Paul Bunyan Pays a Visit to France
By Jake Juliot of Meet Minneapolis.The city of Tours, France is a beautiful place full of richly historical destinations and landmarks, like the medieval center, the Botanical Garden, and. . . Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues? That last part isn’t true, but Paul and Babe (who are staples of Bemidji, Minnesota) did pay a visit to Tours when Minneapolis, Minnesota was chosen as the featured destination in the “Foire de Tours,” a 10-day regional festival that drew over 300,000 guests from the Loire Valley region of France. This honor was in celebration of ...
Seattle Celebrates “Syttende Mai” with Music and Fanfare at Bergen Place Park
By Lori Ann Reinhall, Seattle-Bergen Sister Cities Association.The 17th of May, or “Syttende Mai” as it is known in Norwegian, marks the day Norway ratified its constitution in the town of Eidsvoll (near Oslo) in 1814. After Christmas, it is the most important national holiday — a kind of Norwegian Fourth of July with much fanfare and flag-waving. It is also a special day for Norwegians and their descendants abroad to pay homage to the motherland. Nowhere else is the day observed with more style than in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, which has the largest ...
A Brotherhood that Spans the Seas: Archangel and Greater Portland Firefighters Strive for Excellence in Emergency Preparedness & Response
Click here to view the original blog on Medium.The strongest bonds are the ones that are forged in times of adversity. It’s no wonder then that the Fire and Rescue professionals of Greater Portland, Maine have such strong relationships with their fellow firefighters—including ones who work over 4,000 miles away in Greater Portland’s sister city: Arkhangelsk (Archangel), Russia.Recently, a team of six Russian firefighters from Archangel, including a Fire Prevention Specialist, a Psychologist for Rescue Service, and two 15 year old rescue cadets studying rescue ...
Women Leaders from Two Sister Cities Utilize their Friendship to Build Bridges of Greater Understanding
By Anette Soto, Fort Worth Sister Cities International. See the original blog post on Medium.Women from Fort Worth, Texas and Toluca, Mexico came together to host “Women: Engine of Change”—a three-day conference that focused on topics that are important to women from both cities and all over the world. The conference took place April 11 – 13, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas, and was planned by three local organizations (The Women’s Policy Forum of Tarrant County, the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas Fort Worth Chapter, and Fort Worth Sister Cities International).�...
A Triangle of Sun, Sand, and Innovation: Sister Cities in Argentina, Florida, and Spain Meet to Strengthen Relations
Contributed by Marianne Winfield, Executive Director, Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities, and Oscar García, Chair, Sister Cities Mar del Plata, Argentina. Click here to view the original blog post on Medium.In February 2017, Oscar García, Chair of Sister Cities in Mar del Plata, Argentina, was appointed by Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International (GFLSCI) as liaison for GFLSCI between Fort Lauderdale, Argentina and Spain, and recently took a trip to Spain to talk about GFLSCI programs and initiatives. Mr. García was received at the US Embassy in ...
Spring Leadership Meeting Sharpens Focus, Intensifies Mission of Sister Cities International
Blog contributed by Lori Ann Reinhall of the Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association. Click here to view the original blog post on medium.Day One: Welcome to WashingtonThe Sister Cities International Spring Leadership Meeting convened in our nation’s capital and home office to SCI, March 15–17, with the SCI staff, Board of Directors, and State Representatives. Travelers came from all over the country, battling difficult weather conditions that had caused numerous flight delays and cancellations. In the end, most could not be stopped by Winter Storm Stella, and the ...
Music as International Language: Seattle Music Exchange Project Strengthens Sister City Ties
Blog contributed by Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association. Click here to view the original blog post on Medium.
When the Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association received an email from pianist Angelo Rondello making inquiries about the possibility of arranging a sister city tour, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I knew of Rondello as one of the rising stars on the local musical scene but hadn’t yet had the chance to hear him perform live, let alone meet him. With our association going through a period of rebirth and rebuilding, I hadn’t either given much ...
2017 Inaugural Gala
The second in Sister Cities International (SCI) history, the 2017 Inaugural Gala was a triumphant success with over 400 guests including Ambassadors, diplomats, elected officials, community leaders, and sister city members. Guests gathered at the Organization of American States (OAS) on January 17, 2017 to celebrate the inauguration of Sister Cities International’s Honorary Chairman, the President of the United States, Donald Trump and to support SCI’s mission of promoting peace through people.The evening kicked off with general and VIP receptions, where guests could ...
Ambassador D. Bruce Wharton Presents Inaugural Citizen Diplomacy Award to Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International, Inc.
WASHINGTON, DC (January 9, 2017) – Ambassador D. Bruce Wharton, Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, will present the Bureau of Public Affair’s first annual Citizen Diplomacy Award at a ceremony to be held at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, January 9, 2017, at the U.S. Department of State. The Citizen Diplomacy Award was created in recognition of American citizens and organizations engaged in international work that furthers U.S. foreign policy objectives and strengthens important relationships around the globe.Sister Cities International ...
Celebrating Rich and Vibrant Pakistani Culture through Folk Music
Blog contributed by Muhammad Saeed Sheikh, President, Houston-Karachi Sister City Association. Click here to view the original blog post on Medium.A “Celebration of Rich and Vibrant Pakistani Culture through Folk Music” event and welcome reception featuring newly appointed Consul General of Pakistan Honorable Aisha Farooqui was organized by Houston Karachi Sister City Association (HKSCA) in collaboration with the Consulate General of Pakistan and Sister Cities of Houston in September 2016. It was supported by the Houston Mayor’s Office of Trade & International ...
