Got questions? Check us out at http://www.raceforworldpeace.org/. See you on the 24th!

Making a Difference in Morocco

2009-09-29T10:48:00.003-04:00

From time to time, it's rewarding to see a person or organization recognized for their tireless work. Last week, NBC featured the Chicago-Casablanca sister city program in their 'Making a Difference' segment. The sister city hero mentioned in the story, Boubker Mazoz, is a former board member of Sister Cities International. Take a look.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#33026968

It's obvious that Boubker has contributed a great deal with youth locally, but he also remained committed to a global experience with his efforts to bring Moroccan students to our annual Youth Leadership Conference in the U.S. year after year. Bravo Boubker!

7 Cities Launch Sister Cities Africa Program

2009-09-14T14:52:00.012-04:00

Do you get that feeling every now and again that you are experiencing something special? Watching a news or sporting event? (Think Phelps in the Olympics.) Attending a speech or even in a meeting? (Think Reagan: "Tear Down This Wall.") I've got that feeling.

Last week, we formally launched our Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded program, Africa Urban Poverty Alleviation Program, with seven U.S. cities being selected to work in sanitation, health, and water issues with their African Sister City. This is going to be a historic program for Sister Cities International. Congratulations to:

--Boulder, Colorado and Kisumu, Kenya
--Corvallis, Oregon and Gondar, Ethiopia
--Fort Worth, Texas and Mbabane, Swaziland
--Grand Rapids, Michigan and Ga East/West Districts, Ghana
--Lansing, Michigan and Akuapem South Municipality, Ghana
--Louisville, Kentucky and Tamale, Ghana
--State of Maryland and Bong & Maryland Counties, Liberia

The program will bring municipal leaders from these communities together to identify and address issues that will improve conditions on the ground. But, this isn’t a government-to-government program. It includes citizen involvement, citizen support, and citizen leadership from the private sector, NGOs, schools, and community-based organizations to provide sustained technical assistance and community development strategies.

I've got that feeling. This is going to be a program where citizen diplomacy thrives.

Hosting History in Belfast

2009-09-03T21:20:00.010-04:00

As the first Sister Cities International Conference hosted outside of the United States, history was made. Events like these take many partners some seen and some invisible to the average participant. Below you can enjoy one of our leadership voices from Northern Ireland - Alan Chambers. He recently finished his sixth and final year on the Sister Cities International board. He served as our leading partner on the ground for everything from volunteer recruitment to media relations. Asked him to give us a perspective as a ciziten of Northern Ireland and what our conference meant to him and the community.

Guest Blogger: Councillor Alan Chambers, SCI Honorary Board and Chairman of the Belfast Host Committee

It is a great privilege for any community to be chosen to host such an important and prestigious event as the Annual Conference of Sister Cities International. That sense of privilege is enhanced when it also provides the opportunity to be involved in the creation of history by being the first international venue for the conference in 53 years. Belfast and Northern Ireland was very proud to have been selected to be the first international host. Given the growing, and ongoing, peace process the opportunity to host the conference was an important building block for peace.

The concept of going “International” for the Annual Conference was a new idea for the SCI Leadership and the huge family of member communities and partners. It was also something new and a challenge for the Washington DC staff. There had to be a bond of confidence developed between the Host Committee and the SCI staff that were, for the first time ever, organising a huge logistical conference operation on the other side of an ocean.

The idea of Belfast hosting the conference at some time in the future was first discussed when the then President of SCI, Sherman Banks, attended a meeting of Northern Ireland SCI members at a get together hosted in the US Consulate in Belfast in January 2005. If you thought that the First Minister was joking when he told us all at the Stormont reception that he hadn’t spoken to his Deputy First Minister until two years ago it should be noted that the event in the Consulate represented the first occasion when members of all the political parties in Northern Ireland had sat around the same table to discuss issues of mutual interest. This unique gathering was only possible because of the involvement of SCI and its President.

This small example of cross community political cooperation was built on at the 50th Anniversary Conference in Washington DC in July 2006 when we hosted a reception where we announced that the Fall Board meeting would be held in Northern Ireland. The fundraising and organisation of this event created some more cross community bonding.

The Northern Ireland reception in Kansas City in 2008 was the most dramatic example of this political cooperation when the largest ever delegation from our shores, of around fifty people, from all shades of political opinion worked in total cooperation and harmony to promote the conference in Belfast. The Government in Northern Ireland began to take notice of what a shared interest in an organisation like SCI was capable of delivering in terms of cross community cooperation.

Obviously the actual conference totally copper fastened this united approach to promoting Northern Ireland and was a tangible opportunity to demonstrate how far we had all moved forward in our journey to lasting peace.

A personal plus for me in this adventure was to stop taking for granted all that Northern Ireland has to offer its visitors. I have looked at photographs taken by the delegates of places like stately home gardens etc and marvelled at the beauty of these sites. To my shame they might only be 15 miles from my home and I haven’t visited them in years. It also exposed me to the quality and talent of local dancers, singers and musicians and made me proud that these performers, who provided so much enjoyment and entertainment, were my fellow Northern Ireland citizens.

My legacy of the conference is that I have been left with a much broader appreciation of what my small country has to offer both resident and visitor alike. It has also alerted me to the little acts of kindness shown by local people to the delegates and proved to me that the famous Irish hospitality is for real! I am proud of Northern Ireland and its people and I am especially proud of SCI for what it has contributed to peace in this country and that it continues to deliver throughout the world.

The legacy of the conference for Belfast and Northern Ireland can not be measured but it is immense! Sister Cities, and its mission, is now better known here as a result of the conference and will now be associated with something very positive rather than been seen as a weak excuse for travel on the public purse. SCI has been contributing to the healing process in our country since the decision was made to hold the conference in Belfast. The cosmopolitan nature of the conference has encouraged all of us here to concentrate on looking outwards rather than inwards. Domestic friendships that once would have been impossible have been firmly established across the community divide. For all of that we are grateful!

Hosting the conference was a huge responsibility but we thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. Please come back and see us soon fellow SCI peace makers!

Toxic Waste Off Africa, Confidence & Diplomacy

2009-08-30T17:22:00.014-04:00

So with a title like this, I must be writing about the our Youth Conference. Right? Of course! I plan to provide space for a few voices to tell you about our conference experience in Northern Ireland, but this first one is from a star intern who joined us over the summer.

Guest Blogger: Sarah Gardiner
Written August 10, 2009

As a college student in Washington, DC studying international relations, a lot of my time is spent learning about conflict: which groups are fighting, who is denied access to resources necessary for their basic needs, how current institutions are are ill-equipped for the many problems facing the world. I spend a lot of time learning about the way things are. It isn’t often that there is space set aside to think about the way things could be and how we could get there.

This summer, I hit the undergrad internship jackpot, and began work as the Young Artist and Authors Showcase intern at Sister Cities International. At the end of July, I had the opportunity to travel with the art I’d spent the summer organizing to Belfast, Northern Ireland. While there, I helped to staff the annual Youth Conference. Exactly 142 youth from the United States, Northern Ireland, Russia, Mexico, and France came together to reflect on the theme, Bridging Differences: Building a Peaceful Future.

The morning the kids were due to arrive; I was true butterflies-in-my-stomach nervous. I’m sure some of it had to due with feeling out of my element as a visitor to a city with a very recent conflict history. A lot of it had to do with the fact that high school students are never an easy group to work with and once you throw in different languages, nationalities, and socioeconomic backgrounds, you just really don’t know how it’s going to work out.

Five whirlwind days later, my boss and I sat exhausted in our make shift office incredulously repeating to each other, “It’s over…” and then, “Everything went … really well.” Pause. “That was just amazing.”

Although a lot of the credit for the success of the conference goes to the talented team of youth workers facilitating the workshops, as well as the hospitality of our host city, the participating youth were what really made it a success.

It’s not often that anyone is given the opportunity to take a few days to truly reflect on who they are and how this fits into a broader context. The participants of this year’s youth conference did not squander this opportunity. They were honest, open, and willing to discuss their differences and identities. Some of the participating youth had traveled extensively, some had never left their home country. However, no one adopted an attitude of superiority. Everyone had something different to bring to the table, and this was respected.

There were several times during the course of the week where I had to take a step back to make sure what I was seeing was really happening: kids getting heated about toxic waste dumping off the horn of Africa, a beat boxer from Craigavon starting a call and response of ‘Sister - Cities!’, and a very enthusiastic conference wide Cupid Shuffle dance off.

At the end of the five days, students went their separate ways with the parting words, “See you in Alberquerque,” the location of next year’s annual and youth conference. In the week since we’ve been back, the Facebook group has been buzzing with youth eager to continue the conversation they started in Northern Ireland.

All this means that this year’s youth conference participants really internalized the principles of citizen diplomacy they were taught. They comprehend that true understanding and respect can’t come through one meeting, but must be continually nurtured. Even though my role in the youth conference was consumed with behind the scenes logistics, I feel like this rubbed off on me too. As a college student, it’s easy to think of my life post-university as when I will begin to truly work toward change. This is a flawed perspective – all of us have the capacity in our daily lives to build new connections.

One of the best conversations I had at the conference occurred with a youth worker from Northern Ireland. We discussed how confidence levels affect various aspects of a youth’s life. Ultimately, lack of confidence inhibits individual ability to dream past immediate reality. The point of citizen diplomacy is to expand individual world views, to widen the sense of what is possible, to enable the tools needed to dream, and, ultimately, to act.

Sleepy August?

2009-08-28T13:45:00.003-04:00

Yes, yes...it's been a while I know. There are substantive postings forthcoming. Plenty to write about despite it being the month of vacations. While some of us are sneaking a holiday before the fall, others in our network our rolling up their sleeves for a serious debate about funding.

In the troubled economy, some sister city programs have been faced with defending their 'value' when it comes to local funding over the past year. A number of communities have suffered program cutbacks in the face of municipal budgeteers nipping and tucking city budgets with no true sense of the big picture impact of their penny pinching. I tell local elected officials, you'll be hard pressed to find another city-supported program that gives tax payers the ROI that a sister cities program does. Most of the funding for local sister city programs comes privately (foundations, corporations, individual donations) and in many cases from the personal wallets of the volunteers involved in the program!

A particular battle getting a fair amount of media is Fort Worth, TX. The Fort Worth Sister Cities International program is one of our flagship programs, a perennial award-winning programs with tremendous support locally and impact abroad. This morning, their plight got the attention of well-respected blogger Matt Armstrong, who writes MountainRunner.us. He makes a case for Fort Worth AND our network's broader value to public diplomacy.

Take a read of his post: http://mountainrunner.us/2009/08/sister_cities.html#comments.

What's Hot? Belfast - Next Week.

2009-07-21T17:20:00.005-04:00

A week away from the opening of the first Sister Cities International Conference that will be held - internationally! Next week more than 500 adults and youth will descend on Belfast, Northern Ireland for a mix of educational workshops, networking, and social gatherings.

I always look forward to the event because it's where we bring into focus - the hot issues in the Sister Cities network. Here are a few highlights:

"It's the economy stupid" - well, we didn't name a session quite that bluntly but there will be a sessions on strategies to secure grants in the U.S. and in Europe, as well as a session on 'jump starting' your fundraising program. In these times, it'll be a mix of renewing old tricks and finding new tactics.
You can't read a newspaper or click on an online news outlet without talking about 'green energy.' We've got our own session led by a pro from the U.S. Department of Energy that will feature some of our winning Sister City programs working in sustainable development as well as an audience conversation on how Sister Cities programs are complementing their local government's efforts.
You can't run an effective Sister Cities program without a positive partnership with your mayor/city council. We've lined up a mix of mayors and local elected officials from the U.S. and Europe to give insight on how to navigate a successful relationship with the CEO of your home town.

In our version of "ripped from the headlines"...a buzzworthy couple of sessions with journalist Alicia Anstead. She'll take on two hot topics in an interview setting: the Muslim story in the U.S. and Europe, and citizen diplomats working in regions of conflict.

It's hard to pick a few sessions over others since the economic development session is chock full of heavy hitters from around the U.S. and youth and adult conferences will connect for an afternoon of interactive discussions on peacebuilding - both will eye-opening for attendees.

If you can't join us in Belfast, watch our updates and reactions on Twitter (new for us!) and this blog. Check out the full conference schedule at www.sister-cities.org/conference.

Zebras and Lions and Jackals – Oh My!

2009-07-07T16:16:00.005-04:00

Would you and a friend like to go to Tanzania for $25 to see a couple of thirsty cats? It’s possible.

Sister Cities International has launched its annual travel raffle and this year’s prize is a trip and safari for two to Tanzania. One winning ticket will take two lucky individuals round trip from the U.S. to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania where you will spend seven days venturing to exciting destinations including Mikumi National Park, Zanzibar, and Saadani National Park.

Cost to you? $25 for one ticket or five tickets for $100. Read the full itinerary and purchase your raffle ticket(s) to experience fascinating destinations, big game, and a coastal wildlife reserve.

Many, many thanks to the Tanzania Tourist Board, South African Airways, and our other in-kind partners that helped make this package so terrific. Visit www.sister-cities.org/raffle today to enter!

One Bed. One Meal. One Lifetime Experience.

2009-06-27T21:27:00.011-04:00

One of the fundamental joys, successes, and challenges of running international exchanges is homestays. I won’t get into the details, but being able to provide someone from abroad the chance to live in one’s home and experience a true ‘American’ lifestyle is a vital element of citizen exchanges.

I find it an amazing commitment by those who provide homestays. There is a staggeringly minuscule tax write off for it (the amount of the tax break hasn’t been updated/changed for inflation since 1960s so I wouldn't characterize it as an incentive), but by and large a family hosts an international exchange delegate in their home because they believe in the importance of sharing their lives and to add to the experience. Host a student for a year, a semester of school, a couple of weeks or shorter. There are all types of options through local Sister Cities programs and wide range of educational exchange institutions. Not a shocking revelation, we need more Americans to agree to host an international delegate.

The Council on Standards for International Educational Travel recently launched a PSA campaign to promote homestays – www.hoststudents.org – check it out, pass it along, contact your local exchange organization and tell them you want to volunteer your home for an exchange.

U.S. - Arab Cities Forum – Take Two

2009-06-27T21:21:00.002-04:00

I am logging this entry enroute back from Amman, Jordan (circa 6/25) where the 2nd Annual U.S.-Arab Cities Forum has just successfully buttoned up its work. Launched last year by Mayor Daley of Chicago along with the mayors of two of his sister cities – Amman and Casablanca, the convening aspires to bring together chief elected officials and their key city leaders from these two parts of the world to share best practices, common issues, and network.

I was only able to make a small part of the event last year, so I was stunned by the territory of issues the program covered. To name a few, there were presentations or discussions on city planning, transportation, e-government, citizen participation, corruption, youth, arts, and (of course) economic development and tourism.

The three-day event brought together a broad range of heavy hitters from the Arab world including the mayors of Dubai, Kuwait City, Jeddah, Beruit, Arab Jerusalem, as well as the host city Amman, among others. Our partner from the region, the Arab Towns Organization, was also on hand. The U.S. presence was noticeably light given the economic times with only two mayors being able to make it besides Daley – the Mayor of Okalahoma City and the Mayor of Frisco, TX. The trio held their own just fine carrying the common messages, ideas, and concerns from U.S. cities.

Sister Cities International had the opportunity to network with Arab city leaders looking for U.S. partners and to present its model of private-public partnership with a number of examples of how our citizen program complements city initiatives such as economic development, sustainable development, energy projects, and youth engagement.

These kinds of events just reinforce the basic premise of our organization. Doesn’t matter how big or small the city, the age of the city, or type of local government issues and concerns – we are all the same. The scale of the issue may be different, but just as they knew in 1956 – across the globe, we have more in common than we have different.

Inspired Service Here & Abroad

2009-05-24T14:05:00.002-04:00

At a town hall meeting in France last month, President Obama urged the audience to find ways to engage in public service, he said: "The world has so many challenges now. There are so many opportunities. Jump in. Get involved. It does mean sometimes you'll get criticized, and sometimes you'll fail and you'll be disappointed. But you'll have a great adventure, and at some point in your life you'll be able to look back and say, 'I made a difference.'" (Washington Post, 4/4/09)

This struck me as I was in the midst of attending a series of local and regional sister city events and meetings. At each one - something strikes me: Why do you do this?

Of course, volunteerism across many sectors is enjoying a tremendous surge. The call to service is not new. Whether it’s “Ask Not” or it’s the National Service Act signed into law a few weeks ago. Serving our country or community is fundamental to the country’s psyche today as it was the fabric of our nation’s communities at our founding. The same inherit motivation is not found in many (most) places abroad. (Note: this is not to say volunteerism or commitment to service does not exist abroad.)

But, we’ve been doing this for 53 years – that’s a lot of people opening up their homes to host a visitor from abroad, spending their own money to fly to Africa to work on a water project, contributing funds to sponsor a student to study in the U.S., or time to coordinate an exchange of business executives.

Volunteer management, or more specifically how we motivate, activate, recruit, retain, and inspire our local volunteers, is a challenge many organizations wrestle with, but I have developed a great deal of respect for the sister cities citizen diplomat volunteer corps. These folks give more than: a little time, a little money, or a little talent – it’s an inspired vigor for engaging people who usually speak another language, may hold political or religious views that counter your own, or may hold a station in life that completely flummoxes you. This isn’t for the faint of heart or for individuals who live in a monotone life.

So I return to my core question, why do you do this? The answer I receive is simple: to make a difference. “The difference” manifests itself personally through their stories, experiences, and relationships around the world.

LA Party In Style

2009-05-08T16:32:00.005-04:00

50 is the new 30? Is that it? In LA, I was part of the Los Angeles Sister Cities 50th Anniversary Kick-Off Fundraiser. It was a rockin’ and rollin’ party that featured Captain Cardiac and the Coronaries (see picture). Hundreds of citizens from all 25 of LA’s sister city committee and a few stars were on hand. The event honored the two oldest LA sister cities: Nagoya, Japan and Eliot, Israel – both 50 years old this year. Later this spring 150 member delegation from Japan will visit LA to celebrate.

It was a great event, to honor the 50th Anniversary. As always, I am energized when I speak to local citizen diplomats about their experiences, their passion, their commitment to our work, and their stories.

Los Angles Sister Cities program doesn’t look a day over 30. It’s LA – would you expect anything else?

Sister Cities = Big Business in LA

2009-05-08T16:31:00.003-04:00

Earlier this week I was in LA at the invitation of City Councilman Tom LaBonge, the President and driving force behind the LA sister cities program. As part of my visit, I had the opportunity to speak to the attendees of the Los Angeles Trade Week Kickoff Breakfast. Below you’ll find my remarks on sister cites and economic development:

Good morning. Thank you, Tom for your introduction, energy, and leadership of the LA Sister Cities program. LA is one of our flagship programs.

I also want to acknowledge Stelle Fuers who’s one of this morning’s organizers. She’s been a terrific supporter and voice for the sister cities movement across Southern California. Thank you, Stelle. I’ve seen many of my Sister Cities friends from Bakersfield, Long Beach, and others.

First of all, congratulations Los Angeles! For 50 years your community has been part of this global citizen diplomacy movement. Connecting people across the globe.

In our DC office, we liken sister cities to marriage – two communities are linked forever – In LA, I know anyone married for 50 years is an accomplishment so, we are really recognizing something unique for LA today. Bravo.

Some of you may still be wondering why the World Trade Week is focusing on Sister Cities. I’m not sure how this is possible after Dr. Sample’s terrific remarks. Your perception might be that this is a cultural and educational thing – exchanges between students or music groups. While, yes, this is a big part of our work – over the past 5-10 years, sister cities have not only established successful models in international development and economic development, but U.S. cities have realized that their sister cities program gives them a competitive advantage – making economic development a vital intersection between the business sector, local government, and its citizens.

Whether its promoting tourism, drawing businesses to open up shop LA, expanding your market by taking your goods/services abroad, or building port-to-port relationships – trade and commerce are absolutely a part of sister city network.

In this current economic environment, it’s a time for an outstretched hand and corporations need every leg up. This is where sister cities comes in – we are a connecting point. Don’t try to figure out how to work in India by yourself. Work through LA’s pre-established sister city relationships in Mumbai. You have 25 Sister Cities to draw from in LA and nearly 100 partnerships in the region in every corner of the world.

We are working on 6 continents in 135 countries. Our network is a reflection of where business growth can and will be in the upcoming years – we are seeing more activity and sister cities in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. All areas where U.S. companies are looking for in-roads. All areas of economic potential.

Sister Cities International is a global network connecting the U.S. to the world. I hope you’ll join us in advancing our mission by becoming active in the LA sister cities program with your business. Thank you for the invitation to be a part of your event this morning and, again, congratulations to the LA Sister Cities program on a remarkable 50 years.

###

Game Changer: $7.5M Grant to Sister Cities International

2009-05-08T16:29:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago we announced what I think is a game changer for Sister Cities International – a $7.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We will launch a major three-year program working in urban African communities. The Sister Cities network will provide city-to-city technical assistance focusing on water, sanitation, and health.

This Gates grant represents the largest grant in the history of Sister Cities International.

Here’s my cut on why this is our game changer: For over five decades our members have made a name for the organization in the cultural understanding business. Starting with countries then known as our “former enemies” (Japan, Germany, etc), U.S. citizens worked to share their community and American culture in far away cities and in turn opened their minds and homes to visitors from abroad to learn about other cultures and traditions. Now, we are in 135 countries on six continents. People-to-people exchanges – it worked then, it works now, and it will continue to work. But over time the citizens realized there was more about the community that they could share beyond a visiting choir or a student group. What about trade and commerce? What about humanitarian assistance? What about our technical expertise? So…quietly for years, U.S. cities have been going well beyond cultural understanding – wells in Timbuktu, a medical clinic in the Congo, solar panels for rural farmers in Tibet. What is more fundamentally important than water, health, and food?

Enter our new program, funded by the Gates Foundation, where we will draw on this experience and scale up our work in Africa and on these types of international development projects in a way that’s only possible with exceptional funding. You thought we did a pretty good job on the cultural understanding stuff – wait until you see what’s next.

Fell Off the Blogwagon

2009-05-08T16:28:00.001-04:00

I wish I could say, not much has happened since my last post – quite the opposite. Apologies for the radio silence. Fair warning - I’m re-entering the blogosphere - stay tuned.

A New Partner...the Arab Towns Organization

2009-03-15T15:22:00.010-04:00

This evening, we signed the formal partnership with the Arab Towns Organization in the company of 50+ mayors, NGO leaders, officials from around the region, as well some Kuwait and French government officials.

Below you'll find my remarks that preceded the signing ceremony.

"Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be with you today. It is nice to see some familiar faces from when we last met in Chicago last spring. Sister Cities International is honored that the Arab Towns Organization chose the anniversary of its founding, today, as the moment to formally begin our partnership.

When I arrived at Sister Cities International just two years ago, our organization was seeking a partner to work with us in this part of the world. As we did our research, one organization kept coming to the fore – the Arab Towns Organization. The ATO’s goals to foster cooperation and communication among Arab leaders at the local level mirror the work of Sister Cities International. Much like the tree planting effort today, the ATO is to be commended for its Arab Urban Development Institute, its Environment Centre for Arab Towns, and other such efforts, which are examples of ATO’s 42-year commitment to improve the world we live in. On behalf of Sister Cities International, happy anniversary.

Sister Cities International is a global network of cities. Nearly 700 U.S. cities are partnered with 2,300 cities in 135 countries on 6 continents. We have existed for 53 years with a mission to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, & cooperation — one individual, one community at a time.

The sister city partnerships are long-term, city-to-city relationships, some of you know as twinning. The U.S. partnerships are run by the local citizens as volunteers. Our partnerships are successful if the citizens from the business community, education sector, and NGOs - a cross section of the community - work with the mayor and city officials.

A few years ago, Sister Cities International launched the Muslim World Partnership Initiative. This is an effort to increase the number of sister city partnerships in Muslim countries. Last week, we celebrated the 100th sister city partnership in a Muslim country with Houston, TX and Karachi, Pakistan. I was struck by the words of the Karachi mayor who responded to a question from the U.S. media about what really happens between sister cities. He said, “The time for gift giving ends today.” He was looking to Houston for some very specific results: business/trade opportunities, infrastructure investment, and tourism. These are two-way partnerships – both cities and its citizens learn and benefit.

Sister city programs promote the traditional cultural, youth and education exchanges. But more common in our ever-changing world, we see city technical assistance, economic and sustainable development endeavors, and international development projects. In some cases, we see U.S. cities working trilaterally or multilaterally on projects.

I could give you examples from Amman and Abu Dhabi, Baghdad and Beirut, Cairo and Casablanca - all of which have U.S. sister cities. Earlier today, I spoke to the mayor of Dubai who will be signing an agreement with Phoenix, Arizona next month – but there are more opportunities for partnerships.

Allow me to be clear about one message: there is great interest by U.S. citizens and mayors to work with Arab cities.

We are living in a world with unprecedented challenges. The complexity and interconnected nature of these problems will not be solved by one single country. We need each other for our cities to grow, for our education and health systems to improve, and for our technology and business sectors to flourish. In short, we need partnerships among people to be successful.

While our national governments work closely together on some issues, on other policies they will disagree. But the real work can continue happen at the local, municipal level despite any diplomatic differences. I call it, Community Diplomacy. This is where Sister Cities International and the Arab Towns Organization can and will have the most impact. Our organizations will bring people and communities together for common purposes and projects, bridging borders, languages, and oceans.

We are honored to become a partner of the Arab Towns Organization. Time for gift giving is over. I look forward to the real work ahead with each of you to help us make this partnership successful. Thank you.

Sister Cities Goes Green in Kuwait

2009-03-15T08:36:00.011-04:00

Reporting from Kuwait City, Kuwait, I am here representing Sister Cities International as part of the founding day anniversary events of the Arab Towns Organization (ATO). Later today, Sister Cities International will formally sign its partnership agreement with the ATO.

Today's events include about 50 people from around the Arab world as well as representatives from the UN and Cites Unies (SCI's counterpart in France). The participants include representatives from the Kuwait government and a wide range of mayors from the ATO's member countries.

After a tour of a refurbished market and community center, we stopped by a local park. The ATO has a deep commitment to environment projects and as part of the day's events (despite a moderate sandysky day) each city and organization in attendance planted a tree in the Peace & Friendship Park. I was pleased to lead the SCI delegation (myself and Noha Georges, our SCI Muslim World Partnership Initiative consultant) to our spot in the park. In addition to my shoveling handiwork, you'll see we were assisted by the local Boy Scout troop. More posts to come from Kuwait.

(Videography courtesy of Noha Georges.)

Landmark Met: 100th Muslim Partnership

2009-03-05T06:45:00.010-05:00

On Tuesday, Sister Cities International celebrated its 100th partnership in a Muslim-majority country with the city signing of Houston, Texas with Karachi, Pakistan. Take a listen to NPR’s coverage.

Houston Mayor Bill White and Mayor Syed Mustafa Kamal of Karachi signed the official Memo of Understanding at City Hall. As the largest city in Pakistan, Karachi hopes to focus city-to-city exchanges on business and trade opportunities between the cities, joint learning about how the cities manage terrorism threats, promoting tourism, and sharing cultural understanding programs. Houston, the fourth largest city in the U.S., has more than 80,000 people of Pakistani origin living in Houston and expects a great deal of support for the new relationship.

After 9/11 Sister Cities International's leadership created the Muslim World Partnership Initiative, a program area dedicated to advance long-term partnerships throughout the Muslim World and raise public awareness at the municipal level in the United States.

Karachi represents Houston’s 17th sister city partnership. With the addition of Karachi, Houston’s local program is now distinguished within the sister city network as the U.S. city with the most partnerships in the Muslim World - Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Baku (Azerbaijan), Istanbul (Turkey), and Karachi (Pakistan).

There is a driving interest among U.S. cities to establish partnerships in the Muslim world. There's a gap to bridge and our network sees its role to play, just as we have in the past. There were sister cities in the Soviet Union long before the fall of the Wall (now, we have 80 partnerships in Russia and many more in Eurasia and other former Soviet states). We were in Iraq when Saddam was in power (now, we have 9 partnerships and growing thanks to the PRTs), we have a presence in Cuba, Iran, and so on.

The point being, sister city programs don't shy away from zones of conflict, places where democracy doesn't flourish, and regions where people tend to disagree with America more than they agree. I'm regularly impressed by the "average" citizens in our network who roll up their sleeves and directly engage people from around the world with no political motivation except to work collaboratively on a project, to better understand each other, and ultimately to advance world peace.

So, bravo to Houston for helping us reach 100, but I'm eager for 101 and beyond. Our work continues.

(Photo Credit: NPR's website)

Ideas and Action from Peru & Latin America

2009-02-28T17:10:00.010-05:00

I was pleased to speak last week at a conference hosted by Ideas Peru in Lima, Peru. The conference looked at how to move forward with international development projects in Latin America. Participants came from across Latin America as well as Spain and Italy and were represented by mayors, local elected officials, city government officials, heads of NGOs, educators, multilateral funding organizations, and passionate citizens.

Ideas Peru is a new organization that is looking to take pent-up energy of the citizens and move it to action. The presenters offered different models on how to engage local government and hometown communities and how to achieve more accountability of government.

The sister cities model fits into this dialogue quite well. They indicated that national governments haven’t always been the best leader or most efficient engine to make progress on community projects, such as water or infrastructure. But as I explored this more it was also clear that others felt local governments didn’t have the expertise to execute projects so money was wasted and progress languished. In both the panel discussion and my plenary speech, I was able to offer tangible examples of how various constituencies within a community work in a private-public partnership. I found the attendees welcomed the ideas and model (even if I based this solely on the # of business cards I got during the conference expressing an interest in starting a sister city program) but moreover, they were ready for action.

It’ll be interesting to see what shakes out from this event, but I sensed a serious intent of the attendees to roll up their sleeves and get moving.

It's as Basic as Water

2009-02-16T20:50:00.016-05:00

When many people think of Sister Cities International, they think cultural exchanges. A choir tour from South Africa or a young person visiting Germany for a few weeks in the summer as their first experience abroad. For 50+ years, we've done a tremendous job reaching our hands out across oceans and borders, navigating language differences to being a dialogue using culture as a means toward common ground. These are very valuable, and often life changing, experiences for the individuals or the delegation on the trip. But more and more local sister city programs are being asked to do more for their sister cities abroad and their communities at home. These activities take the shape of "international development," which is a pretty broad moniker for economic development, sustainable development, work on the MDGs, and so forth. I have to share a terrific example on this front that demonstrates how some sister city programs go well beyond culture to deliver on our mission.

For years local sister city programs have been working on water issues with their sister city partners abroad. Last year, P&G provided Sister Cities International a grant to launch a Safe Drinking Water Initiative in Ethiopia and Nigeria. In short, the program taps six sister cities (3 U.S. with 3 African) to provide temporary clean drinking water and public education programs on the importance and impact of safe drinking water. The immediate clean water is made possible using a product created by P&G, PUR-Purifier of Water. Folks in the U.S. will think of the water purifier instrument you might attach to a faucet, but a related P&G product is a packet when dropped in a turbid water, will clean in 5 minutes. I've seen it, I've taken a drink afterward, and the results are visually stunning and more importantly it instantly creates healthy water.

The image above is not uncommon in Africa. You see citizens coming to the edge of a reservoir to draw water for use at home. This water source is also a community gathering place for children who swim and play in the water and animals. Not only is the water source contaminated, but the jugs and containers which the water is transferred to the home are also contaminated.

The Safe Drinking Water Initiative uses with sister city programs (3 pilot programs in Atlanta, Denver & Kansas City this year) that are already working on a long-term water solutions with their sister city partner. In the case of Denver Sister Cities, in 2002 they developed a comprehensive water plan with their sister city, Axum, Ehtiopia. This was done gratis by Denver Water, the professional organization that manages the Denver water systems and resources. In the interim years the local sister city program has been working on the implementation as funding and people-power were available. A number of professionals and engineers are involved from a range of organizations in the community. When the P&G grant became available, Denver quickly jumped on board as they saw this as a good interim step for Axum to provide clean water immediately and a chance to raise the dialogue in Axum about safe drinking water from a society/cultural stand-point to a health issue.

The sister city programs use many channels to make this successful: the mayor's office, the water/sanitation department, hospitals, health clinics, schools, and community centers. One goal is to find way to instruct children and women on the value of clean water. This strategy will bring about change since children and women are traditionally responsible for collecting and carrying the water to the home.

While we've only reported our first set of progress on the program, it's rewarding to see individuals and communities involved in the issue for years reinvigorated by a program. The best outcome can be seen to the left, as children anxiously await a taste of clean water and what it represents to their future.

Photo Credits: The images accompanying this post are from the Denver Sister Cities program, which is working with its partner, Axum (Ethiopia) to create a long-term water solution for the reservoir. For more details on the Sister Cities International program, visit www.sister-cities.org and click Sustainable Development, under Programs & Services.

Re-engaging the World One Interview at a Time

2009-01-27T22:32:00.005-05:00

I hope you've seen today's coverage of President Obama's first extensive interview - with Dubai-based Al-Arabiya Network. What a statement. Read some of the coverage of what I'm calling the "we are not your enemy" interview. It will be interesting over the next few days/weeks to see how this plays across the globe.

Odds & Ends
Those interested in the conversations from the Smith-Mundt Symposium I attended. The host of the event now has most of the transcripts online. You'll be most interested in the Doran and Glassman keynotes. The other panels included some good dialogue as well.

I'm looking for images/pictures (still and video) of citizen diplomacy activity in your community for an upcoming publication. Do you have some images to share? Email them to me!

Also, alas, the defense industry event in February which SCI was slated to present, has been changed. They published our white paper but we won't have the opportunity to speak. So the ball bounces sometimes.

Inspired Future

2009-01-20T11:35:00.002-05:00

A couple of hours before a new U.S. President takes the office, I am watching another chapter in the American story unfold on TV like millions more in the U.S. and abroad. This moment reminds me of one my first vivid sister cities experiences with 20 Iraqi high school students. Just hours after they arrived in the U.S., I participated in a discussion about their perceptions of the U.S. It was a time of great unrest and violence in Iraq. After creating a long list of words describing their perceptions, two words were noticeably absent: hope and opportunity.

No matter one’s political persuasion, without a word or speech spoken yet I hope those students are watching today – hope and opportunity are now powerful images of the National Mall.

E-Conversations on Public Diplomacy & Wading into the Defense Conversation

2009-01-06T00:23:00.003-05:00

A couple of notable items on public diplomacy, the war of ideas (see my previous entry on this phrase), the media, and the military’s intersection with sister cities…

I’ve become a quick fan of the blog Mountain Runner, a blog by Matt Armstrong on public diplomacy and strategic communication in the 21st century. It’s a very smart perspective on the discussion and I encourage you to follow the conversation. I’ve seen some very direct and thought-provoking comments to some of the posts. It’s available via RSS.

Armstrong has organized the Smith-Mundt Symposium. “Smith-Mundt” refers to the original 1948 legislation that formalized America’s promotion of international engagement through information, cultural and educational exchanges. It’s had a few amendments over the years and numerous interpretations, but the gathering hopes to spur some common ground on how best to proceed in the current global environment with a new resident at 1600 PA Ave. It has far-reaching implications for the sister cities network. I’ll be attending and write my thoughts afterward.

Another bit of news is a presentation I’ll be making at the 2009 NDIA SO/LIC Symposium in February. A paper I co-authored with Christopher Dufour from Irregular Warfare Support under the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Ops, Low-Intensity Conflict & Interdependent Capabilities titled "The Road to Peace, One Person at a Time: Sister Cities International and Its Role in Persistent Conflict" will be a highlight of our presentation. (But, it’ll really be about the power and impact of the sister cities network globally.) It’s a topnotch line-up of keynote speakers with a network of people and perspectives on global engagement that we need to become more fluent in to improve our sister cities work abroad.

2009: Where to Start?

2009-01-03T23:19:00.004-05:00

The possibilities for the New Year and the sister cities network seem endless, but I’m conflicted by the discord between the hope for our country’s engagement abroad and current global reality:

Middle East – Can proactive American diplomacy lead the region toward an enduring peace?
Iraq – Can the country’s local, provincial, and national governments collaborate effectively with the evolving military departure?
Russia/Eurasia – Is a regional stew brewing for something more substantive than the Georgian incursion?
Zimbabwe and other African countries in a fragile state or turmoil – What leadership role will the U.S. play that reaches beyond its humanitarian and health-focus?
Latin America - Will we rediscover partnerships?
Iran & North Korea – Can we engage in a consistent dialogue that strikes a balance between security and constructive diplomacy?
Cuba – Will our formal policy change enough to allow informal influences to warm relations?

These are just a few global challenges (not intended to comprehensive), as well as security and economic issues. Any one of them could consume significant diplomatic energies in good times, but in a year where economic pressures are unprecedented in recent history – can we afford not to engage on all these fronts with a deft hand? Lots to think about in 2009.

Good Will to All

2008-12-04T09:30:00.006-05:00

In my almost two-year tenure at Sister Cities International, I've experienced amazing good will. The good will came from our volunteer members across the US and globally, good will from our board and leadership groups, and good will from peer institutions. It's been...inspiring. In the same period, I've seen abject poverty and extravagant riches. All of this demonstrates the dramatic reach of the sister cities movement.

I've witnessed people opening their home to strangers, we've sent delegations to deliver art supplies to children with HIV/AIDS, devised a program to provided the most simple and vital of needs: clean water, and talked candidly with high school students about their life and future in their war-torn country. Each interaction has been revealing, personal, and reflective. This is the power of citizen exchanges.

I invite readers to provide their experiences from the past year. Share the power and impact of your citizen and community diplomacy.

Choice of Words: War & Ideas

2008-12-04T09:18:00.012-05:00

The election is over. The presidential transition has started. No matter one's political leaning change is coming. The level of uncertainty in the world is great. With all this as the backdrop, I'm stuck with a reoccurring theme that I can't dismiss.

There was a great deal of ink spilled and pontificating about language and words during the campaign. Yet, there is a phrase in vogue use by some administration leaders that strikes me as fantastically misdirected. It is well documented that the current administration tuned and fine tuned of America's messaging for 8 years with great rigidity. Through formal and informal channels, press secretaries and bloggers alike have maneuvered around the words and language of our international message. But I am stunned that the phrase "war of ideas," a staggering choice of words repeated by the diplomatic arm of our government, continues to enjoy such active and regular use. Words matter. This phrase signals an aggressive state of being that isn't helping our posture in the global audience. I'm hopeful some shifting winds will blow soon and a new set of buzz words will take root in place of this unfortunate phraseology.

Global Listening: It's all that it's cracked up to be

2008-11-25T21:35:00.007-05:00

I spent the better part of this morning at a briefing on the Brookings Institution's latest report regarding public diplomacy - Voices of America: U.S. Public Diplomacy for the 21st Century. The author and a number of commentators at the briefing gave an overview of the findings and their agreeable opinions about what the report details. In short, the report calls for a new quasi-government (or NGO) to lead in public diplomacy efforts for the U.S. The new entity would work collaboratively with Dept. of State, Dept of Defense, and other government agencies, but be more flexible and innovative than the traditional bureaucratic government institution. The report itself is well written and draws a knowledgeable range of opinion, facts, and previously reported conclusion but points toward a specific way forward.

This report, and it's timing, will give inside-the-beltway-types plenty to chew on for the new few months as the Obama Administration sets up shop. What was striking to me was less about the report and whether I agree or disagree with the findings (which I was duly quizzed afterward by colleagues and associates), but rather a comment that was made a number of times by the panelists: "We need to listen more." The "we" meaning the U.S. It was noted that our public diplomacy instruments have focused on telling others around the world (or in some instances broadcasting) what we stand for and what they should do, rather than having a conversation, which involves both talking and listening. I agree, however, a fundamental piece of the puzzle is missing: what are we doing after we listen. It seems to me, this has been the bigger problem. We, (I'm using the royal "we" of course), need to listen, absorb, and then respond based on that new information and feedback. This is hard work. Much more complicated and nuanced and it means we need to be willing to bend, adjust, or even recalibrate our positions to reach a collaborative working state. I see this dance being performed by our volunteer leaders constantly in sister city partnerships. I've experienced this even in our own work on international projects with fellow NGOs who are already working on a common goal (whether it is a grant, project or event.) Public diplomacy and international relationships are a series of dynamic dialogues. We need to listen and then do something with what we've heard.

To twist that old saying about trees: If the diplomacy falls on deaf ears - did the diplomacy happen?

Sister Schools featured in International Education Week

2008-11-21T13:33:00.005-05:00

By Guest Blogger: Erica Sewell, Youth & Education Program Manager for Sister Cities International

Every November the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Education team up to celebrate International Education Week. As manger of Sister Cities Youth Department this is a very exciting week for me because it speaks to the core of the department - promoting international education and exchanges. This week is about learning something new about other cultures without actually traveling to another country.

This year Sister Cities International was invited to speak at the kick off event for International Education Week on November 17 at the U.S. Department of Education. The topic of the event was school-to-school partnerships and we highlighted our Sister Schools program. This program is a perfect fit because it focuses on pairing schools in the United States with a school overseas to encourage collaborative projects between classes. The program allows schools to connect with a school in another country without international travel by getting youth engaged, interested in global issues, and by adding an international component to the curriculum. Not only were colleagues Jim Doumas and Jennelle Root able to present on Sister Cities and our Sister Schools program but so were several students. Students at Walter Payton College Preparatory High School in Chicago and their Sister School at Ben M’Sik High School in Casablanca, Morocco were able to share their experiences about their exchanges via audio and video conferencing. Faculty and staff from Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, DC and their partner school Lycee Jean Jaures in Montreuil, France also participated—again recognizing another form of a school partnership.

The highlight of the presentation was hearing from the students and listening to the things that they learned and what surprised them. A common theme was how wrong their prior conceptions were, how their host families made them feel right at home and how warmly they were welcomed when they arrived in Casablanca. The impact and life changing effect can best be summed up as a student from Morocco put it, “the 2008 Sister Cities youth conference were the best days of my life!”

A totally unexpected common theme was squirrels. Sometimes it is the little things that you take for granted, such as frequently seeing squirrels that remind you of the first time you traveled abroad, the life lessons you learned, and how you were amazed by something that was second nature to others. The first time I studied abroad I was in London and I can still remember how great I thought their telephone booths were. Yes, I still have the pictures of me standing next to one. I am sure the locals were wondering why I never went inside the booth but to me that was something new and exciting! Every time I travel I discover something new and that is what international education is all about. So what are you waiting for? Encourage your school to form a Sister Schools relationship. Life is truly a journey and not a destination.

Cincinnati Goes to China, Part III

2008-11-18T21:38:00.005-05:00

Guest Blogger: Carla Walker, Sister Cities International Board Member and Chief of Staff for the Mayor of Cincinnati

Welcome to Liuzhou (Cincinnati’s Sister City)
We were welcomed at the airport by several city officials and staff of the Foreign Affiars Office and lots of alumni from our exchanges. They presented the Mayor with flowers.
Liuzhou and Cincinnati is recognizing its 20th year of friendship. During that time, there have been more than 50 exchanges and several awards by SCI including the Youth Exchange Award, the Technology Award and the SCI 50th Anniversary special Merit Award.

First stop was Longtan Park for a preview of the friendship garden Cincinnati and Liuzhou Parks Department have worked on for over a year. When we arrived, we could see Park staff busily adding finishing touches for Friday’s official ribbon cutting. The garden has two pavilions, one for each city and they are connected by a replica of Cincinnati’s Roebling Suspension bridge. Each pavilion includes artwork designed by Jan Brown Checco, a Cincinnati artist.

Cincinnati’s Pavilion
After the tour, a small delegation met with City officials. Mayor Mallory spoke for the Cincinnati representatives of the meeting which included the President Pro-Temp of Council, Park Board Director and Staff, Sister Cities representatives, alumni from Library , Medical, Educational and Arts exchanges as well as Park Board Foundation Board Members. We were greeted by the Local Secretary of the Party who stood in for the Mayor, the Liuzhou Vice Mayor, members of the Sister City organization and the leadership of the Foreign Affairs Office. The 30 minute official meeting was an opportunity to hear about industry, culture and anecdotes of Liuzhou. For instance, the person who lit the torch for the Olympics is from Liuzhou.

Cincinnati Goes to China, Part II

2008-11-18T21:34:00.004-05:00

Guest Blogger: Carla Walker, Sister Cities International Board Member and Chief of Staff for the Mayor of Cincinnati

The Great Wall
The only thing on the agenda for Sunday was to see, feel, walk and take in the Great Wall. We visited two areas. One was called the Lakeside Great Wall Reserve and the second was the Mutianyu section, which means “valley to the sky.” I can only say that I was not prepared and don’t think I could have prepared myself for the experience.

We drove through villages and country side to reach both areas but only enough time to catch a glimpse of rural life. There were dirt roads in most places but the villages were teaming with people. We whizzed by a bride and groom with firecrackers popping. I’m told fireworks are always a part of the ceremony here – partying at receptions must be a universal concept.
The surprise of Lakeside was that it included a park and recreation area just underneath a portion of the Wall. It was a great teaser for Mutianyu. Visitors could access the wooden walkways along the mountain ridges below some of the Wall section. The passage is officially named “winding around mountain plank road” and there is one section that is suspended in the air by just a few beams. It wiggled beneath my feet. I’m not a big fan of heights – or wooden footbridges – but it was incredibly relaxing to be on the side of a mountain with a lake below you and some part of the Great Wall above you. The water is dammed but even the dam is part of the show because you can walk underneath the trickling falls.

When we walked back to the car, we celebrated with fireworks. We then drove through the countryside to the next stop.

Mutianyu
Mutianyu deserved its own entry. It is said to be the most beautiful and scenic portions of the Wall and was the transfer ceremony site for the 2008 Olympic Games. The structure stands out against a landscape of maple trees. In the background you can see rocky mountains. Unlike other sections of the Wall, Mutianyu was constructed on the outer side of the cliff (a defense strategy), is buttressed on both sides and includes trenches on the outer sides. In its beauty you can still see the design for battle and fortification.

We took a chair lift up to the Wall. You cans see so much of the structure from the chair. We walked and hiked from garrison to garrison and came upon what I think is the best enhancement of this ancient landmark – a makeshift bar. Yes, a place for refreshment and libation. Along Mutianyu, you will find locals who have set up shop with water, sodas, candy and Chinese beer. We bought a beer and climbed up the inside of one of the garrisons. When we reached the top, we opened our beers and toasted the occasion while taking in the view from the top. I can see how a person would want to visit there for hours. It was peaceful, not crowded with tourists and surprisingly accommodating.

Hard to top that feeling but we did add to it. There are a few options for getting down – ropeway, railway, chairlift….and toboggan. The adventurer in me headed for the toboggan. I just had to remember to push for speed and pull back to brake. And, no pictures. I got the hang of it pretty quick and discovered my speed demon side. I even discovered how much of a multi-tasker I am as I zoomed down the slope taking pictures.

Ad: European Town Seeks Sister for Twinning

2008-11-16T13:53:00.005-05:00

The reports of the death of European town twinning (aka sister cities) have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, town twinning is thriving.

I was a guest at the launch of a new website last week: www.twinning.org, which is a terrific example of the work happening in Europe. The site is a verison of our "Cities Seeking Cities" database but flashier! For the American cities who see a quick opportunity, its focus is Europe-Europe or Europe-South not transatlantic (at the moment). I found it a terrific signal that the European Union supported Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) in this effort. A special nod to Patrizio Fiorilli, their web-brain behind the endeavor, who made it very accessible, simple navigation, AND it's available in more than 20 languages. (I'd challenge someone to find another website with this type of language depth that can be instantly translated into so many languages. Email me if you find one.)

The website is hosted by the CEMR - the mothership for national organizations that oversee town twinning in each country. Did you know there are over 17,000 sister cities within Europe and Europe outward?

Check out their new website - it's a great addition to the sister city movement.

Cultural Diplomacy – Aspen Institute-style

2008-11-16T13:45:00.010-05:00

The Aspen Institute took on an ambitious project this fall. (I’m sure this is how a number of their program descriptions could start…) The inaugural Aspen Cultural Diplomacy Forum was a concept that came to life this past weekend. The institute’s ambition (apologies to Walter Isaacson and his eloquent welcoming letter in the program for which I’m abbreviating) was to focus on cultural dynamics in times of conflict, to examine past and current practices, to debate policies affecting culture and to look at mobilization of resources in media, arts, culture, and technology. No small task in 2½ days. The format was varied by design to allow speakers and the audience to engage, concur, disagree, and contemplate.

I was pleased Sister Cities International was invited and able to present our story. In addition to participating in the forum, I was a speaker on a panel titled, “Strengthening Cultural Diplomacy.” It was moderated by Elliot Gerson Executive Vice President for Policy and Public programs and International Partnerships for the Aspen Institute. My coconspirator on the panel was Sharon Memis, director of the British Council USA. We had the dubious task being the last panel of the forum and right after lunch but with all of the ideas presented, it became a terrific moment to share the sister cities model.

Below you’ll find a snapshot of my comments to on the panel. (One caveat, it’s not a word for word transcript per se, but a firm mix of my prepared remarks, responses to questions, and what I actually remember saying.)

Gerson: We’ve heard from so many different organizations so far during this forum. Yours is yet another intersection for our participants to think about - tell us about Sister Cities International.

Madden: Thank you Elliot, I want to thank the Aspen Institute for including Sister Cities International in this forum and hosting this event. We’ve had a spirited discussion. My brief overview is really for those of you who don’t know about our road signs. Undoubtedly, as you drive throughout Europe or the United States, you’ll see these signs "Sister City of Columbus, Ohio" and so on. In Europe it's known as town twinning. But what do we really do? We are a cultural understanding organization, and in the broadest terms, we are about world peace and life-changing experiences. The first, admittedly, as been rather elusive for us especially the past few years but the latter comes second nature. We have 700 U.S. cities partnered with nearly 2,300 cities abroad in 135 countries. It’s a global network that grown from a simple idea that President Eisenhower had in 1956 – get the diplomats and bureaucrats out of the way and have ordinary citizens travel abroad to experience other cultures – walk the streets, visit the sites, eat the food – and have them come to the United States to experience American culture and they’ll find that we have more in common than we have different. The best ambassadors of our culture and society are our citizens.

We work in four areas: arts and culture, humanitarian assistance, sustainable and economic development and youth and education. The work by our city members are short- and long-term projects, exchanges and public programs – so like one of our speakers mentioned yesterday we are an organization with a role in both external cultural understanding and internal cultural awareness. So you’ll see all types of sister city projects from clean water programs and professional and technical exchanges to bringing a youth choir from South Africa and film or food festivals in the U.S.

I think the power of our network resides with two strengths: First, these are long-term relationships between the communities. We liken them to marriage. The people in the cities really get to know each other, build relationships, have a sense of the other community’s needs and strengths which allows the projects to take a much longer view. The work is two-way not just U.S. outward. Second, it’s the partnership model we use. We are the poster child for public-private partnership with citizens partnering with local government. To get our work done our local programs work with mayors, local government, business, academia, nonprofit and social organizations depending on the project or exchange.

Gerson: We don’t really think about the role of cities in diplomacy. It sounds like your organization sees a role for cities. Tell us more about this concept.

Madden: We’ve heard a great deal at the forum so far about institutional cultural diplomacy – very top-down thinking. Let me make a case for a more bottom-up. Since our beginning we’ve been using the word citizen diplomat to describe our work but more recently I’ve started to describe it as Community Diplomacy. We are a grassroots organization. Citizens are the engine that makes our work happen but the role of communities and cities is changing. What we see at Sister Cities International is a growing power and influence of cities and mayors. Half of the world’s population lives in cities – this is a relatively new phenomenon. Half of those cities are populations under 500,000 – so they aren’t just the megacities. The migration patterns aren’t changing – more people are going to be living in cities. This is an important trend. We are here talking about Culture in Conflict/Culture on the Move – culture and conflict manifest themselves at the local community level and mayors and local government have a tremendous influence on how that culture is treated. Look at war-torn or regions of conflict…it’s cities that provide survival for local citizen and with that, they are responsible for the local culture and traditions. In the U.S. we’ve seen a growing influence of mayors. When our country opted out of Kyoto, the mayors got together and developed a climate protection agreement. I think there are nearly 1,000 mayors in the U.S. who have signed on to it. We’ve seen this in local arts funding as well. At the national level it’s well documented that the U.S. does not have a support system like European countries for the arts, but mayors having been adding funding. They see the value of arts in their communities. If the federal government won’t act, the mayors said, we will. Equally important to note, is mayor are much more accountable to their constituents than national elected officials. So their response, often, is in direct response to citizen needs and interests.

Additionally, I think it’s important to draw youth into this conversation. We heard this morning about the aging of Spain and Japan’s populations but I believe the statistic is 75% of the population of the Middle East is under 30 years old and in a few years almost 60% of individuals living in slums are 18 or under. These are statistics that can’t be ignored if we want culture to flourish. How do we engage youth in this dialogue?

Gerson: We heard a lot of opinions here in the past few days [Laughing.] But is there something that hasn’t been said that you think we should think about in the mix of this event? What’s missing?

Madden: We aren’t going to bomb or invade our way into a new positive world opinion of America. We need all kinds of cultural diplomacy to accomplish this. But, what we haven’t heard is about the positive legacy of the George W. Bush administration. Many of you know that our strategic engagement with the world is known as the three Ds: Defense, Diplomacy, and Development. The last D is one that we don’t hear about or see in front page headlines. In the last 8 years the Bush Administration has doubled the overall funding of aid globally. It has quadrupled aid funding to Africa. This is tremendous. You’ve probably heard of the President’s Malaria Initiative and the AIDS program. The AIDS funding alone is staggering – the most money in world history ever committed to stop the spread of a single disease. Sadly, this is overshadowed by other foreign policy decisions, some of which has been raised earlier in the forum, but my hope for the Obama administration is they not only build on this, but consider reorganizing our Ds – I’d suggest to the transition team: Diplomacy, Development, and Defense.

With the exception of Q&A, this concluded my remarks. Following my comments, Sharon Memis offered an overview of the British Council’s programs and her wisdom to the forum participants. She shared some terrific insight about working strategically especially in partnerships, the value of evaluation, and the idea of working at arms-length from government. The panel was then opened up to Q&A and audience comments.

All in all, it was a tremendous first step to get the key actors in the room. Global voices were heard. Opinions were debated and discussed. A wide variety of approaches were presented and, I think, we saw the richness and the complexity of cultural diplomacy. We are at the beginning of the beginning.

Power of a Partner

2008-11-16T13:41:00.001-05:00

A small team of sister cities staff spent most of November 7 at a Partnership Conference hosted by USAID. The 300+ participants (which included international NGOs, community organizations, faith-based organizations, and a variety of representatives from USAID offices) came from across the U.S. and the globe to discuss how nonprofits can partner with each other and with USAID. It was, in large part, an effort to demystify USAID and how to access the agency. It was a good mix of speakers and presentations. As part of the program I had the opportunity to present the Sister Cities story and offer a sneak peek at our Community Connector web portal.

Community Connector is a project of Sister Cities International, made possible with seed funding from USAID, to donors and recipients of aid and expertise. We are taking our twinning of cities model and applying it virtually - to connect those with need with those with resources. I should note that Community Connector (or C2 as we call it) is not about donations and fundraising, per se. This is about “stuff” – medical or office supplies, books, clothing, educational materials, etc. We hope donor individuals and organizations will be able to deliver the exact goods, services, or expertise to the community in need. We are starting with Africa, and specifically in South Africa as a pilot country.

On a panel later in the day, I joined representatives from the US Chamber of Commerce, Marriott International, U.S. Department of State to talk about public-private partnerships how it can work (the ideal…) and how it does work (they are hard work). It was a good moment to show how local programs partner with Rotary on exchanges and projects and how Sister Cities International partners with other national organizations on programs.

All in all, there was a positive response to Sister Cities International and C2 at our booth and in conversation, which bodes well for our new project. The curious minds in the room were thinking about how to start working with local sister city programs. It always impresses me how quickly people see a connection with their work and sister cities. I’m hopeful our efforts will draw interest from organizations and individuals who may become a new class of citizen diplomats for local programs.

Cincinnati Goes to China

2008-11-11T05:01:00.007-05:00

Guest Blogger: Carla Walker, Sister Cities International Board Member and Chief of Staff for the Mayor of Cincinnati

On November 6, a delegation of forty travelers from Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, embarked on "The Gardener's Emissary Trip to China." Organized by the Cincinnati Park Board and sponsored by Cincinnati Magazine, the trip highlight is the visit to Liuzhou, China -- one of seven Cincinnati, Ohio Sister Cities. Led by Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, the delegation is scheduled to participate in ceremonies opening the Friendship Park in Liuzhou (a joint project by the Park Departments of Cincinnati and Liuzhou) and celebrate 20 years of a Sister City relations.

First stop -- Beijing!
I thrive in a city atmosphere and was ready to take in everything while in Beijing. Unfortunately, my intake was limited due to extreme jet lag combined with absolute exhaustion from working 7 days a week for the last month.

We arrived Friday evening at Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3 -- built for the 2008 Olympics. I was met by one of my best friends who lives here with her family. She had arranged a dinner party for me to meet some of her friends.

I'm not that swift in the kitchen so I watched as Annie, the cook, prepared an egg dish, chicken with cashews and the most amazing green beans I've ever tasted. I dined with neighbors from Tanzania, Germany, and even some Ohioans (Cincinnati and Toledo). I shared news about Cincinnati, our Sister City network and talked about the election. I learned how they met, where they had traveled and their suggestions of best places to eat. It was the perfect ending to my first evening.

That is until I learned my friend (who is a spa fanatic like myself) scheduled a late evening spa appointment for me at Bodhi Sense. A pedicure, back massage and ninety minutes later...then it was the perfect ending to my first evening.

Day 2 - Beijing
Today was really cold and grey -- or I thought it was grey. I couldn't tell if it was overcast or if what I was seeing was the infamous pollution that is a constant companion in the story of Beijing. What ever it was, it didn't stop us or anyone else.

There are more than 17 million residents here with more than 2 million cars. Under a new policy, cars are allowed on roads on different days depending on the last digit of their license.

After running errands, we explored a market. Stepping through the doorway, I was hit with shoes, socks, purses, belts, silk nightshirts, pashminas, hats, paintings, jewelry....anything you want, it's there. I'm a shopper. It's what I do. However, the hundreds of back-to-back mini-stalls with merchandise oozing from every corner was dizzying even to me. These markets are everywhere and if you can bargain, you can have a lot of fun.

We ate at Old Beijing -- one of the places discussed last night where there are only locals. Next to us were five older gentlemen and a woman. They spoke no English but we managed to communicate and toast each other a few times. They graciously showed me another way to hold my chopsticks.

Temple of Heaven was our next stop. The temple, completely made of wood, has had some major renovation and touch ups on a few occasions. What an active and vibrant place. There were groups and crowds gathered in different areas. Some sang the national anthem. Some offered their version of opera. Some played cards or hackeysac. Some were having tea and a snack. All I could do was walk around in absolute awe and soak up the energy of that ancient, ornate, brightly colored beautiful structure.

Coming Next: The Great Wall and Shanghai

Sister Cities at UN Habitat's World Urban Forum

2008-11-06T21:27:00.009-05:00

Guest Blogger: Jim Doumas, Executive Vice President, Sister Cities International

I write today at the conclusion of the fourth session of the UN Habitat's World Urban Forum (WUF 4) in Nanjing, China. The theme of the forum was “Harmonious Urbanization” and how to integrate social, economic and environmental sustainable development into urban planning. If WUF 4 did nothing else, it certainly reinforced the fact that the world is at a tipping point particularly as it comes to the environment. Rapid urbanization is exacerbating a carbon gas crisis that threatens our very near future. The climate catastrophes that we have been reading about are no longer in the “future” but rather in our immediate future if we do not find a way to answer key issues associated with rapid urbanization. This coupled with the issues of poverty, homelessness and other negatives associated with rapid urbanization were the fodder assigned to the delegate discussions.

WUF 4 was attended by representatives from every country in the world which demonstrates the issue’s importance as a global crisis. Also, the eco-environment protection theme was accentuated in Nanjing as each day the air pollution of the city suffocated the delegates on our way to and from the forum. China has almost half its population (nearly 590 million people) living in urban communities and estimates suggest that this number will continue to increase by 10 million a year as we proceed deeper into the 21st century. Large population drifts from rural to urban areas are occurring everywhere on the planet and in many instances quality of life is not necessarily improving. In Uganda, Africa, for example, urbanization has not led to the end of poverty. Issues regarding homelessness and the lack of adequate land use are exacerbating the population surge.

Representing Sister Cities International, I had the opportunity to discuss our community in two seminar presentations. The first was a discussion on the importance of and how to engage private citizens in urban sustainable development with Duane Kissick from AECOM International, as well as an overview of the upcoming Global Mayors Forum in China next fall. The second presentation was a panel discussion regarding comprehensive planning on urban development with the International Centre for Sustainable Cities of Canada and the International Mayors Communication Centre of China.

How can Sister Cities International become more a part of the solution? In every session I attended as well as the two sessions that I presented in, there were many solutions discussed ranging from the need to implement broad sweeping social justice changes to existing laws, to technological and sustainable development programs that ensure adequate protection of our earth’s eco-system. Regardless of the idea discussed, in each case, the underlying theme for successful completion of a solution required the unilateral support of entire communities, governments, businesses, local nongovernmental organizations, and grassroots leaders.

Sister Cities International and its grassroots network are uniquely positioned to bring all of these players to the table. Our community has also proven, through the existence of successful sustainable development projects, a proven track record. Our conduit for peace, mutual respect, and understanding is an important piece of the puzzle as a change generator for urban sustainable development.

At a world forum focused on quality of life issues and our planet’s survival over the next decade, it was a pleasure to introduce and highlight our community to attendees as a viable source to facilitate many of the ideas that were brought to the table.

Reflecting on the Future

2008-11-04T08:43:00.006-05:00

Today's a big day for the future. Irrespective of what side of the political aisle you sit on, the future of America's foreign policy and impact across the globe will be decided. This may seem like an overstatement, but quite frankly it's not. This business of "America's role in the world" is serious. In recent days, I've read punditry about how during the Clintonian 90s the world was bothered by America's hubris - yet, they (aka "the rest of the world") really have a problem with the past 8 years of America's engagement with the world. In another breath I'm reading about the impact of U.S.'s dramatic increase in funding for international development under this administration. In Africa alone it's quadrupled, which has some parts of the continent buzzing. Hypocritical? Yea probably, but it does demonstrate the value America - and Americans - bring to the world.

War, peace, aid, terrorism, diplomacy, global partnerships: the to-do list abroad is long for the next President. Every Presidential election is important. But, with so many massive issues to grapple with, this one feels like the country is looking at the future just a bit more closely.

Mission-driven in Crisis

2008-10-30T15:37:00.003-04:00

By Guest Blogger: Michael Hyatt, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sister Cities International

Getting ready to go for two weeks in South Africa in the middle of the worst financial times since the “Great Depression” is beginning to seem quite challenging. Having looked forward to the Partnership and Peace Tour for over a year, I now wonder about the consequences of being away. However it appears the entire world is affected by this crisis and I’m anxious to see how we handle it.

In Egypt last year I was able to meet local, state and national officials who recognize the need for world peace in settings one can only dream about. On one occasion we visited with the Governor of Aswan over coffee late at night floating on the Nile. Our military backgrounds gave us a common base for our discussions while we talked about the need for peace and their efforts to locate a sister city relationship (One objective achieved: Aswan is now partnered with Sonoma, CA.).

Having been to South Africa before, I’m looking forward to meeting officials and bringing our message to them. Now more than ever, the need for Sister Cities International is evident. Trying times in the world brings the need for unity in order to find the solution. Governments are now working together to bring the markets back to an orderly fashion, yet my sister city friends from Swaziland have contacted me and asked me to bring information, policies and strategies from Fort Worth to help them. I’ll be meeting with the United States Ambassador, local officials and members of the Swaziland Parliament to let them know what we are doing that will ultimately help them.

Times aren’t easy but neither is our mission. I know the efforts we expend on these trips will be repaid many times.

The Unwitting Citizen Diplomat

2008-10-03T23:49:00.003-04:00

You’d be stunned at the number of organizations who commit their livelihood to world peace. It’s amazing to me with all these smart people thinking, talking, writing, meeting, strategizing about world peace, you’d think we would have figured it out by now. That said, I’ll leave the big brains to their work and raise one side of peace movement you don’t hear enough about: citizen diplomats.

What’s a citizen diplomat, you ask? (You aren’t alone.) It’s not one thing, it’s many things (this is the problem.) Simply put, it is average citizens who find a way to connect us to the rest of the world and connect the world us. Anyone can qualify. You don’t need to be a Rhodes scholar or a Foreign Service Officer for the State Department. You need to be curious about other people, places, and cultures. Note: I said you don’t need to be an expert–just be open to the journey. So what does that mean – here’s a few ideas of things you can do:

--Surf the internet for global news about countries you’ve never heard of or don’t know where they are (…but don’t do this until you finish reading my blog)
--Volunteer for the German beer festival (or just attend and try the beer!)
--Hold a book club meeting in your house to discuss a book with an international bent
--Speak a foreign language
--Host a foreign exchange student
--Get a passport
--Encourage a college student to study abroad
--Attend a world music concert
--Go to a lecture about a different culture
--Speak at your local elementary school about a country you’ve been to
--Patron a local company owned or run by immigrants
--Take a vacation abroad

This last one is worth an experience...on a recent ride from the airport to my hotel. I was the only passenger in a shuttle van and I had the Chatty Cathy driver. His bio: your very average Midwestern, polite man in his upper 70s. We talked sports, politics, the economy, and vacations (it was a long ride). This man has been a retired police officer for more than 20 years. His voice energized as he told about his favorite vacations, a notable cruise to Alaska was a highlight. I mentioned traveling to Belfast and Northern Ireland if he hadn’t been yet. He paused, glanced at me and proceeded to rattle off an armload of countries he and his wife had visited on vacations—and they weren’t your usual American in Paris moment. The safari in Kenya was memorable, the boat ride in China was fun, and so on and so on. He also told me how be brags about his trips to his friends he meets every morning at McDonalds to yak (his word not mine.)

What a great citizen diplomat he was and he didn’t even know it. I’m not sure why I tagged him as a typical American uninterested in the world. Just another reminder, there is no single profile of these quiet peace workers. We come in all shapes, sizes, colors, educational backgrounds, quirks, and opinions. I can’t think of a better citizen diplomat to send abroad, but the best part: he was having a ball with life. What else can you ask for?

Interested in learning more about citizen diplomacy? Visit our website, www.sister-cities.org or www.uscenterforcitizendiplomacy.org.

Pride in Peace

2008-10-02T09:11:00.001-04:00

I spent last week in Belfast, Northern Ireland preparing for the 2009 Sister Cities International Conference. What a place and what a story. With half Irish blood, I thought I had a fairly good understanding of “The Troubles” (as they are so eloquently called there.) Understanding The Troubles and talking to people who experienced The Troubles are two different animals. Ten years after the Good Friday Agreement it is stunning how many symbols of the violence remain in and around Belfast— such as peace walls, murals, and country flags in fronts yards. This surprised me. The outward expression seemed dated based on how wonderful I had heard things were going.

In part, it is important to remember and reflect on where you’ve been as a society and where you want to go. This manifests itself in visual icons fro some. No one was asking another person to give up who they are or their cultural heritage. But, what was striking, was the dialogue around where Northern Ireland is now. Everyone I spoke to perked up when they spoke about the status of the negotiated peace. “That’s behind us… did you see all the construction in downtown Belfast?” “We have changed our school and youth service structure. Before you could grown up, get a job, and live your life without ever meeting someone from the “other side,” I don’t think that exists now.”

As you dig more, of course like any citizen, people have frustrations with the national government. For example, the Executive (the First Minister/Deputy First Minister offices and agencies) hadn’t met in months and it was holding up important funding legislation. I thought to myself, that sounds very familiar.

But what told the story in a more striking fashion was the nonverbal communication – everyone smiled, stood more upright, looked me determinedly in the eyes. There was a sense that they had weathered the storm and the wind was at their back.

Symbol of Peace

2008-09-20T01:10:00.005-04:00

Someone recently asked me about peace poles. A Peace Pole is a monument that displays the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth,” usually in a different language on each side. The message is referred to as a peace prayer. There are more than 200,000 peace poles on every continent. The Peace Pole Project was started in Japan by The World Peace Prayer Society in 1955, shortly after World War II, by Masahisa Goi.

Are they still relevant? Absolutely! Read about Rockford (IL) Sister Cities Peace Garden, which was dedicated on September 21 this year with a peace pole.

(Historical sources: Wikipedia and the World Peace Prayer Society.)

Taking Action on the International Day of Peace

2008-09-20T00:16:00.006-04:00

As we approach September 21 -- the International Day of Peace, individuals and organizations are working feverishly toward world peace around the world. I came across a nice opinion peace by Kurt Pinette of The Clock in Portsmouth, NH - read the story.

Not sure what you can do for the International Day of Peace? I've got a simple idea - how about a pinwheel? Pinwheels for Peace is a fantastic global project organized that takes a childhood symbol and uses it to remind us of our need to work toward world peace. Do you remember how to make a pinwheel? Read more about the project. Maybe a school in your community is participating in their campaign.

Question of the Day: What will you do to advance world peace on September 21?

Breaking the Cycle of Violence - Light at the End of a Dark Tunnel

2008-09-20T00:05:00.003-04:00

By Guest Blogger: Erica Sewell, Youth & Education Program Manager for Sister Cities International

We live in a society where acts of violence have become all too common. Watching the evening news has become a never ending horror movie. Person A was murdered and in retaliation Person B was murdered. The cycle of violence has become a tit for tat. When I look at all the violent acts that have been committed one always stands out not because it was unbelievably gruesome but because it offers a glimpse of hope. In October of 2006 Charles Carl Roberts IV walked into an Amish one room school house in Nickel Mine, PA and took the life of ten young girls before taking his own. The killings at the Amish schoolhouse were horrendous and the question of why and how could someone take the lives of these innocent young girls haunted me. What has been surprising (and to many incomprehensible) has been the Amish community’s reaction to the shootings. The Amish community did not speak of retaliation or of suing the Roberts family but rather embraced the widow of the killer by inviting her to the funerals. Even the grandfather of one of the slain girls was urging people to forgive Charles Roberts.

What lessons can the world learn from the Amish community’s act of forgiveness? The Amish community’s reaction was very powerful because their words illustrated how a cycle of violence can be broken by the act of forgiveness. There is Buddhist saying that “words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.” To me this means that words are like a double-edged sword; they can either incite violence or advocate for peace. The Amish community’s reaction to the shootings provides me with hope and proves that acts of revenge are not the only option in the face of adversity or violence. For me that was a very powerful life lesson.

Question of the Day: How else do you think we can stop the cycle of violence?

Blog Posts from 2007

2008-09-19T23:59:00.003-04:00

Blogs Postings from 2007 - REPOSTED
In an effort to consolidate a couple of different blog sources. I'm reposting all my postings from 2007 in this post. Scroll away!

'Tis the Season - 12/22/07

Sister Cities International welcomes your year-end contribution. Whether you believe we help shape world peace or you are an avid support of the power of exchange to change a young person's view on the world - you can give today.

Why We Do What We Do - 12/17/07

Sister Cities International launched an online video and giving campaign today. This is not just for believers in our movement but we welcome converts as well. Take a look.

Future Partnership & Peace Tours Announced - 11/16/08

With our Egypt trip beginning to fade and give-way to the realities of office life, Sister Cities International is proud to announce to Partnership & Peace travel programs for 2008.

In mid-March we will take a delegation to Israel and Jordan. In November 2008 we will take a group to South Africa. As with our previous tours, the number of people per trip will be limited to ensure the best experience from a travel and program perspective. If you have any interest in either tour, visit our Partnership & Peace travel program webpage.

Exhausted But Home - 11/3/07

The return trip isn't exactly like hopping the shuttle from DC to NYC, but the Cairo-New York City trip provided some time to reflect on the 10-day journey. Anticipating the questions from friends and family about the trip, I've decided on my one piece of advice: experience Egypt. This isn't a country living off its ancient greatness, but a rich, living culture and welcoming people with a heritage that happens to date back to the beginning of civilization.

Shopping: Egyptian-style - 11/2/07

It's not exactly death by shopping, but our delegation got a much needed break this afternoon in anticipation of our return to the States. This group of savvy citizen diplomats descended on the Khan El-Khalili bazaar prepared for some serious haggling with the vendors, craftsmen, and shop owners.

Business Interests - 11/1/07

(Find Cairo - Learn About Business in Egypt)

This afternoon we met with the American Chamber of Commerce Egypt. This session offered participants an insight into the commerce and business trends in Egypt as well as opportunities for investment in Egypt and Egyptian businesses interested in America.

"Wow Moment" on the Mediterranean - 10/31/07

(Find Alexandria - Learn About Alexandria)

We made it north to Alexandria, the birthplace of knowledge and the home of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the city known as the Pearl of the Mediterranean. This morning we soaked in the stunning new Alexandria Library. A facility with ancient legacy, this new building gracefully rises from the edge of the Mediterranean in the shape of a sun. The architectural elements are elegant, utilitarian, and distinct. The building if cleverly connected to the Alexandria University through a bridge of knowledge that starts on campus, moves through the library grounds and ends cantilevered over the sea boulevard with a stunning panoramic view of the Mediterranean and the city coastline. This is Egypt's gift of to the world.

After a tour of the building, we met with one of the librarians for a Q&A that covered everything from collections to educational outreach and financial support. This was followed by a power lunch with presentations by:
• Sahar Hamouda (Deputy Director of the Alexandria & Mediterranean Research Center at the library)
• Mohiba Abdel-Salam (Member of the Alexandria-Baltimore Sister Cities committee)
• Justin Siberell (Director of the U.S. State Department's American Center Alexandria)
• Ambassador Ali Maher (Director, Institute for Peace Studies at the library)
A terrific line up that led our group to engage the speakers in a fruitful Q&A session and some potential partnerships for local sister city programs.

The Smile That Says It All - 10/30/07

(Find Aswan - Learn About Aswan)

During our time in Aswan I was struck by the disposition of its people. Our guide told us to look for the Aswan smile. No matter the job or the situation, the Aswan people are known for the warm hearts, friendly personality, and kind gestures. Even the brief time we spent in Aswan, I witnessed it and felt it from children playfully skipping down the street to shop owners. Aswan is the gem of southern Egypt.

The Next Egyptian Sister City? - 10/30/

(Find Aswan - Learn About Aswan)

Our Nile River cruise concluded this evening with a heartfelt presentation by the Governor of Aswan Samir Youssef outlined the current cultural, business, political situation in Aswan. He took questions from the group that ranged from city infrastructure to his philosophy on citizen diplomacy.

He finished by asking for consideration and assistance in finding a sister city for Aswan. He thinks this partnership would be remarkable for the city and for the U.S.

Celebrating 25 Years of Sister Cities in Egypt - 10/27/07

(Find Luxor - Learn About Luxor)

Our delegation took some time this evening to honor our strongest relationship in Egypt: Baltimore-Luxor. Hosted by the chair of the Luxor sister city committee at his hotel, we enjoyed a light reception with traditional Egyptian music and good friends from Luxor. Sister Cities representatives from Baltimore were on hand for the celebration, including Renee Samuels from the Mayor's office in Baltimore and Abdelwahab Elabd the head of the Baltimore-Alexandria Sister Cities committee.

The Governor of Luxor was to join us at the reception but was delayed in transit from Cairo, but to our surprise he sought our delegation out later in the evening at the grandiose Luxor Temple where he shared is feelings on the sister city relationship and a photo opp.

Good Morning, Moses -10/27/07

Day one on the Nile river cruise portion of the trip ? No less than a half dozen folks shared the same impression this morning as one woke up on the Nile: It's stunningly peaceful and Biblical in vision. Breathtaking.

After absorbing a few days of the enormity of the ancient Egyptian monuments, temples, and tombs, it is a stunning glide down the river. The scope, scale, and impact of the ancient Egyptian people are truly astonishing. History books don't do it justice.

When Do We Rest? - 10/26/07

(Find Cairo - Learn About Cairo)

Whoa - I'm already looking for a moment to catch my breath. We hit the ground yesterday afternoon with a city tour on the way to the hotel from the airport followed by some time to adjust to the time zone (read: nap), then we were off to an event hosted by the American Embassy in Cairo where we met a snapshot of Cairo's educational, business, political, and cultural leaders. Ambassador Riccardone had high praise for the impact citizen exchanges has on their diplomatic work. Much appreciation to Haynes Mahoney (Cultural Attache to the Embassy) who hosted and event at his home.

Today was a step back in time visiting Giza and the pyramids. This is when my lack of ancient history started to shine. This is a good moment to note our Abercrombie & Kent Guides and Egyptologists: Walid El Batouty and Mohamed Osama. We can already tell these guys are pros.

Who Goes to Egypt? - 10/25/07

I thought it might be of interest for blog followers to know who exactly signed up for our trip. In my mind it's a perfect example of sister cities' membership: we have two elected officials, a few business executives, a handful of teachers, and a group of community activists. Read the names and cities represented on this trip.

New York Introduction - 10/24/07

Today the journey began in New York's JFK airport. Jenny Oliver, our Islamic Partnership Initiative Program Manager, and I met 42 fellow travelers for the 2007 Partnership & Peace Tour to Egypt. The agenda is full with highlights including two stops in Cairo as well as visits to Luxor, Aswan, and Alexandria.

I can sense the excitement and curiosity within the group. We have some veteran Partnership & Peace tour participants so they'll help us (and me!) figure our way along side our tour operators partners Abercrombie & Kent.

Our Partnership & Peace Travel Program has three purposes: to educate American community leaders and to drive interest in establishing new sister city partnerships in the destination country, and reinvigorating existing partnerships.

Egypt enjoys five sister city partnerships:
• Cleveland-Alexandria (est. 1977)
• Baltimore-Luxor (est. 1982)
• New York City-Cairo (est. 1982)
• Los Angeles-Giza (est. 1989)
• Baltimore-Alexandria (est. 2004)
We'll be visiting these sites during the trip and others that are seeking sister city partnerships. As a benchmark since the Morocco Partnership & Peace Tour in spring 2006, Morocco has seen five new partnerships created.

We'll see where things lead!

Thank You - 10/13/07

Thank you, Phoenix. I'm just easing into an airplane seat leaving Arizona and reflecting on the past three days. Not only did Phoenix deliver outstanding weather, but the Board of Directors wrapped up a successful fall Leadership Meeting. Over 30 board members, state coordinators, and honorary board members were on hand in Phoenix. The board spent a day and a half in work sessions covering the Strategic Plan, By-Laws, the FY08 Operating Plan and Budget (presented by yours truly) and committee meetings in addition to the official meeting.

One important outcome of the official meeting is the addition of Nancy Huppert and Len Olender to the Honorary Board. Two very committed individuals to Sister Cities International.

Kudos to Paula West and her Phoenix Sister Cities colleagues for hosting a terrific event. Next Stop for the Leadership Meeting: March 28-29, 2008-Washington, DC.

Extraordinary - 9/24/07

Extraordinary. That's the only word that covers our just-announced Partnership & Peace Tour to South Africa and the region. Working closely with Safari Ventures as our tour partner, this trip promises to unforgettable as we visit Cape Town, Johannesburg, and much more... Read the details of the itinerary and register!

Mea Culpa - 9/7/07

Ok, yes, yes I've fallen way behind in my postings by the blog arena standards. My apologies to faithful readers - are any of you still there? After a well-earned vacation to recharge my batteries and the close of the summer, I hope the following posts (which were authored way as far back as July) will whet your appetite and restore your interest in returning to read more this fall.

The Iraqis Are Here - 7/30/07

The Iraqis are here. This is what we're all about. Reaffirming my belief that we are in the life-changing business - here's a firsthand case study.

Sister Cities International is hosting 22 Iraqi high school students in the U.S for for a powerful month-long program. I had just a glimmer of opportunity to intersect with them as they spent the first few days in DC. I want to mention "H." He's one particular student I had to chance to talk more at length with after their formal program ended for the day. (Why "H"?- Well, of course I can't use his real name for safety reasons, but more importantly because it sounds like a good nickname for a Hollywood spy or action hero, doesn't it? I think he'll approve.) "H" encapsulated the curiosity, energy, excitement, intelligence of all the students but I had the chance to be quizzed by him covering all subjects. They have some idea of what they are in for but more impressively I am 'wowed' by their parents and families for taking the risk on their future. From this short conversation with "H', I can tell this: this program will change their lives forever and change the world. I don't know which one(s) will be future political leaders, doctors, educators, diplomats, scientists, but I do know they will help us change the world and their country's future for the better.

After this all-too-short chance to get to know the students, I wanted to pack my bags and follow them for a month to soak in their experience through their eyes. I can tell it's going to be special for them and us.

The Torch Passes - 7/25/07

No conference would be complete without the time-honored passing of the torch with our Board of Directors. This year we recognized a handful of retiring board members: Steve Bienke, Ann Geiger, Jo Moskowitz, Saidi Moussadaq, Kathleen Roche-Tansey, Bill Stafford and Jean van BuskirkWe welcome the return of Mimi Barker, Michael Hyatt, Jason Hibner, Nathaniel Hibner, and the addition of Carlo Capua, Bill Evans, Ron Gossett, Deirdra Nelson, Kay Sargent, Maria del Rosario Velasco, and Paula West.

This is your leadership. Be in touch with them. If you have ideas, questions, concerns you can email or call them at any time. They welcome it.

Catch Your Breath Here Comes Sister Cities - 7/24/07

Whoa, what a conference! Amassing more than 500+ sister city missionaries in one location is a rush.

Saturday marked the end of the 2007 Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale and my first experience with the membership in one place at one time. South Florida oozed with passion and energy for our cultural understanding mission. Ideas abound and tons of dialogue about our future and the future of the globe.

Highlights for me included: the Friday keynote speak Salman Ahmed (Founder of Junoon. I'm guessing we don't usually have a rock star and movie star speak to our crowd. He was well received for his work bridging the Muslim and western world), sneaking into workshop sessions (I attempted to pop-in to as many sessions as possible, and I heard some fantastic shared stories and experiences - we plan to post some of the notes on our website in the coming months), and the Kansas City beach party warm-up for 2008 (What a terrific evening with the ocean breeze. Did you download the Save-the-Date postcard? If not, go ahead and do so now so you can save $25 on registration.)

I want to offer my sincere appreciation to Nuccia McCormick, an endless source of energy and hope for the volunteer corps in Fort Lauderdale. Thank you Nuccia, on behalf of the membership for all you did for us.

Citizen Diplomacy: 2057 - 6/11/07

The 2007 Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale is upon us. The office is abuzz with staff interns putting the final touches on what will be a sun-filled gathering centered on our role in creating world peace over the next 50 years. We have a number of events planned to connect or reconnect with peers, workshops to explorethe latest trends in economic development, youth programs, and of course, plenty of time to view your colleagues? best practices. Have you seen the latest schedule?

I want to highlight our two keynote speakers who are sure to get the attendees thinking-our opening plenary Antonia Neubauer, founder and chairperson of READ Global. READ Global is U.S.-based nonprofit organization to improve the world-one country, one village, one individual at a time - using an asset based community development approach with library community centers at the hub. Our other plenary speaker is Salman Ahmad, a Pakistani doctor by training and a rock musician by profession. Ahmad has been featured in two documentaries and toured the U.S. performing and speaking about peace and cultural understanding. You can check out his films on YouTube.

These are two sessions that will be sure to inspire and motivate. After the conference I want your thoughts on Sister Cities See you in Florida!

Norfolk Sets Sail with Power Event - 06/14/07

This past week the Norfolk Sister Cities Association in Virginia hosted a winner economic development symposium. The concept for the Global Symposium was to bring together representatives from all six of their sister cities (in the end, three cities were able to attend the event) to stimulate innovative collaboration. Who else better suited to do this than the local sister city program?

This was a power event, if I've ever seen one. The mayor, numerous city council representatives, and high profile business figures were on hand throughout the events. The opening day (of a multi-day, multi-site event) was packed with informational presentations by leading figures from the community. Higher education, law enforcement, tourism, work force development, and so forth were all line up to participate. And that was just the first day.

If your sister city program is looking to curry favor with your mayor's office, city manager, or city council - this is a terrific model on three fronts:

1. It stirs interest with the economic development folks, business leaders, and your usual community partners who always like to ask, "what have you done for me lately?"

2. It serves as a fantastic opportunity for sister city leaders to bring together all of your partner communities at the same time to discuss our mission for a more peaceful world and how you might work toward a multilateral sister city project or program.

3. It will ignite your volunteer base. Nothing like being on the front of the newspaper or hosting events where all of the leading community figures are engaged with a sister cities program to stir up some energy.

If you are interested in learning more, I suggest contacting Ralph Nahra, the board chair, or Executive Director Pamela McNaught who hosted the event. This is a stellar model for our network to look at. Job well done, Norfolk.

Creative Diversity - Diverse Creativity - 05/17/07

This evening I will participate in a panel discussion hosted to celebrate the upcoming UN-declared 'World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.' The event is hosted by Arts For Global Development, [Art4Development.Net] an international organization based in the Washington area that uses creative programs and projects for social change, and works to empower socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and communities worldwide, particularly children, youth, and women.

The panel, titled Creative Diversity - Diverse Creativity: A Dialogue on Arts, Cultural Exchange, and Social Development will feature speakers from George Mason University, VSA Arts, Women in Film and Video, International Visions Gallery, as well as Sister Cities International. The panelist are asked to focus their presentations on values of artistic and cultural diversity, the importance of individuality/cultural identity, and the role of arts in creating cross-cultural dialogue and building local-global communities. Below you'll find my remarks.

Creative Diversity - Diverse Creativity Panel Remarks
Artomatic - Arlington, VA
5/17/07

Good evening. I am pleased to be a part of this conversation on behalf of Sister Cities International. Sister Cities International is network of communities and individuals whose mission is to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, & cooperation one community and individual at a time.

In my mind we are in the "life-changing experience" business. I'll get to that in a minute.

We work at the municipal level with mayors, city officials, community leaders, and businesses to advance cultural understanding and stimulate economic development. It started in 1956 by then-President Eisenhower with an idea to create a citizen diplomacy network outside of the government's formal diplomatic channels, where "regular U.S. citizens" would meet "regular citizens" in other countries to learn about their culture, history, and way of life to build cross-cultural understanding. We have grown into a global network of more than 2,500 communities in 134 countries in long-term dialogue.

To give you an example here locally, Alexandria, VA is partnered with cities in Scotland, Armenia, France and Sweden. Arlington, VA is matched with towns in Mexico, Germany, France and El Salvador and the list goes on - Washington, DC for example is partnered with 10 cities. Maryland has 14 cities paired with 36 cities globally.

Sister Cities member communities were tying the world together long before the internet or it was cool to talk about how we are all part of a global conversation or global economy.

If you don't know Sister Cities, your traditional concept may be teacher and student exchanges or artist exchanges, but in 2007 sister city programs have stretched the initial concept to include robust economic and sustainable development projects, humanitarian assistance programs, arts and culture, as well as youth and education. Through it all, the arts and cultural exchanges are a bedrock activity for many local programs. Using the arts to move beyond language barriers, economic and social differences or religious stereotypes for that matter is a powerful tool for understanding. Our member communities host performances of artists from their sister city. Those artists may host community forums, teach workshops in schools or other outreach programs, other programs include: city-wide cultural festivals or food festivals. (The culinary arts do count!)

For sister cities the most important element is the people to people exchange. We believe that going to the country, tasting the food, walking the streets, being hosted in someone's home, visiting the historical sites, witnessing the everyday cultural norms is how you best experience, understand and respect other cultures.

This is why we are in the "life-changing experience" business.

A good deal of our arts programming at Sister Cities International focuses on youth. We have testimony from student after student who came to the United States but left the country with a completely different understanding of the depth of American society and in their words the exchange was a "life-changing experience." We feel it is critical to expand the thinking of a younger generation and provide more access to other cultures. Technology is obviously helping breakdown physical barrier of distance, but as we all know, mass media controls the message to us and shapes the message outside of our country.

With this audience, I know I am preaching to the choir - but compare watching a music performance on TV and experiencing a music performance from the 5 row. Look at a Monet at a museum in Paris and looking a postcard of a Monet. The in-person, face-to-face experience captures your mind in a more powerful way that through another medium. I'm not suggesting that film, TV, DVDs, are not important channels for access, shared knowledge and understanding but the tie to sister cities is the people to people exchange.

This summer, along side our annual conference, we will host our 5th annual youth conference and the theme is "Building Peace through the Arts." High school students from around the globe will descend on Ft Lauderdale (not a bad location for a youth conference?) and work with artists in hands-on workshops, perform traditional arts for each other. Most importantly, they build lasting friendships.

Our second signature arts program is the annual Young Artist Showcase, which invites high school-aged students to submit visual artworks into a competition. The winners are placed in an exhibit that tours the country. This is a way for us to share up-and-coming artistic talent from around the world.

Often the arts can communicate and express so much more than words. I can share one personal experience from a trip to Russia I took in high school. Our jazz band had performed at a conservatory in then-Leningrad. Some of the Russian students wanted to perform for us, so they took the stage and started playing. We knew the tune, so we jumped back on stage and joined them. In a series of solos, if you know jazz terms - "trading fours" where each soloists plays for four measures and then the next soloist plays four measures and basically, they try and out-do each other with their solos. So I took a turn on the piano, my counterpart did, then I did and so on. We never spoke a word, but just smiled, laughed, and nudged each other as we played. When we left we thought, wow, hey they can swing in Russia, that's pretty cool. It was one of the most rewarding musical experiences of my life.

In short, the arts have a very important role in the work of Sister Cities International and in cross cultural understanding. I welcome you questions or comments on our work during the Q&A session. Thank you.

Looking forward! - 4/19/07

Just three items to draw your attention to that you won't want to miss.

The Young Artists Showcase deadline is quickly approaching-April 30! Do you know any 13-18 year-old artists who are who are inspired by Sister Cities? If so send them to www.sister-cities.org/sci/sciprograms/yap/index to find out about this year's program.

If you have always wanted to travel to Egypt, we have the trip for you. Visit our Partnership & Peace Tour webpage for details on our October 2007 trip. This isn't the traditional travel abroad trip. We will, of course, see all of the historical sites you would expect, but Sister Cities International has developed a series receptions, visits, and meetings that tie to our mission and makes it a real one-of-a-kind experience. To read more about it, click on the pyramids on our home page.

Do you have youth participating in your sister cities program? Sponsor them for our 2007 Youth Conference in Fort Lauderdale. This gathering runs at the same time as our Annual Conference but is designed for youth (15-19 year olds) and its theme will weave arts, culture and discussion of cross-cultural dialogue with time on the beach. Find out the full details visit our home page and click on the sandy banner!

Waging Peace - 3/30/07

The past three days I participated in the launch one of our new initiatives in Lyon, France, called Waging Peace. Funded by a special grant from the U.S. Department of State, the goal of Waging Peace is to bring together U.S. and French communities to discuss how cities and towns in each country deal with marginalized communities. The communities that participated in the 2-day session were:

• Charlotte, NC & Limoges
• Louisville, KY & Montpellier
• St. Louis, MO & Lyon
• Los Angeles, CA & Bordeaux

The first step for participants was drawing an understanding of each country's political and policy framework, which proved to be a bit vexing at times since there was healthy disagreement on how to describe the current state of affairs. With this baseline information, participants really dove-in on issues, such as immigrant citizens (and non-citizens), minorities, low- and middle-income families, as well as ethnic, gender, and religious communities. The break-out sessions focused on how each community handles intercultural dialogue, education, public safety, and employment with the goal of drawing out the best practices from both sides of the ocean, providing a list of ideas to test, and establishing a new network of friends to help with this work. The next phase of the program allows twinned cities to participate in exchanges and follow up with an action plan of projects that may help foster better integration of marginalized communities.

The Sister Cities staff will be providing more tangible information to all members in the next few weeks about the Lyon meeting as well as regular updates as the program progresses. It is important to me that we find ways to share this type of valuable information with the entire network so the full membership can learn from the lively discussions.

As we start to organize the details of the outcomes, I thought I would start by including my opening remarks to the delegation. This will give you a sense of how I framed the dialogue between countries and among communities.

Opening Remarks for Waging Peace Conference
Delivered by Patrick Madden, Executive Director, Sister Cities International
Lyon, France, 3/29/07

"Thank you for those thoughtful words. My special appreciation to the Deputy Mayor of Lyon and his staff here who have worked to make this seminar happen. I need to share my gratitude to Cities Unies FRANCE as our intercontinental partner in all of this as well as Angie Bryan U.S. Consul in Lyon, her Cultural Delegate Alain Beullard, and Brent Beamer from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State who helped fund this event. We appreciate their support of Waging Peace as well as their annual support of Sister Cities International. I want to recognize Sister Cities members who earned their travel miles from Charlotte, Louisville, Los Angeles, and St Louis and the French sister cities' delegations who came from near and far. Also, my personal appreciation to our Board Member, Enda Brennan, who is with us.

None of this would have been possible without the efforts of Sarah Grausz and Lynn Olson from the Sister Cities staff. Thank you both.

Sister Cities is a powerful global network of more than 2,500 community partnerships in 137 countries. We have 700 U.S. communities that are working tirelessly to tie the world together with peace.

The Sister Cities movement was started in the late 1950s as a way to work outside of formal government channels, and President Eisenhower's idea was to bring citizens together directly to learn from each other and to build respect, understanding, and cooperation across nations and cultures. And ultimately, build peace. This Waging Peace seminar is a modern-day edition of this important legacy.

The title expresses a great deal to me - Waging Peace - this is an active verb which challenges us to bring an open and thoughtful energy to the discussion.

As most of you know the United States does not have flawless record of handling minority cultures within our borders. You may be familiar with the words Cherokee, Iroquois, Seminole. These are just a few of the Native American Indian cultures that were practically pushed to extinction in our country's earliest days. Better known is slave. Which became freed, and later colored became black, which eventually became African American. All these terms describe different generational thinking, different levels of cultural acceptance, and all words laced with various levels of prejudice and intolerance. Ultimately, they represent a search and a struggle for a few common words that represent differences...differences as basic as skin color.

Despite being a melting pot of the world, decade after decade throughout American history, citizens grappled with this challenge. America in 2007 is no different. "Immigrant" and "1st generation" populations struggle for a voice and identity in our communities. And, in some cases, it is a struggle for rights, fair treatment, and respect. Some U.S. cities and towns embrace and celebrate these differences. A few of those cities are with us for this seminar. Other communities ignore them. It is the latter environment where misunderstanding and mistrust lead to strife and discrimination.

It is not an easy time to say: we believe people can understand each other, and peace is possible. We live in a world where nations struggle to understand each other, yet here you are - having traveled hundreds or thousands of miles- committed to the advancement of a cross-cultural dialogue.

We have so much to learn from each other. I see this gathering as a jumping off point - not just for the Waging Peace program, but a larger effort among our communities toward finding practical solutions. Let's focus on what's working - and, based on what I heard last night at our event, there is plenty working!

Sister Cities International challenges you to identify the "a-ha" moments and the "oh my" moments. Both will be important for our collective progress. On behalf of Sister Cities International, we are honored to further this dialogue which really speaks to our mission: to foster mutual understanding, one individual and one community at a time. Thank you."

Gathering with Your Leaders - Posted: 3/16/07

This past weekend the staff and I had the pleasure of hosting the spring leadership meeting here in Washington, DC. The Board of Directors led by Mae Fergeson from Ft. Worth, the State Coordinators and the Honorary Board arrived on Thursday evening for a full weekend of training, discussions, and briefings on the state of the sister cities network. What a group of inspired leaders.

After Friday's committee meetings, the Board launched its dialogue in a work study session on Saturday morning where various governance, the conference and fundraising issues were discussed at length, which was followed by the formal board meeting in the afternoon.

A few of the topics include: the legislative initiative (Sister Cities' initial effort to secure direction funding for our exchanges is looking positive), the draft 2006 audit (a good report from our audit firm), the 2007 budget (it is on track as expected), as well as the announcement of the next Partnership & Peace tour to Egypt in late October (watch for more details on our website in two weeks). More details from the meeting can be found in the minutes which will be posted in April.

The highlight of the weekend was the chance to talk one-on-one with so many individuals who have been involved with the sister cities network - some for decades. Learning their personal stories and history gives me great insight into the organization. I noted more than once over the weekend that many national and international nonprofits would be jealous of the organized infrastructure we already have established. This signals, to me, that good things are on the horizon. I'm eager to jump in and roll up my sleeves.

First Impressions - Posted: 3/2/07

I am delighted to launch my tenure as the new Executive Director of Sister Cities International. With personal and professional international experiences that have left a deep impression on my life, I believe I can articulate the powerful impact of our members' work. Over the first two weeks I was able to delve into our programs, become more familiar with staff and spend time on Capitol Hill with other advocates urging Congress to increase funding for the Department of State exchange program.

As an organization with such a storied history, it's an exciting challenge to find a way to add my imprint to our network's next chapter. For the general public, the idea of "going global" entails opening their computer's internet browser, but for members of SCI, the phrase has a deeper meaning involving face-to-face interactions that result in discussions that connect cultures and communities in unforgettable ways.

My hope is to invigorate our sister cities movement by expanding our membership, to provide funding to members for more exchanges, and to build the capacity of SCI to better serve members and the global community-at-large. This blog will serve as a place where I'll use you, the members, as a sounding board for ideas and welcome your input. More importantly, I hope this e-space becomes a vehicle for you to share experiences, best practices, and lessons learned with other members and the broader public.

I'd like to hear your stories! Tell me about your first notable memory with Sister Cities. Send an email with the subject "First Encounter" to the comments email address listed below. Over the next few weeks, I'll share what I'm hearing.

In the meantime, don't hesitate to contact me or the other staff with your ideas, comments, or suggestions on our work. I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming months and in Ft. Lauderdale in July.

Patrick M. Madden
Executive Director
Sister Cities International

Picking Partners in Peace

2008-09-19T22:00:00.005-04:00

How did Portsmouth, New Hampshire get the sister city of Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland? Why is Denver, Colorado partnered with Baghdad, Iraq? Ningbo, China and Jacksonville, Florida...really? These are the types of questions most folks start with when they see the sister cities directory. How does one city pick another city for sisterhood?

While as an organization we have a number of recommendations for communities to consider before partnering (population, economic drivers, topography, university town, and other common links), at first this wasn't the case - there are some rich stories dating more than 50 years.

What U.S. city has the most sister cities? Chicago, IL (27)
What's the largest city in the U.S. with sister cities? New York, NY (Population: 8,000,000+)
What's the smallest city in the U.S. with sister cities? Gilbert, AR (Population: 32)
Which country has the most sister city partnerships with the U.S.? Japan (269)
What continent has the most sister city partnerships with the U.S.? Europe (35% of U.S. partnerships)

I invite you to see what cities your hometown is partnered with at www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/index.

Question of the Day: What's the most unusual sister city pairing you can find?

Putting "Community" in Diplomacy

2008-09-14T20:35:00.019-04:00

American Diplomacy has been under the microscope for a few years. There's no need to review the reasons, numerous reports, rhetoric, and legal spats but all for all of the formal diplomatic channels and official statements, one thought keeps returning to me: let's expand our diplomatic corps. I'm not talking about the Department of State's foreign service officer corps who serve our country in largely invisible (but vital) roles - but I'm talking about the citizen diplomat corps. This group has no term limits, no budget oversight by Congress or OMB, no political agenda, no constraints to carefully craft the proper wording at a press conference. What they have is a commitment to promoting cultural understanding and advancing world peace.

Citizen diplomats are ordinary folks of all ages who travel abroad on any type of exchanges (educational, cultural, technical, humanitarian, business, and so forth) and are inspired to participate for the opportunity to experience another culture and society. (Yes, they are just like us...) In turn, citizen diplomats are also on the receiving end of exchanges by hosting visitors from abroad in their homes, allowing them to share American culture and society. (Yes, we're more than TV sitcom re-runs and Hollywood movies.) These episodic exchanges (hosted by members of Sister Cities International and a wide range of other exchange organizations with rich histories) happen by the tens of thousands each year around the globe. Their complementary foreign affairs role is unchallenged by professional diplomats and politicians of all stripes. The tales of cultural and educational exchanges during the Cold War are legendary.

Citizen Diplomacy has its role and it's a powerful one, but I would argue that this format has it limitations being, by nature, short term (a few days to a few years if you are in school) and individual-based experiences. To recalibrate our standing in the world, we need Community Diplomacy. This is a new term (as best I have researched, but I'm sure someone will correct me. I should note that the term "City Diplomacy" is taking root in Europe with the UCLG as a leader in looking at the role of local government in conflict prevention, peace-building, and post-conflict reconstruction, but the role of local government is too narrow.)

Community Diplomacy is what local Sister Cities programs foster: long-term city-to-city relationships that engage all sectors of a community and individuals of all walks of life, including politicians, educators, business executives, government professionals, scientists, nonprofit leaders, students, and so on. For example, one community may provide clean water while the other is providing microenterprise opportunities for artists. As sister cities get to know each other over decades, cultural divides disappear. Short individual experiences become relationship-based group experiences. As the equality between communities and citizens grows, the cultural misperceptions and media bias tend to fade. When all this falls aside, what's left - world peace?

Question of the Day: Can Community Diplomacy make a difference in world views of the U.S.?

Media Bias

2008-09-14T13:27:00.012-04:00

There's a lot of talk right now about U.S. media bias. Most are talking about presidential campaigns, but I have a different beef. If you go to Google's news website and click on world news, you'll find some depressing results from all corners of the planet: bombing, attack, state of emergency, terrorism, militant warnings, and so on. This is a common complaint about the U.S. media. Good news is not news. I'm not even going to touch the vacuum of reporting on world events.

But, a quick scan of international news outlets and you find a different story (so to speak). Headlines include: Kenyans complete a climb for peace, UNICEF: child mortality down 27 percent since 1990, Turkish leader in peace mission, among others. There's no lack of bad news mixed in here either, but there is an interesting contrast with the inclusion of a broader range of articles.

It begs the question, if U.S. audiences were exposed to a wider range of "world news" would that help us work toward peace more aggressively? Might be worth a try.

Question of the Day: If U.S. media outlets included 25% more positive news about the rest of the world, would it change thinking of Americans?

The Reality of Perception

2008-09-12T23:18:00.005-04:00

Cold War. War of Choice. World War. Gulf War. War on Drugs. Cyber War. War Footing. War of Words. Civil War. War on Terrorism. War of Ideas. Star Wars. We tend to use the word “war” too much.

The perception around the world (broadly) is Americans are war-loving people. Proof can be found on satellite dishes offering sitcom re-runs to the far corners of the earth with options, such as Miami Vice, Cowboy Westerns, and Law & Order or an endless stream of ‘action’ movies as ambassadors of American society.

Obviously, the term “war-loving Americans” can’t be statement further from the truth. But, is perception reality?

Opinion seekers from the Pew Global Attitudes Project have studied American sentiment abroad since 2002. The news and trends aren’t good. A spirit of anti-Americanism around the world still exists and in certain regions, it runs high.

But if you ask Americans (as World Learning and the Aspen Institute did in a January 2008 survey), nearly 9 out of 10 citizens are concerned about the continuing decline in the United States’ reputation overseas. We can’t be too self-interested if we are fretting over how others perceive us. Can we?

How are we addressing this problem? Head on. Track Two diplomacy. Non-kinetic warfare. Soft power. Irregular warfare. PsyOps. Conflict prevention. Multi-track diplomacy. This double-speak will work flawlessly.

If we are so articulate about describing war, let’s be just as clear about what we want in its place: peace.

Question of the Day: What is the best way to combat the negative perception abroad?

9/11 and Finding World Peace

2008-09-11T14:08:00.006-04:00

Today, September 11, Sister Cities International is launching our Type, Talk & Transform World Peace effort. This is a month of discussion and action by Sister Cities International, our 2,300-community network, and you - citizens of the world. We invite you to use this space to add your voice on how we can achieve world peace together. Additionally, our organization and the local sister city programs will host events, programs, online forums and raise awareness for the urgency for world peace. Watch this site and our website, www.sister-cities.org/worldpeace for daily updates and news.

September 11 has a double meaning for Sister Cities International. It marks the day when we were founded by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956 as a citizen diplomacy organization dedicated to finding world peace and the day that we remember one of the most destructive acts of terrorism in global history. The juxtaposition of these two moments on this day is stunning.

During the course of our month-long effort, we will post ideas and questions about world peace, react to world news (good and bad) and ask to respond. Provide your opinion on world peace - this is your place.

Question of Day: Since 9/11/01, name one world event that gives you hope for peace?