Article first published in the Huffington Post.As an American who was raised overseas and has dedicated my life's work to international bridge-building, there is nothing that gets me more excited than being surrounded by globally connected and locally thriving citizens. I have lived the interconnectedness of our world since birth and know that America's strength comes from within and from our global diversity. Having spent my entire life explaining America to the world and analyzing my homeland from overseas, being in the heartland of our great nation to celebrate citizen diplomacy with Sister Cities International's annual conference was a particular ...

Following a membership-wide election, 11 delegates were chosen to the 24-member Sister Cities International Board of Directors. The appointments were formalized during Sister Cities International’s 2013 Annual Business Meeting which occurred in conjunction with 57th Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX, July 12-13.Newly elected Board of Directors members who will serve three-year terms include Bill Behrens of Washington, D.C.; Jane Gehlhausen of Indiananpolis, IN; Robert A. Greninger of Prescott Valley, AZ; and Lawrence Uebner of Omaha, NE. The following Directors were re-elected for their second consecutive three-year terms: Dr. Carolyn Bishop of ...

Sister Cities International is honored to be a part of this year’s U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue outcomes. This past week, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi chaired the Fifth Round of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue where they discussed major bilateral, regional, and global issues.As part of the specific outcomes on the issue of sub-national relationships, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Sister Cities international and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries was recognized. The MoU was signed at the China International Friendship ...

International Medical Group®, Inc. (IMG®), a worldwide leader in designing, distributing and administering global health care benefits, is now offering its international medical insurance products to members of Sister Cities International effective July 1, 2013.  Members can view and purchase a variety of IMG products in the Member Area of the Sister Cities International website (Please note, members need to log in to the website to access this benefit.)  The new relationship is designed to enhance the services offered to Sister Cities International members.  “We are very pleased that Sister Cities International will be ...

Just two years old, the sister city relationship between Tallahassee, Florida and Rugao, China has already established several business, education, and media connections. The genesis of the sister city partnership lies in green energy. Impressed by the technological innovations of Tallahassee-based Bing Energy, the city of Rugao agreed to invest $9 million in the company. With a business connection in place, the two cities envisioned further cooperation in other areas. As a result, the Tallahassee-Rugao sister city partnership was formed in 2011 with an aim to develop long-term education, economic, and cultural initiatives, and to strengthen the ...

Attention Sister Cities International members! Sister Cities International is currently developing its 2013 Membership Directory and we would like your input to ensure that this year’s directory is as accurate as possible. Please CLICK HERE to download a spreadsheet listing current members and their partnerships that as of now will appear in the 2013 Membership Directory. Please review this to ensure that your city and all of its partners are listed correctly. If your city is not listed, is missing partnerships, has partnerships listed which you are not certain should be, or if there are any spelling errors, please email Adam Kaplan, Member...

Doing an internship abroad is on the wish-list of many college students today. In Spring 2012, Medaille College, Buffalo, NY student Danielle Rollins too was searching for a senior-year internship related to her Business, Management, and Operations major. That is when her college professors told her about the Buffalo-Yeongcheon, South Korean Sister City Committee's professional apprenticeship program. The program would give her a chance to stay and work in South Korea for a semester and even earn her college credits. Danielle immediately grabbed the opportunity!So in Summer 2012, Danielle was off to South Korea to intern at the Overseas Operations ...

In September 2012, a five-member delegation from Hot Springs, Arkansas visited their sister city Hanamaki, Japan, to explore opportunities for business development. Hot Springs delegation members Mary Neilson of Visit Hot Springs!, Jackie Arrison of the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce, Kay Brockwell of the Hot Springs Metro Partnership, Don Gooch of the Arvest Bank, and Steve Arrison of the Hot Springs Visitors and Convention Bureau conducted a 10-day trip, made possible by funding from Sister Cities International’s Leading Asia: Renewing the U.S. and Japan Sister Cities Network program.The Leading Asia program provides funding ...