15 results for tag: citizen diplomacy


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 collaboration in areas of national policy divergence. This potential in especially ...

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 here. For more information on the Columbia World Affairs Council: &nbs...

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 Munich-Cincinnati partnership was officially founded in 1989. In 1989, I was one ...

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 will be hosting a free public event on “The Path to Freedom and German Unity: ...

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 delegations and have hosted economic, student, and art exchanges between our cities for ...

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 Trier have also organized student exchanges, an intern exchange program, music ...

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 completely new insight into the German culture. Many also expressed surprised at the ...

Wunderbar Together: Building Lasting Bridges with the St. Charles – Ludwigsburg Partnership

From Maifest to 3,000-strong exchanges, St. Charles Sister Cities and Ludwigsburg are building vital bridges between the U.S. and Germany. Sister Cities interviewed Mary Johnson at St. Charles Sister Cities to learn more about the impact of the 25-year partnership. Earlier this year, St. Charles Sister Cities had also partnered with Sister Cities International and Wunderbar Together on the annual Maifest celebration, where Sister Cities President and CEO Roger-Mark de Souza hosted a panel discussion on the history of our program, where we are today, and where we see the trajectory for our future. More information on Maifest is available online ...

Wunderbar Together: Celebrating 20 Years of the West Chicago – Taufkirchen (Vils) Partnership

Originating in both German-American exchange and a love story, the partnership between West Chicago Sister Cities and Taufkirchen (Vils) has just celebrated its 20th anniversary. The robust and innovative partnership includes student exchanges, delegation visits, music exchanges, town halls, and most recently a 20th anniversary program in Taufkirchen (Vils). We had the opportunity to interview West Chicago Sister Cities President Rebecca (Becky) Hall to learn more about the partnership's programs and impact. For the latest updates on West Chicago Sister Cities, visit their Facebook page. SCI: Could you tell me a bit more about the ...

Wunderbar Together: Finding Similarities Across Cultures in the Mooresville – Hockenheim Partnership

Originating in a story submission, we had the opportunity to interview Ms. Rupa Venkatesh of the Town of Mooresville, who facilitates the partnership between Mooresville, NC and Hockenheim, Germany. It is heartening to learn more about the youth and adult exchanges and the outcome that, even when visiting different cultures, Mooresville and Hockenheim residents ultimately found more similarities in each other.  Visit the Town of Mooresville's website here for more information. SCI: Could you tell me a bit more about the exchanges and programs between these two sister cities? How often/how many participants? How can these programs continue to ...