When a community of any size decides to join with a community in another nation to learn more about one another, and to develop friendly meaningful exchanges, the two communities propose a formal affiliation leading to official designation as “sister cities.” A sister city becomes official with the signing of a formal agreement by the top elected officials of the two jurisdictions. This is usually done during a ceremony in one of the communities, following approval by the local city councils (county commissions or state legislatures), as appropriate. Therefore, a sister city is a broad-based, officially approved, long-term partnership between two communities.
Mission
The Boulder-Nablus Sister City Project fosters relationships through cultural, educational, information and trade exchanges, inspiring lifelong friendships that support prosperity and peace through person-to-person “citizen diplomacy.” We arrange delegations to Nablus, with an emphasis on service, host Nablus citizens in Boulder, produce Palestinian cultural events and share expertise between citizens of both cities.
Sister Cities International’s stated goals are to
- Develop municipal partnerships between U.S. cities, counties, and states and similar jurisdictions in other nations.
- Provide opportunities for city officials and citizens to experience and explore other cultures through long-term community partnerships.
- Create an atmosphere in which economic and community development can be implemented and strengthened.
- Stimulate environments through which communities will creatively learn, work, and solve problems together through reciprocal cultural, educational, municipal, business, professional and technical exchanges and projects.
- Collaborate with organizations in the United States and other countries which share similar goals.
The benefits of a sister city relationship
Sister Cities International has published a report, “Measures That Matter: A study on the economic benefits of sister city relationships in the U.S. and their impact on the global economy 2014-2015.” The report, which details the economic benefits of sister city relationships, is available here.
To learn more about the City of Boulder’s Resolution 631 that governs its sister city relationships, please go here.
