Leading Asia: Renewing the U.S.-Japan Sister Cities Network

Sister Cities International is pleased to announce the new three-year program, "Leading Asia: Renewing the U.S. and Japan Sister Cities Network," funded through a grant award from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP).

The overarching objective of this program is to increase the institutional knowledge of U.S.- Asia sister city partnerships by providing opportunities for current programs to become more active and for new relationships to be established. This new program includes conference workshops, exchange funding, and research components that will promote networking, capacity building, and innovative program development for U.S.-Japan exchange and outreach.

Outbound Exchange Funding Opportunity
Conferences Sessions and Webinars
Outreach

For more information on our sponsor, the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership please visit their website at: http://www.cgp.org/

Outbound Exchange Funding Opportunity

As part of the Leading Asia: Renewing the US and Japan Sister City Network initiative, Sister Cities International is now accepting applications for the second round of Japan Exchanges Funding. Focusing on the themes of business development, sustainability, creative economy, and youth programming, seven cities will be chosen to implement a ten-day exchange to Japan for four members from their U.S. sister city.

Please see the Application Document and Frequently Asked Questions below for information on deadlines, requirements and other guidelines. If you have any further questions regarding the exchanges funding program or general inquiries about the Leading Asia initiative, please contact Paul Rothman at asia@sister-cities.org.

• 2012 Exchanges Funding Application
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Timeline for 2012 exchange funding:

• Sebastopol World Friends   —   Trip Highlights and Photos
  Sebastopol and Yamauchi, now including Takeo, began their sister city relationship in 1985 and since then have engaged in increased middle school exchanges that have exposed students in both cities to the culture, language, and traditions of the other. Sebastopol World Friends, along with their partners in Takeo and Yamauchi, will develop new programming focused on sustainable development. Shared interests and experience in renewable energy, such as solar power, and sustainable agriculture practices will be an important focus of new programming, beginning with their exchange trip later this year.


• Austin – Oita Sister City Committee (AOSCC)
  Since its founding in 1990, the Austin-Oita Sister City Committee has actively engaged in a wide range of educational and cultural exchanges. Recently, however, AOSCC decided to focus on business development by leveraging local music talent and music festival developments for economic impact. The City of Austin’s delegation includes local musicians, a member of the City of Austin’s Director of Music Development, and AOSCC’s Co-Chair Cecil Lawson.


• Sister Cities of Delray Beach, Inc. (SCDB)
  Although the origins of Delray Beach’s connection to Japan date back over a century, Delray Beach Sister Cities International has proposed several areas of programming to develop a more sustainable partnership with their sister city, Miyazu. SCDB has identified green energy and business development as new areas of collaboration, which will also take advantage of the both cities’ coastal locations. Potential areas of cooperation include ocean-generated power, the fisheries industry, and water waste treatment.


• Lansing Regional Sister Cities Commission (LRSCC)
  Since 1969, Lansing Regional Sister Cities Commission (LRSCC) and their partners in Otsu have engaged in a wide array of successful student and teacher exchanges. Lansing hopes to further strengthen their partnership with Otsu by establishing business and young professional development programs through this exchange. Their delegation will include local education officials and members of both the public and private sector. They plan to travel in early November alongside Lansing’s annual Goodwill Mission to Otsu.


• Minneapolis – Ibaraki Sister Cities Association (MISCA)
  Since the early 1980’s, Minneapolis and Ibaraki have had an enduring sister city relationship centered around cultural and education exchanges. Moving forward, MISCA aims to start developing greater collaboration in business and economic development. Focusing their effort on the medical device and biotech industries, MISCA intends to leverage the participation of the BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota, the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and local businesses to provide future programming with comprehensive support.

Conference Sessions and Webinars

Leading Asia: Renewing U.S.-Japan Networks Luncheon Panel
Sister Cities International Pan-Pacific Regional Conference
Riverside, California October 1st, 2011

(Audio recording available here!)

During the Pan-Pacific Regional Conference in Riverside California, Sister Cities International conducted an informational panel session on the Leading Asia: Renewing U.S.-Japan Networks initiative. The panel session served to highlight ways in which local U.S. programs can strengthen programming and exchanges to develop more sustainable partnerships with their Japanese sister cities. Three participants in the 2011 exchange funding program participated in the panel to highlight the new programming their engaging in as a result of their exchange funding award. Representatives from the Minneapolis-Ibaraki Sister City Association, Austin-Oita Sister City Committee and Sebastopol World Friends participated in the panel along with Renay Loper of the Japan Foundation’s Center for Global Partnerships. The Panel was moderated by Nancy Huppert, a Sister Cities International Global Envoy.

Outreach

With support from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, Sister Cities International is launching an exciting new outreach initiative. The main goal of the initiative is to compile best practices from the sister cities network, focusing on business development and youth programming. Sister Cities International plans to develop a comprehensive database of information on the successful exchange work taking place within the network and generate effective models for increasing trade and business partnerships. This initiative will help to better serve the entire network by highlighting effective and innovative programming as well as identifying challenges that sister cities are facing. The database will become a valuable resource for members to learn about what other sister city programs are doing in their communities.