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US-Cuba Sister Cities Association |
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| Framer’s
Meeting -- March 1999 Update on
national formation meeting |
Framer's Meeting - Mission StatementThe first meeting of the US-Cuba Sister Cities Association was held in Pittsburgh on March 19, 20, 21, 1999. The structure of the Association was decided at this meeting -- this is outlined below. |
| 1. Introduction 2. Vision Statement 3. Mission Statement 4. Goals 5. Activities 6. Member Services 7. For Further Information ~ Introduction ~ Sister cities provides an opportunity to create a unique model of community partnerships. These projects open the door to bilateral initiatives for people at all societal levels: individual citizens, local governments, media, business, religious groups, community, solidarity, organizations and institutions. By creating an opening for a unifying goal while amplifying each participants unique contribution to the efforts, it is a way for traditionally very diverse groups who would not otherwise find common cause to work together. Internationally, sister cities have set a precedent for the legitimate role of an individual’s right to engage in citizen diplomacy and active foreign policy. But today, within the US we face a challenge in creating viable projects with Cuba that protect the credibility and integrity of the sister cities concept. Cuba enjoys sister city relationships with over 31 nations, and has countless sister agreements among organizations, institutions, religious groups and universities worldwide. Unfortunately, due to outdated US government policy, which despite major changes in the world, has not come under review for almost forty years, sister cities between people of the US and Cuba have been difficult to achieve. None-the-less, it has been done between Mobile, AL-Habana, Madison, WI-Camaguey, and Pittsburgh, PA-Matanzas. We are aware of at least nine other cities who have passed council resolutions of intent. USCSCA hopes that in helping ordinary people see Cuba for themselves, together with our Cuban neighbors, we will help create a balanced dialogue that will promote a more positive relationship between our nations. With sister cities becoming a popular trend nationwide, US-Cuba Sister Cities Association was formed to assist this swell of citizen diplomats to succeed in this rewarding endeavor to actively work to better international relations today. Today we live in a world compressed into a global village by technology. USCSCA will assist cities in the process of establishing formal relationships with the people of Cuba who (due to US policy) are unable to be interactive with other developmental organizations. As international cooperation gains importance, city-to-city programs become increasingly significant to all parties involved. We will strive to create genuine “people-to-people” community connections with our neighbors in Cuba, based on mutual respect and reciprocal exchanges equally beneficial to all parties. USCSCA believes President Dwight D. Eisenhower, correct when he said while introducing his creation of the sister city concept in 1956; “ The sister city program is an important resource to the negotiations of government in letting people themselves give expression to their common desire for friendship, good will and cooperation for a better world for all.” As “citizen diplomats” we desire to build upon this strong and solid foundation and advance our shared vision, as we move into the future to help create new opportunities for international understanding towards peaceful coexistence in the world. US-CUBA Sister Cities Association ~ Vision Statement ~ The US-CUBA Sister Cities Association has been created out of the efforts of citizens nationwide to form sister city partnerships with their counterparts in Cuba. It aims to build on their successes while limiting the frustrations related to re-establishing constructive relations between our peoples, nations and governments. USCSCA believes the people of Cuba are part of our shared world and should not be isolated or exempted from the global community or refused the mutual benefits of sister city programs on the basis of political considerations or agendas. At a meeting in New York City in September of 1998, while sharing our stories of the benefits and astounding successes of our sister city projects, participants noted the desire of many other cities to enter into equally beneficial mutual exchanges by developing official people-to-people community linkages. After trading our common experiences of the incredible warmth, welcome and cooperation of the Cuban people; we decided to pool our joint experience and expertise to help others wishing to create sister city projects. Recognizing another consequence of the lack of normal relations is that the Cuban people are unable to approach US cities with whom they might like to develop partnerships, a mechanism needed to be created that allows reciprocal exchanges. We envision this network as a means to establish principles and standards on which to build mutually beneficial and reciprocal relationships. The “US-CUBA Sister Cities Association,” agrees to create a nationwide organization inviting people interested in learning more about sister cities and those already engaged in the work to join together to create a broad, new network between the people of Cuba and the people of the United States. US-CUBA Sister Cities Association ~ Mission Statement ~ To foster sister city relationships and understanding through mutually beneficial exchanges between individuals, community groups, organizations, and institutions in the United States with counterparts in Cuba. US-CUBA Sister Cities Association ~ Goals ~ * To develop community partnerships between US cities, counties, and states with similar jurisdictions in Cuba. * To create opportunities for city officials and citizens to experience and explore another culture through long-term community partnerships. * To stimulate environments through which communities will creatively learn, work and solve problems together through reciprocal cultural, educational, municipal, business, professional, and technological exchanges and projects. * To create an atmosphere in which mutual community and eventual economic development can be enabled and strengthened. * To collaborate with organizations and individuals in the US & Cuba that share similar goals and objectives. US-CUBA Sister Cities Association ~ Activities ~ 1) Help cities identify and choose an appropriate partner city in Cuba. 2) Create a nationwide register of sister cities in formation to eliminate duplications. 3) Put developing projects in touch with the appropriate Cuban counterparts and help them follow appropriate channels of communication. 4) Offer a national advisory network of people to interface offering peer support on all societal levels in developing projects. 5) Share local government resolutions and other forms of public recognition. 6) Help projects gain official recognition within their city. 7) Help with the logistics of delegations and trips to Cuba and coordinate tours of Cubans coming here to the US, especially, but not limited to educational & cultural groups. 8) Share strategies on public relations and media coverage. 9) Publish a nationwide newsletter reporting on our growth and activities. 10) Develop a national website with links to all other member sister cities projects. US-CUBA Sister Cities Association ~ Member Services ~ * USCSCA will strive to ensure that each project undertaken by its membership will reflect the diversity of its local network. It will promote the broadest diversity of ethnic and racial minorities, people who are physically/mental disabled, women, youth, and also reflecting diverse socio-economic status in all activities. * USCSCA with the cooperation of Cuban counterparts, will: * help a city register and select an appropriate partner city in Cuba. * help coordinate linkages on all levels within the US and Cuba. * share advice, experience and expertise from established sister city projects and emerging member projects. * Help a project through the steps required to sign an official sister city agreement. * USCSCA will provide information on resources, consultant and current affairs among other information. For Further Information: On how to begin a sister city project, or to be connected to people within your city who might already be working on a project, to register your interest in a city in Cuba, or to find out what cities in Cuba would like to have a sister city, or to get in touch with other sister city projects, nationwide, please contact: US-CUBA Sister Cities Association 320 Lowenhill Street Pittsburgh, PA. 15216 (412) 563-1519 Fax:(412) 563-1945 Email: USCSCA@aol.com We expect to have a webpage shortly. We can also send information on how to join our organization. |
Update on national formation meeting
| Dear Conference Participant, I am hoping you are still planning on being able to join us for our US-CUBA Sister City Asssociation meeting to be held in Pittsburgh March 19-21. Your skills may prove to be especially helpful to the tasks at hand. We have received overwhelming support in response to our conference call, many from different mayors and councilpeople or business and community organizations who have said they do not feel it neccessary for them to be part of the process of designing the organization, but do want to join it and participate fully once it is up and running. They don't care about its form so much as its functioning. They eagerly await a formal announcement of its coming into being. So, the US-Cuba Sister City Association will be born of this meeting, as planned, but with more focused participation from people who have already formed projects, or who are in the maze now. Their experience, wisdom and cultural sensativites will be priceless in addressing the challenges of helping others travel that path. What we will be doing is the nuts and bolts work of organization building; creating a mission statement, clarifing goals, organizational structure, communication networks, data bases, finance mechanisms, and educational materials among other things. This meeting is going to be a serious working meeting, where everyone will be able to contribute to our collaboration. It will also be important for organizations with national membership, who want to find a way to factor their Cuba work into larger city collaborations, or smaller groups who want to explore how to maximize the efforts to reach a larger audience. We have people coming representing cities nationwide who have confirmed their attendance. We will also have with us a delegation from the Cuban Interest Section, including 1st Secretary Felix Wilson, Deputy Consul Eugenio Martinez, and if his schedule permits, chief of the Section, Fernando Ramirez, as some of our work will be to establish lines of communication with cities in Cuba. Also, we will hear from them, the Cuban perspective on Sister Cities and their experience with the complexities of these ventures. The meeting will be chaired by Councilman Jim Ferlo, and held in City Council chambers with an opening session beginning at 7 pm on Friday evening. For accommodations, or transportation help, please email me back (LisaCubaSi@aol.com). I will be away until March 13th, so you may also contact Brenda Smith at global@telerama.lm.com or call her at 412-361-3424 for logistical information. We need everyone, including you, to make this work. Hope you will be one of the founders of what promises to be a whole new level of opportunity in normalizing relations between US & Cuba. Please come and make a little piece of history. - Lisa Valenti |
National formation meeting of US-CUBA Sister Cities
Association, 3/19 - 3/2121
| From: LisaCubaSi@aol.com Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 16:26:40 EST Subject: US-CUBA Sister Cities Association You are invited to attend or send representation to the national formation meeting of this organization to be held March 19-21, 1999, in Pittsburgh Pa. For details RSVP contacts listed below. Many cities are expected, as is the Cuban Ambassador among other Cuban officials. US-CUBA SISTER CITIES ASSOCIATION
These projects and process opens bilateral initiatives for partnership by people at all
local grassroots levels - citizens, local government, media, business, community,
solidarity, religious groups, organizations and insituations. It also creates a common
ground for traditionally very diverse groups who would not find other common cause. See update to this message |
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