Greenville Sister Cities International

2011 Annual Meeting

What is Sister Cities International?

We are a non-profit citizen diplomacy network that creates

and encourages partnerships between cities, counties and

states in the United States and similar jurisdictions abroad.

Early Beginnings

President Dwight D. Eisenhower initiated people-to-people programs after a White House summit on citizen diplomacy in 1956.

Today SCI Membership includes more than 2,500 communities in 134 countries including more than 700 U.S. communities partnering with 1,800 international communities.

Sister City International Focus Areas

• Sustainable economic development• Youth & educational programs/exchanges• Humanitarian assistance• Culture & arts programs/exchanges

South Carolina Sister Cities

SC SCI Coordinator

Dr. Jane Cahaly

Charleston     Spoleto, Italy  

Clover     Larne, United Kingdom  

Columbia     Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation Cluj Napoca, Romania Kaiserslautern, Germany Plovdiv, Bulgaria  

Greenville     Bergamo, Italy Kortrijk, Belgium Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone, China  

Myrtle Beach Burlington, Canada Keighley, United Kingdom Pinamar, Argentina  

Newberry Hamm/Sieg, Germany  

Pendleton Western Isles, United Kingdom  

York County Larne, United Kingdom

GSCI – 2010 through 2011

Our Mission is to further Greenville’s cultural enrichment, business and economic growth, educational development, social and personal relationships with cities around the world and through our Sister Cities programs in Bergamo Italy, Kortrijk Belgium and Tianjin FTZ China

2010 GSCI LEADERSHIP TEAM

CITY PROGRAM DIRECTORS• Tony Koechli (Bergamo, Italy)• Yancey Greene (Kortrijk, Belgium)• Zhigang Tian (Tianjin FTZ, China)• Bill Glass (Clermont-Ferrand, France)

LIFE MEMBERS• Clarence Buurman• Jack Parillo• Tom Sowden• Roger Varin

AFFILIATE MEMBERS• Wendy Anthony, ICU• Jane Cahaly, SC SCI• David Esch, International Taskforce• Julie Horton, City of Greenville• The Children’s Museum

OFFICERS• Dianne Clarke-Kudless, President• Bruce Eason, Vice President• Elizabeth Lyons, Secretary• Steve Cooper, Treasurer

BOARD MEMBERS

• David Alexander

• Donald Beckie

• Maurice Cherry

• Daniel Feng

• Myles Golden

• Yuji Kishimoto

• John Lyons

• Sue Murphy

• James O’Connor

• Robert Palmer (Youth Diplomacy)

• Jack Parillo

• Sherman Rounsville

• Tom Sowden

• Doug Stevens

• Tom Tiller (Nominations)

• Roger Varin

• Harry Watanabe

• Vivian Wong

Greenville Sister Cities Intl

• Formed in 1984, SCI’s Greenville chapter was created to pursue to support the community partnership with Bergamo Italy.

• Today Eisenhower’s words are as crucial as ever. GSCI Past-President Tom Sowden said, “On the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, we are called once again to understand others and have them understand us.”

• Previous GSCI work includes

Creation of 3 Sister Cities (Kortrijk, Tianjin, Bergamo)

Emerging Friendship Cities (Clermont-Ferrand France, Fukui Japan)

Dedication of Bergamo Square

Sharing of Trading Places photo exhibit

Numerous youth and community exchanges

GSCI 2010 Highlights Life Member acknowledgements

Clarence Buurman

Jack Parillo

Tom Sowden

Roger Varin

Exchange support activities

KULAK student exchange through Furman

Clermont-Ferrand Conservatoire

Fulbright scholar (Dr.

Exchange student mentors (Greenville Tech)

Charitable donation support

Conestee Foundation (on behalf of D. Stevens)

Alliance for Quality Education (on behalf of Clermont-Ferrand Conservatoire)

The Children’s Museum (in support of Boo!seum event publications)

Youth Diplomacy introduction

SC Sister Cities International Leadership event

The Children’s Museum Boo!seum event

2010 Programs

City Programs

Youth Diplomacy

SC SCI leadership conference

The Children’s Museum

BERGAMO ITALY (1984)

How it begins And how it continues

School Pen Pal exchange

KORTRIJK BELGIUM (1991)

Many programs Kortrijk TODAY

with memories of Greenville SC

TIANJIN CHINA (2002)

programming participation

2010 Programs

City Programs

Youth Diplomacy

SC SCI leadership conference

The Children’s Museum

Youth Diplomacy launch

Community support Launch partners Greenville Middle

Michelin School

Greenville Tech Charter

Greenville Parks

Chicora Chorale

Confucius Institute

ICU

2010 Programs

City Programs

Youth Diplomacy

SC SCI leadership conference

The Children’s Museum

SC SCI Leadership event

Dr. Jane Cahaly, SC SCI Coordinator

SC SCI Leadership Speakers

Patrick MaddenSCI President

George FletcherNew Carolina President

Marko HuttunenICU, Board Chair

Dr. Jane CahalySC SCI Coordinator

Mary SellersCEO, The Children’s Museum

SC SCI Programming

Youth exchangediscussants

Community leadership

2010 Programs

City Programs

Youth Diplomacy

SC SCI leadership conference

The Children’s Museum

The Children’s Museum Partnership

Boo!seum 2010

GSCI and Rotary Greeters

Boo!seum entertainment

Cooking demonstrations

Lion Dance

Calligraphy

Chinese Paper folding

Translation assistance

Library display

Play advisement

Flag displays

Patron greetings

Boo!seum - Bergamo

Boo!seum - Tianjin

Boo!seum - Kortrijk

Greenville Business Journal

2011 Programs

City exchange programs (core programs with Kortrijk, Tianjin, Bergamo)

Youth Diplomacy, first applications and scholarship awards

The Children’s Museum, second year for Boo!seum event in October

The Children’s Theater, new alliance effort

Greenville Zoo, new alliance effort

Upstate Visual Arts, alliance effort building upon 2008 Trading Faces project

Website and social networking based on our www.greenvillesistercities.org presence

Hand-on Greenville workshop coordination (4 events to expand public involvement)

Tribute Park/Pocket Park project located at Swamp Rabbit Trail and Bergamo Square

Sponsorship and other fund-raising efforts

Friendship city designation for Clermont-Ferrand France or Fukui Japan

Alliances, Partners and Sponsors

• Jane Cahaly, SC SCI• Julie Horton, City of Greenville• Wendy Anthony, ICU• David Esch, Vision 2025 Intl Taskforce• Gillian and Heather, The Children’s Museum• David Lui, The Confucius Institute• Yancey and Maurice, Furman University• Chirinjev Peterson, Greenville Technical College

THANK YOU SO MUCH

COMMUNITY LEADERS

INSPIRED BY THE PAST, engaged in the present for possibility of new friendships and prosperity for the future.

None of this happens without Board involvement and member support

THANK YOU SO MUCH