SCI: Join Now - Benefits of Membership

Benefits of Membership

Sister Cities International is an excellent way for your community to establish close relationships with one or more international communities. These partnerships allow your community to creatively learn, work, and solve problems through cultural, educational, municipal, business, professional, and technical exchanges and projects.

Mission & Goals of Sister Cities International

Sister Cities International's mission is to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, & cooperation — one individual, one community at a time.

Created in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the goal of the organization is to develop municipal partnerships between U.S. cities, counties, and states and similar jurisdictions in other nations. Additionally, we work with ordinary citizens to participate in people-to-people exchanges and to build long-term partnerships between U.S. and international municipalities. Our relationships transcend national politics with the ultimate goal of world peace. We represent more than 700 U.S. communities and nearly 2,500 partnerships with sister communities in 134 countries.

Members of Sister Cities International are entitled to many benefits through our programs and services:

www.sister-cities.org

As a member of Sister Cities International, you can log-in to our website and read the latest news and trends in the sister city network. Members enjoy exclusive access to the best practices database featuring economic development, humanitarian assistance, youth, sustainable development, and arts projects. You can also download useful "Members Only" toolkits and guides on fundraising, communications, program assessment and more. Exclusive access to our online searchable database allows communities to network with members throughout the United States and the world.

Publications

All Sister Cities International members will receive official listings in both print and online versions of the Membership Directory. In addition, members receive subscriptions to all Sister Cities International publications including Sister Cities International Newsletter, our bi-monthly e-Newsletter, and a copy of our Annual Membership Directory.

Annual Conference

The Annual Conference allows members from across the United States and the world to network with hundreds of local government leaders, business executives, educators, and community activists who will be on hand to discuss sister city partnerships and programs. The 2009 Conference will take place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, July 29 - August 1, 2009.

Cities Seeking Cities & Tell Your Sister City Stories Databases

Communities seeking to build relationships have access to a beneficial tool found on our website that allows international communities looking for a U.S. partnership to submit a profile of your city/town with details of the types of programs you are interested in. The searchable "Tell your Sister City Stories Database" allows members to share their programmatic successes, personal experiences, and fundraising achievements.

Youth and Education Programs

Members of Sister Cities International have special access to youth programs such as the Young Artists Showcase, the Annual Youth Conference (held in conjunction with the Annual Conference), the Student Exchange Partnership, the Iraqi Youth Leadership Exchange, and the Youth and Education Network.

Grant and Awards Opportunities

Through the Annual Awards Program, Sister Cities International annually honors members for exemplary sister city programs and their achievements. In addition, Sister Cities International maintains an updated list of grant opportunities for youth and education programs that members may apply to on our website.

Muslim World Partnership Initiative

Sister Cities International recognizes that in order to secure a more peaceful future, we must encourage better understanding and cooperation between the West and the Muslim world. The Muslim World Partnership Initiative seeks to provide U.S. communities and communities in the Muslim world support and opportunities for positive direct engagement with one another.

State Coordinators

For members in the United States, state coordinators serve as another resource for information and support for local sister city communities. State coordinators are experienced members of Sister Cities International, providing assistance and support for state-wide sister city programs.

Visa Assistance

Sister Cities International offers IAP-66 application processing of J-1 visas for secondary school exchange programs.

Network for Sustainable Development

Members can apply to join our Network for Sustainable Development, a network of sister city partnerships dedicated to responding to the challenges of achieving sustainable urban development. The current 48 members of the Sister Cities Network for Sustainable Development and their international counterparts represent a broad cross-section of the Sister Cities International membership.

Humanitarian Assistance

Sister Cities International has many pre-existing programs to help sister city communities provide humanitarian aid to their international counterparts, including Wheelchairs for Peace and the Emergency Response Program. In addition, USAID has recently partnered with SCI to create Community Connector (C2), a web-based tool to facilitate and direct humanitarian assistance based on individual community needs.

For more information or to join Sister Cities International please contact Membership Manager Laura Giroux via email (lgiroux@sister-cities.org) or call 202.347.8630 ext 8639.