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PURPOSE: Sister Cities International (principal program of the Town Affiliation Association of the U.S., Inc.) is dedicated to the goal of furthering global understanding by encouraging and assisting U.S. communities and their citizens to link with similar communities throughout the world. An of filiation develops when an American community of whatever size or character officially links with a community in another nation. The goal for the communities involved is to learn more about each other and to develop lasting and mean0 .6, 1 exchanges. The ideal- affiliation involves a large number of citizens and organizations in both communities IVA engaging in exchanges of people, ideas and cultures on a long -term, continuing basis. The national association provides a mechanism for U.S. communities to enter this program by assisting them in the process of linking with a community in another country. It acts as a coordinator and catalyst to encourage various types of sister cities activities and serves as a clearinghouse to gather, analyze and share information, research and knowledge. MSTORY: Affiliations between cities in the United States and other countries began shortly after 1945, but no real national focus was realized until 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower initiated the People -to- People Program at the White House. Out of this grew Sister Cities International which has assisted more than 870 U.S. cites and counties, representing over 125 million Americans, establish links with some 1,400 communities in 92 other nations of the world. ME EHSHIP: Sister Cities International is a tax-exempt, non -profit organisation incorporated in the District of Columbia in 1967. The association has five categories of membership: Government member, Ambassador Association, Individual member, Service/ Institutional member, and Corporate Sustaining member. Association activities are also supported by private contributions, foundation grants and by funding support from the U.S. Information Agency and the U.S. Agency for International Development. LEADERS: A member board of directors governs Sister Cities International with assistan f'rorn an international executive board. The board of directors is composed of 24 elected members; six directors appointed by the president, with the approval of the board; one director elected each year by the rational Youth Program Assembly to serve as the youth representative and the dean of the Ambassador Association who serves for a one year term on the 'board. There are I I officers - a president, a chairman of the board, a chairman of the executive committee, six vipresidents, a secretary and treasurer. The 24 elected directors are elected at -large by and from the membership of the association at the annual business session — eight directors each year for three -year terms. A nation -wide system of state coordinators and state level man sgement teams provides services to member cities throughout the United States and coordinates workshops to assist in training program. State coordinators are appointed by the SCI board of directors. ACTT TIES: In addition to policy, program development and member services, the organization coordinates and facilitates several ... . . t major activities. They are: technical assistance programs with developing nations; youth and education programs; special conference programs; assistance in formalizing new affiliations; research and information service; the annual Eisenhower International Goff Massie and Eisenhower Scholarship - Program; the Rcade % Digest annual awards program; the Kanazawa Scholarship Program for entrepreneurial and practical trainee exchange; and leadership development training programs. MEETINGS: The association holds an annual conference in the summer which focuses on national and international issues. The annual conference alternates between Fast and West of the United States. In addition, suft and regional workshops and training seminars are held to increase prow skills at other times of the year. For further information contact*