1993_0419.ws_packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

The lister City Concept "The Sister City Program is an important re- source to the negotiations of governments in letting the people themselves glue expression to. their common desire for friendship, goad will, and cooperation for e better world for all. " — President Dwight D. Eisenhower Town affiliations between the United States and other countries began shortly after World War 1I, and soon became popularly known as Sister Cities. The program became a national effort when President Eisenhower proposed the People-to-People program at a White House Conference in 1956. His idea was to involve people and organized groups at all levels of our society in personal diplomacy. One of the groups formed as a result of the People -to -People concept was the C +vic Com- mittee, established to promote Sister City relations on a national scale. At the request of the Civic Committee, the National League of Cities, representing more than 15,000 cities, towns, and villages in the U.S., agreed to serve as a clearinghouse in expanding the Sister City concept among its members. In the first few years of the projfarn, a dozen active affiliations were started. In the early 1960's, the number of city affilia tions began to increase rapidly and it became clear that a new nationsl organization devoted exclusively to the support o f the Sister City program was needed. In 1965, delegates to a Western Regional Sister City Conference in Portland, Oregon, unanimously supported the establishment of a national organization. The League of California Cities and the League of Oregon Cities adopted resolutions supporting the idea. The Executive Committee of the National League of Cities followed spit at its meeting late in 1965. In response, the Town Affiliation Association mister JJ j Ilk cities VERK MO L of the United States, Inc., was officially incorporated on June 12, 1967, as anon- profit corporation in the District of Columbia, de- fined in its articles of incorporation as a "membership organization to foster better international understanding and cooperation through Sister City relationships." The Town Affiliation Association (TAA) is governed by a board of twenty -five directors elected by the membership. Voting member- ship in the Association is held by -cities, state associations of municipalities, the National League of Cities, other units of local govern- ments and focal Sister City Committees which pay annum dues and are responsible for carry- ingout an affiliation with a foreign community. Sister Cities International (SCI) has evolved as the principal program of the Town Affiliation Association. Although the TAA title is still used on corporate documents, Sister Cities Inter- national is the name now widely used and recognized as descriptive of the Sister City concept. SCI program development is handled by a professional staff with years of service in other nations and the Sister Cities movement. The Washington headquarters is directed by an executive vice president, and sector directors are responsible for specific program develop- ment. Anetwork of SCI representatives and regional vice presidents provide close contact and advice to local programs. They are avail- able to assist any individual, organization, or community wishing to join the program.