Sister Cities International was created at President Eisenhower’s 1956 White House summit on citizen diplomacy, where he envisioned a network that would be a champion for peace and prosperity by fostering bonds among people from different communities around the world. His hope was that if individuals could celebrate differences, future conflicts would be reduced.
Fifty-five years ago, the first sister city for Roanoke was Wonju, South Korea where a Roanoke doctor, Dr. Robert Roth, was working. There are now seven sister cities on four continents: Florianopolis, Brazil 1995; Kisumu, Kenya 1976; Lijiang, China 1996; Opole, Poland 1995; Pskov, Russia 1992; Saint-Lô, France 1995.
Connections are made with twinned cities through art, education, medicine, humanitarian and business exchanges. They include hosting guest artists’ exhibits and interns, most recently a business intern from St-Lo. Sister Cities has sent a youth delegation and medical students to Wonju and provided financial aid to an orphanage for children with ADIS in Florianopolis.
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Roanoke Valley Sister Cities have a medical student exchange with Wonju, Opole, Florianopolis and St-Lô, exchanging medical students and other medical professionals each year.
Each of the seven Sister Cities committees chooses its own projects and works cooperatively with Roanoke City and County Governments, schools, universities, civic organizations and festivals like Local Colors to further the mission of “fostering and encouraging mutual understanding, friendship and peace through cultural, medical, economic, educational and professional exchanges.”
“People join sister cities for so many reasons: getting to know a new culture, visiting communities abroad who are very welcoming, making friends, hosting visitors or interns, exchanging ideas with people of other cultures, sharing stories, cooking together, learning to speak a new language,” says Mary Jo Fassie, President of Roanoke Valley Sister Cities.
Fassie joined in 1995. As a French teacher then, she was intrigued by the historical connection to St-Lô and inspired by the two men who were organizing the effort to form a St.-Lo committee. Bob Slaughter and Chuck Neighbor were D-Day Vets who had fought in Normandy in the area around St-Lô and were part of the 29th Infantry Division.
She helped organize the first official visit in 1999 when the cities were twinned and four subsequent visits. Over the years, her students and many Roanoke adults made lasting friends with the people of St-Lô and discovered the important historical connection that we have with Normandy.
When she visited Slaughter a few weeks before his passing, he said, “Mary Jo, make sure that our young people understand why we fought in Normandy and keep them involved in sister cities.”
Sister Cities continues to foster relationships across continents. More than 20 delegates from Roanoke went to St.-Lo in June and there is an active high school and college exchange program. In the fall, a delegation from Wonju is expected in Roanoke.
Fassie says, “No matter the language barrier or fluency in the local language of our visitors here and abroad, members of sister cities welcome each other with open arms at each visit and discover the true meaning of friendship, peace and mutual understanding, one individual, one community at a time.”
To find out more or join Sister Cities, visit their website: rvsci.us
About the Writer:
Laura Wade, founder of Thrive by Heart, offers workshops and individual guidance to empower women to live from soul to goal and love their lives. She is passionate about her family, holistic health, personal transformation, and sharing ideas to inspire others to live their best lives, You can reach her at soultogoal@gmail.com
