Sister Cities International (SCI), the parent organization of the Sonoma Sister Cities Association (SSCA), will turn sixty years old on Sunday September 11, 2016. Founded by President Eisenhower during the tumultuous and edgy time of the Cold War, SCI continues to make meaningful connections from citizen to citizen, community to community, around the world. According to the SCI website, the organization “has grown dramatically, with 560 U.S. communities forming over 2,300 partnerships in 150 countries on six continents”.
The formation and expansion of SSCA mirrors SCI’s growth as well. With the first relationship formed in 1959 between the City of Sonoma and Chambolle-Musigny (France) to the most recent partnership between Sonoma and Tokaj (Hungary), the seven SSCA relationships span four continents and provide vital channels for the exchange of cultural appreciation through a variety of opportunities. To date, Sonoma’s seven sister cities are Penglai (China), Aswan (Egypt), Chambolle-Musigny (France), Tokaj (Hungary), Greve in Chianti (Italy), Patzcuaro (Mexico), and Kaniv (Ukraine). Visit the SSCA website (sonomasistercitiesassociation.org) for more information about its programs and history.
According to SSCA President Farrel Beddome, “When SCI fosters international relationships on the city to city level, it helps build the expectation that a peaceful world is truly attainable.”
To mark this significant anniversary, SSCA is inviting the community to join its members, the Board of Directors, members of the Sonoma City Council, and members of the Sonoma League of Historic Preservation for an informal “pop up” get-together at Maysonnave House (291 First Street East, Sonoma) on Sunday, September 11, from 4:30 till 6:00 p.m. Wine and cheese will be served, and there is no need to RSVP.
The Maysonnave House
