SCI: Annual Conference - Washington DC 2006

INTERNATIONAL DELEGATES TO LEARN THE IMPORTANCE OF CITY-TO-CITY PARTNERSHIPS
Sister Cities International Hosts Workshops on Millennium Development Goals at 50th Anniversary Conference in July

Media Contact: Mandy Straub, 202.347.8630 ext. 8633, communications@sister-cities.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 31, 2006

Washington, D.C. - Sister city delegates from around the world will soon learn that they can achieve the Millennium Development Goals through City-to-City Partnerships. Workshops on this important initiative will be held during the Sister Cities International 50th Anniversary Conference being held July 13-15, 2006 in Washington, D.C.

"We want to highlight the importance of sister cities relationships and communities becoming internationally engaged. We also want to demonstrate the importance of sister cities in community development," said Matthew Corso, director of the Network for Sustainable Development at Sister Cities International.

The conference will feature several events highlighting the importance of City-to-City partnerships in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

A session on the City-to-City Partnerships will be sponsored by the World Bank Institute and bring together international leaders. The session will discuss how the City-to-City Partnerships can provide support at the organizational level and make several recommendations for developmental tools that can be used in this global community-based movement.

The Mayors Forum on Globalization and Local Economic Development will feature a plenary session and three interactive roundtable sessions. Sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers, the plenary session will discuss major global issues and how individual communities can respond. Speakers include Mayor Jerry Abramson, Louisville Metro, Ky.; Mayor Ronald Loverage, Riverside, Calif.; Mayor Umerhara, Sendai, Japan; and Ron Sege, President and CEO, Tropos Networks. The roundtable sessions include globalization, technology and local economic development; globalization and international tourism; and incorporating an international perspective into local economic development strategies.

"By focusing on relationships between communities, officials and citizens can play an important role in economic development and can take advantage of other opportunities," said Corso.

In 2000, the United Nations Member States approved the eight Millennium Development Goals reflecting decades of United Nations work. These goals are to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development.

City-to-City Partnerships is the development of strategic partnerships between two or more communities to exchange information, technical assistance, or training. "These city-to-city partnerships involve more than just the federal government. They help local citizens have a stake in achieving these goals and also help foster linkages between states," said Corso.

About Sister Cities International
Representing more than 2,500 communities in 134 countries, Sister Cities International (www.sister-cities.org) is a citizen diplomacy network creating and strengthening partnerships between the U.S. and communities abroad. Begun in 1956 after a White House summit where U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower called for people-to-people exchanges, sister city partnerships are tailored to local interests and increase global cooperation at the grassroots level. Sister Cities International promotes peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation by focusing on sustainable development, youth and education, arts and culture, humanitarian assistance and economic growth programs.

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