One Bed. One Meal. One Lifetime Experience.

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

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

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

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

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.

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Game Changer: $7.5M Grant to Sister Cities International

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

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.