September 7th, 2007
Houston, TX – Music will fill the skies on September 11 in Houston as we celebrate the power of music to bring together people and build peace.
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 51st 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.