Medical Supplies to Iraq

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.

Inspired Future

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.

2009: Where to Start?

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

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.

Picking Partners in Peace

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?