What is a “Sister City”?

After World War II much of the world was reeling from devastation unparalleled in modern history. People from all continents (excluding Antarctica) were impacted, some far more than others. During the 1950s U.S. president Eisenhower ushered in a program for American cities to build bonds with cities in foreign countries around the world.

The mission of sister cities is to paraphrase from the sister cities website; “increase global cooperation, promote cultural understanding, stimulate community and economic development, motivating and empowering residents…”

Although the roots of the program are about 70 years old, the message resonates. In fact, on the website of Sister Cities International, (the governing agency of the program) regular events, such as a sister city mayor’s summit and an annual conference for members and participants take place in various locations in the U.S. and abroad.

The relevance of a sister cities program on a base level is an excellent way to build bonds with people we may not easily find an obvious connection to. The value of such a program is equally shared between business ventures and travel for personal enjoyment.

Whether a leisure or business traveler the sister city community is capable of providing insight for citizens of many nations to collaborate, find a common ground. Each participating city has a liaison or “ambassador” tasked with outreach to fellow sister cities. If you are curious about how to develop relationships with people in China for example, check the sister city website, search either the cities in China you are interested to learn about, then cross-check to determine if your city is a match.

In future posts we will explore the intriguing world of sister cities, and comment on the importance of our global community to make meaningful connections, whether personal, business, social or a combination of these three. http://www.sistercities.org/