SISTER CITIES By CAROL DAWLEY, Illinois State Sister Cities President

What is a sister city? When an American community of whatever size joins with a community in another nation to learn more about each other, and to develop friendly and meaningful exchanges, the two may propose a formal affiliation. The ideal affiliation involves a large number of citizens and organizations in both communities, engaged in continuing projects of mutual interest.

This interchange helps to further international understanding at all levels of the community on a continuing long-term basis. Within the program, cities and their citizens exchange people, ideas, and culture with a variety of educational, institutional, municipal, professional, technical and youth projects.

The Sister City program as a national concept was launched in 1956. At the height of the Cold War President Dwight D. Eisenhower called for a program of "People to People" exchanges between the citizens of the United States and those of other countries as a way to foster understanding and tolerance. His idea was that "you don't fight with your friends."

That original concept developed and evolved into Sister Cities International, an alliance of 1,023 US communities representing 125 million citizens, with 1,743 cities in 114 different countries. In Illinois 53 cities are affiliated with 78 cities on 6 continents.

A Sister City program helps citizens of both communities become directly involved in international relations in unique and rewarding ways. It enables all who participate to exchange ideas and develop friendships with their counterparts in another culture on a direct personal basis. It helps to develop a way for the many and diverse elements of every community to come together to enjoy and profit from, a cooperative program. It gives participants a better understanding of their own community by interpreting their way of life to the people of another culture.

Sister Cities International is dedicated to the ideal that we are all members of one global community; and that no one nation can hope to solve all the problems that are encountered each day. But by sharing energy and resources we can substantially improve conditions around the world.

Each relationship is like a marriage: each city brings something to the union. Every program is unique. Some are purely cultural in nature. Others emphasize business and trade. Those cities with Third World partners tend to feature education and health issues as well as economic development as central themes.

Most cities have a trip or tour going or coming every year. Teachers, students, government officials, business leaders, doctors, professionals, and regular tourists from all over the world travel to visit their friends in Sister Cities.

Although the sister cities organizations are separate not for profit groups, they work with the blessing of the municipal governments. It takes a formal resolution passed by a city council, and signed by mayors of both cities involved, to become official sister cities. Some local governments offer financial support in the way of an annual stipend which pays the national dues while others offer their moral support only.

Sister city programs are developed out of mutual desires and interest. There is no standard pattern. Projects are limited only by the imagination and resources of the communities. Through visits and exchange correspondence, cities discuss the types of projects they would like to carry out. A sample of such projects are: exchange of visitors, officials, prominent citizens, musicians, students, teachers, professionals, print, radio and TV reporters, organized tours; club affiliations with Lions, Rotary, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc.; school affiliations; technical and professional exchanges; art and photo exhibits.

Hundreds of US communities of all sizes have discovered the rewards of participation in an international program where each and every member can and does realize deep personal satisfaction.

If you are interested in learning more about how to start a sister city program, please contact Carol Dawley, IL State Sister Cities Coordinator at (708) 830-9298, FAX (708) 830-7164. Sister Cities International also has a home page on the Internet. It's Web site address is: www.sister-cities.org.

Ms. Dawley will give a presentation on the Sister Cities Program next month at the IML Annual Conference in Chicago.

Page 14 / Illinois Municipal Review / August 1996