Houston-Karachi Sister City Association wins Sister Cities International’s Innovation: Humanitarian Assistance Award

WASHINGTON, DC — The Houston-Karachi Sister City Association has won Sister Cities International’s 2011 Innovation: Humanitarian Assistance Award for a city with population more than 500,001. The Innovation awards recognize the accomplishments of outstanding community and individual sister city programs that promote peace through mutual respect, understanding,and cooperation.

In August and September 2011, devastating floods ravaged Sindh province in southeast Pakistan, home to Houston’s sister city Karachi, affecting approximately 5.3 million people. More than 30 organizations, community leaders, and media partners in the greater Houston area joined efforts and established the Alliance of Pakistan Floods Relief Efforts. The Houston-Karachi Sister City Association took on the coordination of the relief efforts in Houston.

The Alliance raised $81,000 in cash and more than $100,000 in wholesale value of in-kind donated items. The relief items were then sent in a 40-foot container to Karachi and distributed to 1,200 families in Mirpur Khas internally displaced persons camp in central Sindh Province.

The Alliance of Pakistan Floods Relief Efforts will continue to meet each quarter to monitor the donations and their impact in the Sindh province.

The Sister Cities International Annual Awards are awarded in several categories. Award winners will be honored at a special luncheon ceremony on July 14 during the Sister Cities International 56th Annual Conference in Jacksonville, Florida.

About Sister Cities International

Sister Cities International facilitates nearly 2,000 partnerships in 136 countries on six continents between 600 communities in the United States with similar municipalities abroad. Sister Cities International represents citizen diplomats who work tirelessly to promote the organizations’ mission of creating world peace and cultural understanding through economic and sustainable development programs, youth and education projects, arts and culture, and humanitarian assistance.

The stadium is set to be built off Walker and Dowling streets. Now developers are working to build a place for families along nearby Bastrop Street.

People excited about ushering in a new era for downtown’s east end are hoping another major project set to coincide with the opening of the Dynamo stadium will a bring even more uniqueness.

The view from one east downtown townhome is less than desirable for Terry Penrice.

“Looking at what we are working with, no it’s not the most attractive thing to come out to your balcony and see,” he said.

But soon the desolate city easement will be transformed into a symbol of international unity that represents Houston and its sister cities.

Preliminary concepts show an 80-foot right of way that spans six blocks on Bastrop from Bell to Walker, taking on a new identity called the Sister Cities Promenade.

The pedestrian-themed park will lead to the door step of the future Dynamo stadium.

“We intend to have sculptures and possibly fountains and related park,” said Jim Olive with the Houston-Shenzen Sister City Association.

The Sister Cities of Houston is still months away from finalizing a design and breaking a ground, but the multicultural promenade will likely feature 17 gardens representing each sister city of Houston.

Planners also want it to be an integral part of experiencing a Dynamo game.

“Including before the Dynamo games we will have some sort of festivities and then everybody walks into together, as they do in Seattle,” said Ellen Goldberg, president of Sister Cities of Houston.

It’s a $3 million project that one east downtown dweller can’t wait to become reality.

“It shows that this is a progressive environment and what was once probably an eyesore can be changed to something positive and beautiful for all of us to enjoy,” Penrice said.

Before deciding on a final design, Sister Cities organizers will seek community input, and they would like the park’s grand opening to coincide with the Dynamo stadium grand opening next year.

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