Sonoma Sister Cities Association

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Experience History in The City of Sonoma

A History of International Relationships

The first sister city relationship was between the City of Sonoma and the City of Chambolle-Musigny, France. With more sister city relationships to follow, the Sonoma Sister City Association was established by official agreement, signed on September 8, 1986, between the City of Sonoma and Sister Cities International (SCI). Today, we have 7 Sister City Committees all operating under the aegis of SSCA . Each of our committees work with SSCA to advance our mission and that of SCI, creating the opportunity for citizen to citizen diplomacy. Over the years, our Sonoma City Mayor and several members of the City Council have been personally involved with delegation visits and have been on delegation visits abroad. Over the years, SSCA, with the vision of the City of Sonoma, has been an important factor in the recognition of Sonoma as international tourism destination.

Rich Historical Beginnings and Landmarks

The town of Sonoma, centered on the Sonoma Plaza, is a historically significant town in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA, which is just 40 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Here the Bear Flag Revolt took place in 1846 which led to independence from Mexico and California becoming a state of the United States on September 9, 1850. Many historical landmark adobe buildings surround the Plaza, including the Sonoma Barracks and Mission San Francisco Solano which was built in 1823 and was the last of the 21 Franciscan missions built in California between the 1700 – 1800’s. Sonoma City Hall, pictured above, was built in 1908 and is still in use today. It is a focal point on the Plaza, which is itself a National Historic Landmark. Sonoma is known for its “slow” food culture and Sonoma County is a center of the California’s wine industry for the Sonoma Valley AVA Appellation. Many residents of Sonoma are third or fourth generation Italian-Americans and French-Americans, descendants of immigrants who came to the area to work in wine making. Click here for more information about the City of Sonoma.

Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:C.Maylett

What is The Chinese Legacy Project/ The Ting?

Many who live in our beloved wine country are unaware of the significant role played by Chinese laborers in the mid-19th century at the beginning of our world famous wine industry. Their legendary skills as vineyard workers, cave diggers, and cellar workers have been acknowledged by historians.

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Photo credit: Monica A. Menco/Artesia Animastra Vineyard

Fostering Global Citizen Diplomacy

Sister Cities International (SCI) was founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 during the Cold War Era as a 501(c)3 nonpartisan, nonprofit, national membership organization to serve a network of tens of thousands citizen diplomats around the globe who champion peace and prosperity. Through the SCI program platforms, over 145 countries have hosted visiting International leaders, engaged in cultural and arts exchanges, developed youth and education programs, provided humanitarian assistance, and stimulated economic and sustainable development.

Sonoma Sister Cities Association (SSCA) was established on September 8, 1986, by official agreement between SCI and the City of Sonoma, as a nonprofit organization to create long-term partnerships between Sonoma and communities in other countries where we have mutual, beneficial interests. Today, SSCA has seven sister city relationships that extend to four continents. Our citizen diplomats are ordinary citizens who, as a group of volunteers, pursue municipal, business, trade, educational, humanitarian, social and cultural exchanges with our sister cities. Under the auspice of the City of Sonoma and with the support of local elected officials, we are a driving part of SCI’s global network of sister city partnerships.

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Our Mission

Through international people-to-people relationships, our mission is to promote global peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation – – one individual, on community at at time. This mission is advanced through four broad-based goals with our global partners to