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Nineteen citizen diplomats from across the United States represented Sister Cities International during the organization's recent Partnership & Peace Tour to the Middle East. This trip, which brought delegates throughout Jordan, Israel and the West Bank, was the fourth tour organized as part of Sister Cities International's Partnership & Peace travel program.
Upon arrival to Amman, Jordan, the delegation was taken on a guided tour of the city, which included visits to the King Abdullah I Mosque, the ancient Citadel, and the Roman Amphitheatre. The U.S. Embassy in Jordan co-sponsored a luncheon celebrating the remarkable successes of the Amman-Chicago sister city relationship, with Jordanian members of the sister cities committee in attendance. Eng. Ibrahim Khries, Director of the Foreign Relations Department for Greater Amman
Municipality, spoke to the group about the activities of the Amman-Chicago relationship, which include sister schools and sister museums projects, arts and cultural exchanges, and trade. Mae Ferguson, President of Sister Cities International, and Philip Frayne, Public Affairs Counselor for the American Embassy, commended the partnership for building bridges between residents of Chicago and Amman.
Delegates spent time floating in the Dead Sea; visiting Madaba, the "City of Mosaics"; and exploring the fascinating rose-red city of Petra. Delegates also paid a visit to Karak, a city south of Amman which holds a 12th century crusader castle. The former Mayor of Karak, Mr. Mohamad Maaitah, hosted the group for a luncheon with members of the Karak-Birmingham (Alabama) sister city committee. Mr. Maaitah discussed the importance of the Karak-Birmingham sister city relationship, and plans to bring more cultural activities to the residents of Karak. In addition, Mr. Maaitah pledged his support for expanding the sister cities network in Jordan, offering his assistance in connecting interested U.S. communities with other Jordanian municipalities.The delegation crossed into the West Bank via the Allenby Bridge on March 9 and stopped in Jericho
en route to Jerusalem. In Jericho, the oldest city of the world, the group met with city officials, including Mr. Ibrahim Da'ek, Deputy Mayor of Jericho Municipality. Jericho city officials provided the Sister Cities delegation with an overview of Jericho's existing sister city relationships in Europe, as well as their interest in finding a U.S. community with which to partner. City officials also discussed Jericho's economic and infrastructure challenges, and the upcoming celebration marking Jericho's 10,000 year anniversary. Over a delicious lunch hosted by the Municipality, city officials expressed their desire to make the anniversary celebration very international, inviting performers and attendees from around the world.The delegation then traveled to Jerusalem to represent Sister Cities International at the International Conference on Sister Cities and Municipal Organizations of the Union of Local Authorities in Israel
(ULAI). The ULAI has worked with Sister Cities International for a number of years, promoting ties between Israeli and U.S. communities, as well as encouraging the formation of trilateral sister city relationships between international, Israeli, and Palestinian communities. The ULAI Conference attracted more than 800 attendees from more than 40 countries. H.E. Mr. Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister of the State of Israel, addressed the attendees during the opening ceremony of the conference. Delegates also heard from Wim Deetman, Mayor of the Hague, and President of the Municipal Alliance for Peace in the Middle East (MAP) about the need for more trilateral relationships between international, Israeli, and Palestinian communities.Also during the conference, Mae Ferguson represented Sister Cities International by lighting the eternal flame during a commemorative ceremony at Yad Vashem, the New Memorial Holocaust Museum. Mary Palko, Sister Cities International Global Envoy, presented on sister cities youth program models during the Sister Cities - Youth in Center conference workshop.
The Sister Cities delegation made another visit to the West Bank to visit Bethlehem, sister city to Burlington, Vermont and Joplin, Missouri. The group met with H.E. Dr. Victor Batarseh, Mayor of Bethlehem to learn about Bethlehem?s sister city relationships and some of the difficulties faced by residents of the city. The delegation presented the Mayor with a letter proposing the twinning of Sacramento, California with Bethlehem, which he received with pleasure.
Before returning to Jordan, the group toured the spectacular historic sites of northern Israel, visiting Haifa, Nazareth, and the Sea of Galilee.
Delegates crossed into Jordan via the Sheikh Hussein Bridge on March
14, stopping for an unforgettable afternoon in Jarash on their way back to Amman. The delegation met with the Deputy Mayor of Jarash, Mr. Ibrahim Al Faraj, and members of the city council for lunch before touring the ancient ruins of Jarash. Jarash city officials announced their readiness to twin with a U.S. community and the delegation responded with its intention to help Jarash identify a U.S. community for partnership.The delegation concluded the historic visit to the region with an evening lecture in Amman by H.E. Senator Akel Biltaji, special advisor to H.M. King Abdullah II. Senator Biltaji remarked on the importance of the citizen diplomacy movement during times of disagreements between governments, and how people-to-people exchanges can help address the root causes of terrorism.
Sister Cities International is committed to encouraging sister city connections between U.S. and Jordanian, Israeli, and Palestinian communities. If you are interested in linking your community with a Jordanian, Israeli, or Palestinian community, or if you would like to find out more about the trilateral relationship model, please contact Jennifer Oliver, Program Manager for the Islamic Partnership Initiative at joliver@sister-cities.org.
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