Illinois Sister Cities Association

Sister Cities, a history! In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower launched the “People-to-People Initiative”. He believed that diplomacy on a person-to-person level was an important resource for successful negotiations between governments. Recognizing the importance of involving all citizens in world diplomacy, he called upon the nation’s cities as the centers of opportunity, expression and economic growth, to unite with communities around the world in building a solid structure of world peace. At the core of all sister cities relationships is an agreement, signed by the Mayors of each city, reflecting their mutual commitment to building bridges between governments, businesses and individuals. Today, through formal Sister Cities affiliations, 2,400 Sister Cities relationships are bringing citizens together to cooperate and share ideas, activities and solutions on a range of topics, including the environment, education, culture, medicine, and technology. The goal of the Sister Cities program is to make a significant contribution to global understanding. To achieve this goal, it is first necessary to bring about a sense of mutual interest and purpose among the world community through exchanges of people, commerce and cultures.

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