SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL APPLAUDS LIGHTING OF THE TORCH BETWEEN OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON AND OLYMPIA, GREECE
WASHINGTON, DC (March 11, 2020) – Sister Cities International applauds the upcoming torch lighting ceremony on March 12, 2020 in Olympia, Greece between the cities of Olympia, Washington and Olympia, Greece, which will strengthen sister city relationships in these key countries. The efforts of two dynamic mayors – Mayor Georgios Georgiopoulos and Mayor Cheryl Selby marks an historic moment, which will only continue a tradition of recognizing the people-to-people bond and how citizen diplomats can make a difference.
“At the core, Sister Cities International ...
Sister Cities Urbana, Illinois and Thionville, France Celebrate Anniversary of the Liberation of Thionville
From November 15th to November 17th, 2019, delegates from Urbana, Illinois traveled to Thionville, France to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Thionville from Axis occupation during World War II. The delegates from Urbana attended public ceremonies, parades, and laid wreaths at commemorative monuments during their three day visit. There was also a signing of a new Twinning Cities charter between Urbana, Illinois and Thionville, France, which was then followed by a gala dinner at a nearby chateau. Dennis Roberts, a member of the Urbana community, ...
Wunderbar Together: The Impact and Potential of U.S.-German Sister City Collaboration in Climate Resilience
A common misconception is that international relations are defined only by national policy, overlooking the transformative influence of international collaboration on the city and community levels. Daily lives can be influenced just as, if not more strongly, by local policies and environments. International sister city partnerships, from joint projects to person-to-person exchange, therefore wield significant power in shaping individual perceptions of other countries. Sister city relationships can also fill key gaps in international relations by enabling local collab...
Wunderbar Together: Celebrating Columbia and Kaiserslautern’s Common Love for Creativity
The 20-year partnership between Columbia, South Carolina and Kaiserslautern, Germany is filled with flourishing art exchange and ultimately "a common love for creativity." Sister Cities International interviewed Dickson Monk, Executive Director of the Columbia World Affairs Council, on the cities' art exchange, shared historical remembrance, Wunderbar Together events, and lasting citizen diplomacy. A press release for the Columbia World Affairs Council's latest Wunderbar Together event, Heimat/Home: The 2019 Columbia–Kaiserslautern Artists Exchange, is available ...
Wunderbar Together: A Report on the Diverse and Thriving Cincinnati-Munich Relationship
Ute Päpke, President of the Munich Sister City Association of Greater Cincinnati, submitted a report on the strength and diversity of the Munich-Cincinnati relationship, including its numerous forms of exchange, commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the recent celebration of the partnership's 30th anniversary. The report provides an overview of the partnership and summarizes key events from January to November 2019.
For more information on the Munich-Cincinnati partnership:
Origin of the Munich-Cincinnati Partnership
The ...
Wunderbar Together: A Nashville-Magdeburg Partnership Sharing Celebrations, Historical Remembrance, and Solutions
The partnership between Nashville, TN and Magdeburg, Germany is ever-evolving and rich with cultural festivals, historical remembrance, collaboration in disaster relief and global challenges, and regular person-to-person exchange. The partnership and its role in advancing peace was recently featured on an episode of the Big Pond, a podcast published by the Goethe Institut. Sister Cities interviewed Joel Dark, Nashville-Magdeburg Partnership Chair at Sister Cities of Nashville, to learn more about the partnership and its impact.
On November 18, Sister Cities of Nashville ...
Wunderbar Together: Ways for U.S.-German Members to Get Involved
Sister Cities International has a wide array of engagement ideas, templates, and other resources available to strengthen existing sister city partnerships. As part of our partnership with Wunderbar Together, the following engagement strategies and resources are tailored to U.S.-German partnerships, but many are also broadly applicable. Members are welcome to contact Sister Cities with further ideas or questions.
Sample Ways to Get Involved
Join Our #SCIWunderbarTogether Communications Campaign: Use our #SCIWunderbarTogether hashtag, promote our Wunderbar Together ...
Wunderbar Together: St. Louis Welcomes a Delegation from Stuttgart
The following post was written by Susanne Evens, President of St. Louis - Stuttgart Sister Cities. In preparation for the 60th anniversary of the partnership, St. Louis hosted a week-long delegation from Stuttgart, rich with cultural exchange, meaningful collaboration, and new friendships.
For more information on the St. Louis - Stuttgart partnership:
It’s been a privilege and honor to be the president of St. Louis’ oldest Sister City of Stuttgart, Germany for the past 13 years. We continuously strive to welcome visitors and delegati...
Wunderbar Together: Brewing Business Diplomacy between Fort Worth and Trier
Increasingly, business partnerships between sister cities are strengthening international business ties and economic development. US-German sister cities Fort Worth and Trier have partnered on a Wild Acre Kraft Haus beer, combining elements from each culture, and are poised to advise other Fort Worth companies on how to establish global partnerships. Fort Worth Sister Cities' international business collaboration ultimately won the Innovation in Business and Trade Award from Sister Cities International at the 2019 Houston conference.
Beyond business ties, Fort Worth and ...
Wunderbar Together: Stories of the Lasting Impact of US-German Exchange
Sister city partnerships create a lasting impact not only through their scope, but also through the depth of the person-to-person connections they foster. The impact of participating in a sister city partnership, whether as an exchange student or a city official, can last throughout one's lifetime and even across generations. As part of our Wunderbar Together blog series, we are highlighting testimonials of those involved in US-German sister city partnerships. Many testimonials describe how, through their experience traveling to Germany or hosting others, they gained ...
