News from our sister cities...

An Introduction from the Mayor

I am pleased to welcome you to the first installment of the quarterly Sister Cities Newsletter.  In the past, information regarding the status and events of Cincinnati’s seven Sister City Committees and their respective cities abroad was often contained within the pocket of each committee.  The goal of the newsletter is to disseminate this information and increase awareness about what is going on in Cincinnati and around the world.

I enthusiastically support the OKI-Sister Cities Coalition and its mission to build bridges between local areas across the globe.  Cincinnati and its Sister Cities are enriched through the exchange of culture, art, business, and education.  The celebration and renewal of the Liuzhou-Cincinnati relationship in 2008 and the Kharkiv-Cincinnati and Munich-Cincinnati relationships in 2009 are a tribute to success of these thriving relationships. 

For more information about how to get involved with the Sister Cities Coalition or with a particular committee please contact Bob Stevie at 513 741-7533 or visit.www.CincinnatiSisterCity.Org  

Sincerely,

Mark Mallory
Mayor of Cincinnati

People from Across the Globe Come Together to March in 2009 Opening Day Parade in Cincinnati

Despite the typical cold and windy Cincinnati weather, the OKI-Sister City Coalition braved the storm and marched in the 2009 Opening Day Parade. Approximately 60 students and adults from Liuzhou, Nancy, Munich and Gifu had the opportunity to be a part of the largest opening day parade ever. They walked along the parade route waving their country flags and carrying banners. The students from Nancy sang French songs. Despite being buried beneath layers of warm clothes and hovering under umbrellas, the enthusiasm and pride of the participants was evident by their smiling faces and friendly waves.

LIUZHOU/KHARKIV/MUNICH

The Celebration of 20 Years Continues

The momentum generated last year by the 20th Anniversary of the Cincinnati-Liuzhou relationship will be carried forward this year to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Cincinnati-Munich and Cincinnati-Kharkiv relationships. The Liuzhou, Munich, and Kharkiv relationships all serve as reminders of the strong and sustainable connections that Cincinnati has across the globe.

On November 6, 2008, a Mayoral delegation of 57 Cincinnatians traveled to Liuzhou, China and they were received by Liuzhou government and volunteers. The 20th Anniversary celebration ensued. The purpose of the visit was to carry out the conceptual plan of the “Memorandum of Understanding,” an agreement between Liuzhou and Cincinnati that defines the multicultural, educational, professional processes, and art exchanges. The visit culminated with the dedication of the Cincinnati-Liuzhou Friendship Garden. The Cin-Liu Friendship Garden demonstrates the value that both Cincinnati and Liuzhou place on improving and protecting the environment. It represents a powerful metaphor as it was designed with the idea that friendship is the shortest distance between two cities. Reflecting the beauty and spirit of both cities, the garden incorporates the city themes of the “Queen City” and the “Dragon City” into its design. The importance of the visit rests on the premise of reaffirming the reciprocal nature of friendship between the two cities through both display, symbol, and words. Cincinnati and Liuzhou’s dedication to its Sister City initiative demonstrates that they are not isolated communities but indeed cities with an international focus and a broad understanding and commitment to the world beyond their borders.

This year we will continue the celebration of 20-year relationships as the Munich and Kharkiv Sister Cities commemorate their thriving relationships. Over the years, Cincinnati as well as Munich and Kharkiv have been enriched with visits that promote business, the arts, and cultural exchanges. These long-term, thriving relationships are a tribute to our commitment to think and act outside of our local, everyday lives as they reaffirms the importance of positive cross border exchanges and aid in our understanding and shaping of each other’s worldview.

Throughout the year both the Munich and Kharkiv Sister City Associations will be promoting and hosting events in honor of this special occasion. Keep an eye out for upcoming events!

LIUZHOU

Liuzhou Police Supervisor Visits Cincinnati and Donates his Uniform

As part of a six-week visit at the beginning of this year, Police Supervisor Peng Wang of Liuzhou, China spent an entire week with the police force in Cincinnati. He was escorted on a tour, given an overview of the City, and had the opportunity to ride with Cincinnati police officers. In order to enhance his job in Liuzhou as a criminal investigator, he had the opportunity to tour the criminal investigative section of the Cincinnati Police Department, talk to detectives about crime scenes and criminal investigation, and tour a training facility and target range. Officer Howard Moy of District 2 provided his Chinese language skills to help facilitate the conversation between Officer Peng and the Cincinnati police officers. Officer Peng also attended the Cincinnati Police Recruitment Graduate Ceremony. Following his stay in Cincinnati, he donated his police uniform to the Cincinnati Police Museum on behalf of the City of Liuzhou, China. The uniform will be installed at a future date.

TE 10 Delegation Visits Cincinnati for a 21 Week Public Outreach Program

The TE 10 Delegation from Liuzhou, China is currently in Cincinnati for a 21 week total immersion, public outreach program. During their visit, the delegation has focused on improving their English and experiencing American culture first-hand. The program is sponsored by the Cin-Liu Sister City Committee. The delegation arrived on December 1, 2008 and began their training in preparation for the public outreach program called Ni Hao! that began in January. As a part of Ni Hao! the delegation has had the opportunity to visit and volunteer their time and talent at 10 of the 41 public libraries in Hamilton Country and Cincinnati. They have also visited several public and private schools and universities and a nursing home thus getting a true intergenerational perspective of the citizens of Cincinnati. The delegation will leave Cincinnati on April 27, 2009 and return to Liuzhou ready to share their life-changing experiences.

NANCY

Exchange Students to Visit From Nancy

A group of exchange students from Lycee Saint Dominique in Nancy, France arrived in Cincinnati for a 10-day visit on March 30th. The group consisted of 12 French students and two chaperones. They are staying with Summit Country Day School students and teachers. Last spring the SCDS students traveled to France for a similar 10-day visit. The students have been cultivating a friendship through e-mail and are eager to meet again here in Cincinnati.

The exchange between the two schools began over 15 years ago under the leadership of Dr. Tom Monaco and Anne Khano-Neumar. In the spring of 2010, the students from Summit Country Day School will continue the exchange as they travel with their French teacher back to France.

GIFU

Cincinnati-Gifu Association Rings World Peace Bell

On July 9, 2008, a proclamation for Cincinnati-Gifu Peace Day was declared. A small ceremony was held at which the World Peace Bell was rung and the Cincinnati-Gifu relationship was honored. This year, the Gifu Association hopes to hold another ceremony to strengthen the peace relationship and celebrate the 120th Anniversary of the establishment of the City of Gifu in 1889.

Reestablishment and Expansion for the Gifu Association

In June of 2008, the Gifu Association reestablished their committee and expanded their leadership from Chairman and Vice Chair to include a Treasurer and Secretary. The two new positions were introduced and implemented at their meeting in March. They are in the process of expanding their official membership.  

MUNICH

Renewal of Medical Exchange Between UC and Munich’s LMU  

In December of 2008, the University of Cincinnati Medical School (UC) and Munich’s Ludwig Maximilian’s University Medical School (LMU) signed the Academic and Student Exchange Agreement to extend the student exchange for the next five years.

The Agreement encourages “deeper academic cooperation” and provides an opportunity to learn about each respective health care system. Students from LMU have the opportunity to participate in clinical rotations at UC in their 5th or 6th years of study or participate in an observational rotation in Pediatrics and Neonatology in their 3rd or 4th years of study. LMU will provide clinical UCCOM medical students with a month study of the German health care system or for a 3 month research elective. Those UCCOM students who speak German can participate in clinical rotations.

LMU and UC originally entered into an agreement of academic cooperation in 1996. Due to the success of the exchange, efforts began in July of 2007 to continue the exchange, culminating with the signing of this Agreement at the end of 2008. The Agreement will be reviewed in five years and will be extended at that time if both parties agree.

   
Triangular Artwork Exchange Crosses the Globe from Cincinnati to Liuzhou to Munich

In a collaboration and exchange of art and culture, artists from Cincinnati, Luizhou, and Munich created Triangular artwork for an exhibition that has been traveling to each city.

In April 2007, six Cincinnati artists invited six Munich and six Liuzhou artists to participate in a “draw-redraw” game. The artists from each city created one original two-dimensional artwork which was then scanned and sent by e-mail to the other two cities. Each drawing was then printed in color in its original size and distributed to the six artists in each city. The twelve artists then created “re-drawings” using any material, technique, or process they preferred. With the completion of these drawings, they and their artists have been traveling to each of the three cities as part of an art exchange exhibition.

The exhibition was first shown in Cincinnati at Xavier University in the summer of 2008 and then traveled to Liuzhou in November 2008. It will be on display at the exhibition gallery at the Goethe Institut in Munich in July 2009. Artists from Cincinnati and Liuzhou will be traveling to Munich for this last leg of the exhibition.

The generous sponsors for the Triangular Artwork Exchange include: Lord Mayor Christian Ude of the City of Munich, Cin-Liu Sister Cities Committee, Liuzhou Foreign Affairs Office, Guangxi Arts Institute, Cincinnati Park Board, Xavier University, OKI Sister Cities Coalition, Munich-Cincinnati Sister Cities Association, and John Haney Framing.

KHARKIV

Open World Program on Non-Governmental Organization [NGO] Development

The Kharkiv-Cincinnati Sister City Committee has just received the contract and funding to host the 2009 Open World Program the week of May 28 through June 6. The focus of the program will be on how to develop and run NGOs. Five Ukrainians will be assisted by a Ukrainian interpreter. They will spend the week visiting various organizations in the area and will learn how to run and operate an NGO. The Kharkiv-Cincinnati Sister City Committee is hoping to host another Open World Program later this fall.