Scottsdale Sister Cities Association
" The sisterhood of cities leads to the brotherhood of people "
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Welcome to our blog!
 
Dear friends,

We’re excited to launch our first official blog and be out here talking to you!
 
At the end of each post, you can click on the "Read comments" link to read the comments on the post and maybe provide one of your own.
 
This blog can be also accessed through the following link : http://scottsdalesistercities.spaces.live.com/.
 
Keep on the lookout for upcoming posts from our contributors.

Thanks so much for visiting our blog. Enjoy!
 

August 30

SCOTTSDALE STUDENTS RECEIVE SSCA SCOLARSHIPS

Four community high school students have been selected by Scottsdale Sister Cities to receive scholarships to attend the Sister Cities International Youth Conference in Kansas City July 16-19, 2008.  The students are: Wade Wilber from Coronado, Emily Wahrchot from Saguaro, and Danielle Desjardins and Bridget Williams from Desert Mountain.  The students were selected based upon their applications, their teacher recommendations and an interview by Scottsdale Sister Cities Board members.

At the conference, young citizen diplomats from around the world in Kansas City, Missouri will explore the power of global action.  A highlight of this year’s conference will be attendance by a group of students from Morocco and from Iraq giving added diversity to the conference. 

Attendees will build leadership skills for an increasingly connected world while working with other youth on an international community service project.  In the process they will share their community's culture with fellow youth delegates and in doing so learn how youth can improve their own towns & communities and their sister cities.

It is anticipated that the students will bring their new leadership skills and commitment to making the world a better place to their high schools this fall and to the International Clubs there.

In 2007-2008, Desert Mountain, Saguaro, Coronado and Notre Dame Preparatory established student International Clubs at their high schools.  The clubs participated in an international diplomatic project of sharing their culture with people in Guatemala, Chile, Canada, and Morocco.  The returning scholarship winners are expected to help their clubs expand their international activities in 2008-2009.

1:10 PM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

April 10

Testimonial - We will always have Alamos...
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“Hello. My name is Zachary Davis. I was a student at Coronado High School and graduated in 1993. I was part of a small high school student exchange program to Alamos in the summer after my sophomore year at Coronado. One of the high school girls from Coronado that accompanied us on the trip, Corey Tuttle, is now my wife, and we continually look back on our trip as one of the highlights of our relationship. We now have two children and would love the possibility to be involved in future visits to share this experience with them and revisit an old memory.

…My association with the sister cities program was also a huge factor in many of the college scholarships that I received. This program not only provided many personal memories, but also gave me the upper edge in my application for the Arizona State University Medallion of Merit program in my junior year at Coronado, which paid my tuition for four years and all of my books for the first year.”

4:14 PM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

Letter From the President

 
One of the tenants of Sister City program envisioned by President Dwight Eisenhower was that every individual should have the opportunity for an international experience toward world peace. My opportunity came in 1992 when I was a project manager for leading delegations of American public administers to the newly formed countries of the former Soviet Union.

When the “wall” finally fell, the existing sister city relationships between communist communities and their US partners were in place to create programs in democratic governance. With funding from USIA, I led a delegation from Tucson to their sister city, Alma Ata, Kazakhstan. We were treated to the most enthusiastic welcoming ceremonies at almost every stop in our tour, including one visit to a state farm and winery. There, we were given a tour and a lavish lunch and were encouraged to drink the wines produced at the farm, as well as their home made Cognac. Of course there were bottles or vodka for the traditional series of toasts that are almost mandatory in any ceremony of importance.

When my turn came, I mentioned that as a veteran of the Vietnam War I was happy to be part of peaceful exchanges between our two peoples who had been kept apart far too long by the politics of the cold war. The next to toast was a Kazakh, and as he looked over at me, he mentioned that was also a veteran of the Vietnam War. The entire table broke out in laughter. This man was a soldier in the former Soviet Army and was an advisor to the North Vietnamese Army. We were urged to have our pictures taken while standing together, shaking hands. During the picture taking I asked what he did in Vietnam, and he said he was “shooting down your airplanes.” I was surprises and said, “ I was in those airplanes.” The room again broke out in laughter. I said to him in mock anger, while pointing my finger at him, “why were you trying to shoot me down?” He replied “that he only wanted me to come down to have a drink with him.” I laughed, we shook hands and the room broke out in applause. The vodka flowed and our gathering took on the comfortable feeling of being with friends.

On our way back from the farm, my fellow veteran and I were in the same car. I gave him a pin of the insignia of my unit in Vietnam, which I had picked up a few days earlier while at the Vietnam Memorial, across the street from the US State Department. The insignia is of the XXIV Corps that consists of white heart in a blue background. I told him that it is fitting that the heart that once stood for war, now stands for peace. I said that we were lucky to have survived our circumstances and he gave me a hug, Russian style with kisses on both cheeks and said, “ all the world is a stage and we are merely actors.”

I did not know what to expect from the former evil empire, but Shakespeare was not anywhere in my expectations.

A few days later, I saw my new friend and asked him about the pin. He told me that he gave it to his daughter, who was in the 8th grade. She took the pin to school where she showed it to her classmates and said that her father had met a man who was once an enemy but who is now here as a friend to help us.

I was just blown away with wonderful feelings. It was nothing I did, but a series of circumstances that had provided a moment in time so very rich in meaning and good karma.

Sister City Organizations provide opportunities in which everyone who wants one can have a moment in time like my day in Kazakhstan. Creating those opportunities for others is equally rewarding so please join us.


3:49 PM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

April 09

Welcome to SSCA blog
khalidmadih
Hello!
 
This blog was created per your request to give you an opportunity to communicate with us. This is your place on the Web to share your thoughts and write a comment on any subject discussed by our members.
 
For those who have some great ideas, articles, pictures or videos maybe and who would like to share them with our visitors, please click on my name and write me an e-mail, I will be more than glad to publish them for you.
 
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Please enjoy and let us know if we can be of any help.
 
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6:39 PM GMT  |  Read comments(1)