About Us

Sister Cities of Houston
Houston’s sister city relationships are created by City Council resolution, requiring the approval of the Mayor and City Council. Houston’s program is run by volunteers who form 17 associations and the umbrella organization Sister Cities of Houston (SCH). The Houston Office of Protocol and International Affairs administers the program for the City of Houston. 

The Sister Cities program develops intercultural understanding and promotes international trade and commerce, economic development and tourism. Each association in Houston determines their own local initiatives and develops programs.

A Sister Cities internship is available year-round with the Houston Office of Protocol and International Affairs.

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Community Outreach: SCH coordinates events throughout the year which include the participation of all seventeen sister city associations.

  • Showcase of Young Artists - Encourages youth to express through original artwork their concept of the Sister Cities mission through an annual theme.
  • Sister Cities Stage at I-Fest - Located within the Houston International Festival, this annual Fest sponsors a performance stage which highlights the cultures of our sister cities. Past performers have included local artists and international musicians and dancers from Australia and Azerbaijan.
  • Children’s International Parade - Part of the opening ceremony of the Houston International Festival, this program reaches out to elementary schools in the Greater Houston area to teach the students about the cultures of our sister cities.
  • Soccer tournament - Annual men’s amateur tournament reaching out to the local international community.
  • The September Concert - This free concert brings together our community to promote intercultural understanding through the universal language of music.

Sister Cities International
Sister Cities International (SCI) is a non-profit citizen diplomacy network creating and strengthening partnerships between U.S. and international communities.  SCI’s goals are to increase global cooperation at the community level, promote cultural understanding, and stimulate economic development.

The sister cities concept was launched in 1956 when President Dwight D. 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.