BALTIMORE SISTER CITIES INC
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Mission Statement
Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. (“BSC, Inc.”) is a non-profit, volunteer organization that aims to promote mutual economic development, educational, cultural, health/environmental and other cooperation and exchanges between Baltimore City, Maryland (“City”) and its international Sister Cities. BSC, Inc. is composed of Sister City Committees dedicated to managing these relationships. BSC, Inc. activities are designed to benefit the City, its residents and the business community by supporting the Mayoral Initiatives of the City and the goals of the Sister Cities International organization.
About This Cause
As a member of Sister Cities International, BSC, Inc. shares the parent organization’s vision of promoting ‘peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time.’ President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the Sister Cities program in 1956 at a White House conference on citizen diplomacy. He envisioned an organization that could be a hub of peace and prosperity by creating bonds between people from different communities around the world. By forming these relationships, President Eisenhower reasoned that people of different cultures could celebrate and appreciate their differences and build partnerships that would lessen the chance of new conflicts. Baltimore’s involvement with Sister Cities began in 1973 when it established a relationship with Gbarnga, Liberia. Over the years, new relationships were set up with: Alexandria & Luxor in Egypt; Changwon, South Korea; Kawasaki, Japan; Piraeus, Greece; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Odesa, Ukraine and Xiamen, China. Originally these relationships were organized as independent committees. In 2015 the program was reorganized as a 501(c)(3) corporation with the formation of BSC, Inc. However the real focus of the program continues to be the activities of each of the country committees. BSC, Inc. activities in 2024 included: 1) In January the Baltimore-Xiamen (China) committee co-organized a Lunar New Year program at Bard High School Early College in Baltimore. 175 students. parents and other guests attended including representatives from the Chinese Embassy and the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office. This was a precursor for a student trip to China in July and August (see below). 2) In February & March the Baltimore-Odesa (Ukraine) committee co-sponsored a number of events in Baltimore marking the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: • Odesa City Letters exhibit at Maryland Institute College of Art. • ’20 Days in Mariupol’ film showing at Harbor East Cinema • ‘War Up Close’ program at Maryland Institute College of Art. 3) In March the Baltimore-Rotterdam committee co-organized with Morgan State University an architectural studies trip to Rotterdam for 11 students and 3 representatives of the Baltimore City Planning Department. 4) In March the Baltimore-Xiamen (China) committee co-sponsored with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations its 18th annual ‘China Town Hall’ at Baltimore’s City Hall. Keynote speakers were Dr. Kurt Campbell, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Robert Daly, Director, Kissinger Institute on China. More than 50 local residents and students attended. 5) In May the three Asian sister city committees (Changwon, S. Korea, Kawasaki, Japan and Xiamen, China) celebrated Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month by co-sponsoring with Towson University Asian Arts & Cultural Center a variety of activities including a K-Pop S. Korean dance performance and a classic Japanese film showing. The Kawasaki Committee also held its traditional Cherry Blossom Festival in Baltimore. 6) In July and August the Baltimore-Xiamen committee organized, sponsored and co-managed with Bard High School Early College in Baltimore a two week trip to Xiamen, Anhui and Beijing in China for 7 Chinese language students and 3 staff. A similar trip is being planned for 2025. 7) In July the Baltimore-Kawasaki committee co-sponsored with Towson University Asian Arts & Cultural Center a showing of the classic ‘The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum’ by Kenji Mizoguchi. 8) In September the Baltimore-Odesa committee sponsored a ‘Ukrainian Cultural Forces’ concert at the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Baltimore. 9) In September through November the Baltimore-Rotterdam committee co-sponsored with Baltimore’s ‘Creative Alliance’ an artists exhibition and exchange program for black artists in Baltimore and Rotterdam. This will be followed by a similar program in Rotterdam in 2025 that the Baltimore-Rotterdam committee is also co-sponsoring.