Dear Neighbors,

Much has been said about Change for 2009 and our association is right in tune with the times. We have started the New Year with a new Board of Directors and new initiatives to keep us current and vital in this era of extraordinary challenges.

Our Board added several new members who bring with them many years of experience with international business and education and also with civic and philanthropic causes. Please check out the biographies of our Directors and take notice of their collective experience and service to community. 

The goal of this newly constituted Board is to broaden and deepen the relationships with each of our sister cities. We also took action to place in emeritus status relationships that were no longer being supported. This simply means that we can resume activities if and when there is support in each community for doing so. To that end we voted to place Cairns, Australia on emeritus status.

We have increased student exchanges with Kingston, Alamos and Interlaken and will include scholarships for students and faculty from Alamos to study at Scottsdale Community College. Also, we are working with ASU’s Department of Global Engagement to support exchanges and arrange college credits for students from here who study in a foreign city and for students from our sister cities who visit Arizona.  It is our intention that these credits would apply toward study at ASU but could also be transferred to other colleges.  Imagine the value added to a student exchange when college credits can be earned for the experience. We know that the better colleges and universities are looking more favorably at applications from students who speak a foreign language and who have spent time in a foreign culture.

As enhancements to our exchange programs, we formed strategic alliances with the Scottsdale Rotary Club, The Arizona Swiss Society and are currently working with ASU, Scottsdale Community College, and The Rotary Club of Pinnacle Peak.  Please look at our website for more on our exchange programs.

Our newest ambition is also in keeping with the times: We are reaching out to China for a sister city. We have been working with Brian Curley, of Scottsdale based Schmidt- Curley Design Inc., designer and builder of golf courses in China, including Mission Hills, the biggest golf community in the world. At the suggestion of Mr. Curley, we have been in communication with officials from Haikou, China a “ small city” of 2 million people located on the northeast corner of the island province on Hainan. Interestingly, the central government of China is encouraging their cities to form sister city relationships with foreign communities. 

Sister Cities International is encouraging the global, sister- city, community to undertake seminars and conferences on best practices in sustainable, smart growth and development. We are again teaming with Scottsdale Community College, ASU and local architects & engineers to include the issue of smart growth in our exchange programs for both students and professionals.

Finally, we have responded with action to the request by the U.S. Department of State to reach out to a city in an Islamic Country. For the past two years we have sent a delegation to Marrakech, Morroco and hosted a delegation from there. We have assisted with water issues and golf course management by introducing our guests to Troon Golf Management. We also provided assistance with transportation issues, a school for the blind, and a Fulbright Grant for Scottsdale Community College.  SCC won the grant for   faculty and local high school teachers to travel throughout Morroco for the purpose of developing a curriculum on Islamic cultures that will be taught in our local schools. We are currently working on student exchanges and a teacher exchange with Marrakech. Although not yet an official sister city, we are working to foster a relationship that will lead to this recognition and status.

In the months ahead we will be linking our historical and cultural societies to like- minded organizations in each our sisters, fulfilling our goal of broadening and deepening each relationship. We are also hearing that the administration of President Obama will be doing more to reach out to the world through U.S. State Department programs and their Agency for International Development (USAID), with an increased role for sister cities. Again, stay tuned

Please join us by picking a city of interest or a task that meets your passion.  Sister City programs provide countless ways for an individual to make a difference in the lives and attitudes of people throughout the world.  This is the chance for you to be the American that foreign citizens can look to as representing what is best about our country.  If you have been looking for such a role to play, join us. You may also contribute to our efforts with a tax-deductible donation.

Best wishes

Joe Brett

President