536 results for author: SCI Staff


Seattle String Quartet Bergen Bound: A Sister Cities Musical Exchange

Contributed by Lori Ann Reinhall, President of Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association A few years ago, Reidun Horvei, a well known classical trained folksinger from Voss in Hordaland, made the long journey from Norway to Seattle to do research for her project Migrasong, an original Norwegian folk musical that would chronicle the emigrant journey from Norway to America. As president of the Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association and a musician who had worked with the Scandinavian immigrant repertory, I was fortunate enough to be invited to meet with Reidun. With so much in common, a friendship ensued, resulting in several trips across the Atlantic ...

Ukraine in the Wild West: Tysmenytsia Visits Bandera County Sister Partnership Association

Visiting delegations from distant Sister Cities give hosts the perfect opportunity to take pride in their town’s traditions and hospitality. Few exchanges have taken better advantage of the opportunity than when a delegation from Tysmenytsia, Ukraine visited Bandera, Texas in August. The delegation of four included Stepan Svorak, Mayor of the City of Tysmenytsia; Igor Slubskyi, Deputy Mayor of the City of Tysmenytsia; Roman Krutyi, Head of Yamnytsia Territorial Community of Tysmenytsia County; and Ivan Semaniuk, Head of Tysmenytsia District State Administration. Once off the plane, the Ukrainian group was greeted by Bandera Sister Cities ...

Sister Cities of Nashville Attends Chinese Energy Forum

Story contributed by Evan Metcalf on the behalf of Sister Cities of Nashville Nashville’s thriving Sister City relationship with Taiyuan, China has yielded many exchanges between the two. Throughout their eleven-year partnership, Sister Cities of Nashville has enjoyed 4 adult delegation visits and 3 student exchanges to the ancient Chinese city. Most recently, a delegation attended the 2018 Taiyuan Energy Low Carbon Development Forum. The forum was an important opportunity for the program as the Nashville mayor’s office works towards transferring more of Nashville’s energy consumption to renewable solutions. Sister Cities of Nashville ...

Friendships Found through Pasadena Sister Cities Committee

Few Sister Cities relationships go back as far as the one shared between Pasadena-Ludwigshafen—and the friendships between residents of the two cities go back even further. As early as 1946, residents of Pasadena, California were aware that Ludwigshafen, Germany was among the neediest in all of post-war Europe thanks to their local American Friends Service Committee. Eager to help, the residents of Pasadena began sending much needed supplies to individuals in Ludwigshafen and the first friendships between the two cities residents were spawned—eventually leading to the creation of the Pasadena Sister Cities Committee. Recently, citizens from ...

Boulder-Lhasa Sister Cities Project: Training Rural Tibetan Doctors in Kham

On September 4-6, 2018, the Boulder-Lhasa Sister Cities Project collaborated with Dr. Li Tiaoying, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in Xichang, Sichuan, to train rural Tibetan medical doctors and veterinarians from Kham on the prevention of Neurocysticercosis. Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a dangerous parasitic disease that is highly prevalent in 24 counties in western and southern Sichuan Province of China (Kham). Symptoms include epileptic seizures, headaches, hydrocephalus, blindness, and death. The risk factors for this preventable disease are lack of education, free-ranging pigs, lack of meat inspection, a poor economy, ...

Schaumburg Meets Schaumburg: A Sister Cities Gathering

Sister Cities programs connect distant populations with one another through various exchanges, delegations, and partnership projects. Last week the Schaumburg-Schaumburg relationship between Illinois and Germany enjoyed ten days together after a German delegation of six visited their U.S. counterparts. The trip coincides with the 35th anniversary of Schaumburg’s oldest Sister City relationship. The Illinois village became Sister Cities with the German county in order to connect U.S. residents with their ancestral history. Schaumburg County is located in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany and was the homeland for many of the original settlers ...

Norfolk Sister City Association Sends a Mermaid to Kochi

A city is defined by its artists. We are first drawn to the city for the design of its unmistakable landmarks and the decorated shop windows. We then leave our cities to visit other far away ones with their own distinct architecture and novel marketplaces which allow us to break out of our daily routines and become reunited with the world at large. The Norfolk Sister City Association (NSCA) has found a way to use art to define its local community and to connect with communities abroad. Recently, NSCA sent a custom-made mermaid sculpture to her Sister City of Kochi in Kerala, India. Sister City programs have always played a significant part in ...

A Sister City Delegation from Gunnison, Colorado Visits Majkhali, India

A delegation from Gunnison, Colorado recently returned from a Sister Citiers trip to Majkhali, India. Watch the video below to see how they connected with their counterparts across the globe. Sister Cities from Jake Burchmore on Vimeo. Do you have video or a story to share? Visit our submit your story page to share with Sister Cities International, or email [email protected].

Sister Cities Association of Sarasota Exchange Will Help Students Learn Playwriting

In July, teachers from three Sarasota Sister Cities traveled to the United States to take part in Florida Studio Theatre’s Write-A-Play Teacher Training, thanks to the Sister Cities Association of Sarasota. During their visit, they received a tour of Sarasota sites including the Ringling Museum, the University South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Ringling College of Art & Design and Mote Marine Aquarium. They also received Honorary Sarasota Citizen Certificates from Mayor Liz Alpert at City Hall. The Write-A-Play contest is an annual event where high school and elementary school students submit short plays, which are judged by experts, and the ...

Sister Cities of Nashville Delegation Explores Community Transit with Edmonton

Contributed by Heather Cunningham Five delegates from Sister Cities of Nashville (including myself) have just returned from Sister City Edmonton, Canada where we discussed plans for our 30th anniversary in 2020, took in some cultural events, and discussed future plans for business, educational, and professional projects. Upon arrival, our Edmonton friends took us to the Heritage Festival: an incredible showcase of the foods, art, and culture of the many nationalities represented in Edmonton.  Festival organizers gave our group a golf cart tour of the festival before leaving us to try outstanding cuisine from the likes of Ukraine, Liberia, ...