In honor of the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism in East Germany, the HLSCA raised over $120,000 for the commission of a stained-glass Peace Window to be installed in the historic St. Thomas Church in Leipzig.  They also commissioned a 7-part cantata, the Peace Cantata or Friedenskantate to mark the occasion.  An 80-person delegation from Houston traveled to Leipzig for the celebration.

To show its appreciation to the City of Houston for their friendship, the city of Leipzig dedicated a tram car to Houston by affixing the Houston city seal to the car, which is in common circulation.  Houston City Council Member Anne Clutterbuck drove the tram car through the streets of Leipzig the day it was dedicated. The second-oldest university in Germany, the University of Leipzig, also worked with the HLSCA to bring an exhibit about rare texts to the Houston Public Library, so that all Houstonians could learn about the rich history of its sister city.

Mariah Taylor, a Westbury High School student, won $200 from Sister Cities Houston for her work.  Mayor White presented her with a congratulatory certificate at a recent City Council meeting.  Sister Cities of Houston sponsors the annual Showcase of Young Artists.   

All citywide entries are included in the exhibition. 

Since 1988, the Sister Cities International annual Showcase of Young Artists has engaged youth with the sister city mission to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation. Young artists from around the world, ages 13 through 18, use their imagination to express their concept of the sister city mission through the competition’s yearly theme.

WHEN:             March 16 – April 9, 2009 

WHERE:           Visitors Center, City Hall, 901 Bagby (street level) 

“I encourage citizens of both our great cities to participate actively in the Karachi-Houston Sister City partnership. By engaging in reciprocal trade missions and exchanges, businesses and people can benefit. It is an exciting opportunity,” said Houston Mayor Bill White. 

“The Sister Cities relationship between Houston and Karachi is quite meaningful for me. I have the special privilege of knowing the beauty and benefits of both the city I grew up in, Karachi, and the city I have made my home, Houston,” said Houston City Council Member M.J. Khan. “The synergy between Houston and Karachi is very strong and the Houston-Karachi Sister City relationship will prove to be a model partnership,” he added. 

“The Houston-Karachi sister city relationship is supported in both cities by organizations in a variety of fields, including trade, healthcare, education, and transportation,” said Haroon Shaikh, president of the Houston-Karachi Sister City Association. “We are excited to begin new exchanges with Karachi and will be looking to recruit additional volunteers and corporate members for the sister city association,” he added. 

The Sister Cities program develops intercultural understanding and promotes international trade and commerce, economic development and tourism. The volunteers of Houston’s 17 sister city associations determine their own local initiatives and develop programs. 

Houston International Protocol Alliance, a department of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, serves as the City’s administrator of the sister cities program.  Houston has sister city relationships with Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.; Baku, Azerbaijan; Chiba, Japan; Grampian Region (Aberdeen), Scotland; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Huelva, Spain; Istanbul, Turkey; Leipzig, Germany; Luanda, Angola; Nice, France; Perth, Australia; Shenzhen, China; Stavanger, Norway; Tampico, Mexico; Taipei, Taiwan; and Tyumen, Russia. 

For more information about Houston’s sister city program, please contact Houston International Protocol Alliance at 713-227-3395 or visit www.sistercitiesofhouston.org.

(left to right): First place winner Tiffany DeBellefeuille, Bellaire High; Second place winner Alejandro Morales, Clear Lake Christian School; Honorable mentions Robert Marshall and Yi-Min Wang of Bellaire High; Ellen Goldberg, President, Sister Cities of Houston 

WHAT:             Sister Cities of Houston 2008 Young Artists Exhibition, “A Reflection of Your Community” 

Tiffany DeBellefeuille, a student at Bellaire High, won $200 from Sister Cities of Houston, Inc. for her work entitled “One Community, One Family.”  Mayor White presented her with a congratulatory certificate at a recent City Council meeting.  Sister Cities of Houston sponsors the annual Showcase of Young Artists.  Tiffany’s work will represent the City of Houston at the international competition in Washington, D.C. 

All city-wide entries are included in the exhibition. Since 1988, the Sister Cities International annual Showcase of Young Artists has engaged youth with the sister city mission to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation. Young artists from around the world, ages 13 through 18, use their imagination to express their concept of the sister city mission through the competition’s yearly theme.   

WHEN:             March 24 – April 18, 2008 

WHERE:           Visitors Center, City Hall, 901 Bagby (street level)

What:            The September Concert is a series of free concerts, organized by cities, sister city  associations and individuals across the world and the United States, to bring communities together and celebrate life and universal humanity. 

Who:             City of Houston and Sister Cities of Houston, Inc. 

Where:           Abundant Life Church, 11230 Harwin Drive  

When:            September 11, 2007; Complimentary Refreshments 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.; Program & Entertainment featuring Scott Gertner and international dance groups 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Why:             To commemorate 9/11 and celebrate the 51^st anniversary of the sister city movement.  

Sister city pairings are official relationships ratified by the mayors and city councils of the respective cities. Houston’s sister city program is run by volunteers who form 17 associations and the umbrella organization Sister Cities of Houston, Inc. The Sister Cities program develops intercultural understanding and promotes international trade and commerce, economic development and tourism.

The sister city movement was founded in 1956 after U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower convened a White House Summit on Citizen Diplomacy. In a speech delivered September 11, 1956, President Eisenhower called on Americans to forge people-to-people ties with communities abroad and to build a lasting peace based on understanding and respect.

Sister Cities International is a citizen diplomacy network creating and strengthening partnerships between the U.S. and communities abroad. The Houston International Protocol Alliance, a department of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, serves as the City’s administrator of the sister cities program. More information about Houston’s sister city program can be found at www.sistercitiesofhouston.org.

Local volunteers Harry Gee, Wolfgang Schmidt and Angelika Schmidt-Lange received the Circle of Distinguished Volunteers Award from Sister Cities International. All awards were distributed at the Sister Cities International annual conference in Washington, D.C. last month.

Sister city pairings are official relationships ratified by the mayors and city councils of the respective cities. Houston’s sister city program is run by volunteers who form 16 associations and the umbrella organization Sister Cities of Houston, Inc. The Sister Cities program develops intercultural understanding and promotes international trade and commerce, economic development and tourism.

The sister cities movement was launched in 1956 when President Eisenhower proposed linking American cities with cities in other countries to exchange people, ideas and cultures. President Eisenhower’s goal was to involve individuals at all levels of U.S. society in personal diplomacy in the hope that these people-to-people relations would lessen the chance of future world conflicts.

The Houston International Protocol Alliance, a department of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, serves as the City’s administrator of the sister cities program. More information about Houston’s sister city program can be found at houstonprotocol.com.