Image
Image
Elm Street Roastery
Image
Image
Image
Image

Sister Cities

Urbana Sister Cities Flags and Globe

The Urbana Sister Cities Committee (USCC) invites you to discover and participate in the Urbana Sister Cities Program. The City of Urbana is proud to host three international Sister Cities partnerships:

Friendships developed between Urbana residents and those in other countries worldwide lead to Sister Cities partnerships. Sister Cities International charters these partnerships, and the Urbana City Council approved them.

Goals of the Urbana Sister Cities Program

The goals of the Urbana Sister Cities Program include:

  • Develop sustainable Sister City's partnerships with other countries around the world
  • Provide opportunities for citizens and city officials to explore other cultures by building long-term partnerships with our Sister Cities' partners
  • Create programs that foster economic and cultural development between partnering cities
  • Explore opportunities to learn, work, and solve problems together through reciprocal programs and international exchanges

About Sister Cities International

Sister Cities International is a nonprofit diplomacy network that creates partnerships between towns and cities in the United States and similar communities around the globe. The network strives to build international cooperation at the municipal level, promote cultural understanding, and stimulate economic development.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower created the Sister Cities Program in September 1956 after the end of World War II during a White House conference on citizen diplomacy. The positive response to this meeting led tens of thousands of individuals to pledge their support to help create a free and peaceful world.

Sister Cities International’s programs continue the effort to motivate and empower private citizens, municipal officials, business leaders, and community volunteers to build long-term Sister Cities partnerships that honor these high goals.

Sister Cities International’s Mission Statement is to “Promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation—one individual, one community at a time.”

Illinois Sister Cities Association

The City of Urbana is a member of the Illinois Sister Cities Association (ISCA), a state organization that supports the goals of Sister Cities International. Over 40 cities in Illinois that have established global partnerships are members of the Illinois Sister Cities Association.

A member community hosts the annual meeting each year. Urbana hosted the Association’s 2014 Annual Meeting. Urbana Alderman Dennis Roberts has served two terms on the ISCA Board of Directors (2009-2012 and 2012-2015).

More information about ISCA is available here.

History of the Urbana Sister Cities Program

The City of Urbana has been active in the community for more than 10 years. During that time, Sister Cities' relationships were forged and exchanges made, bringing foreign delegations to Urbana. A summary of its activities and accomplishments can be found at A Short History of the Urbana Sister Cities Program.

Urbana Sister Cities Meetings

The Urbana Sister Cities Committee meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at Strawberry Fields Cafe, 306 West Springfield Avenue in Urbana.

For further information, contact Urbana Sister Cities Committee Chairman Dennis Roberts at dproberts [at] urbanaillinois.us (dproberts[at]urbanaillinois[dot]us) or 217-344-0069.