A T L A N T A   S I S T E R  
  C I T I E S    C O M M I S S I O N

Georgianne Thomas
ASCC Chair
 
 

Ancient Olympia
Greece

Brussels
Belgium

Bucharest
Romania

Cotonou
Benin

Lagos
Nigeria

Montego Bay
Jamaica

Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Great Britain

Nuremberg
Germany

Port-of-Spain
Trinidad

Rio de Janeiro
Brazil

Salcedo
Dominican Republic

Salzburg
Austria

Taegu
Korea

Taipei
Taiwan

Tiblisi
Republic of Georgia

Toulouse
France

Canberra
Australia

Reflecting on 1998, Georgianne Thomas, Chair of the Atlanta Sister City Commission said, “It was an exciting year of accomplishments for the Commission during which we won the coveted bid to host the ‘Sister Cities International Convention’ in Atlanta.” The Commission is preparing to host delegates, representing 125 cities and countries throughout the world, in July, 2001.  In addition to using hotel accommodations, the Commission will encourage Atlantans to open up their homes to welcome the visitors. “The goal is to give our guests a first class taste of Southern hospitality.” 

Georgianne Thomas thanked Mayor Bill Campbell for supporting the Commission’s campaign to attract the Convention and said he was instrumental in organizing a fund raising event, which generated operating capital for the Commission. The Advisory Committee on International Relations of the City of Atlanta also voted $10,000 in seed money to support the Commission’s ambitious program of raising sponsorship for the Convention.

Atlanta has a new Sister City

1998 also saw the signing of Atlanta’s newest Sister City - Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany.  Several members of the Atlanta Sister Cities Commission, along with Councilor Vern McCarty, representing Mayor Campbell and the City of Atlanta, flew to Nuremberg for the official signing of a Memorandum on December 17th.  This signing was done amidst much pomp and ceremony, and attended by top dignitaries of Nuremberg.  An active program is planned for the 16th Sister City - a German flag will be installed in City Hall’s Atrium in spring of 1999, alongside the national flags of Atlanta’s other Sister Cities. 
 

Atlanta lends a helping hand

Atlanta showed its care for its sister city friends when a team of 50 medical professionals, including nurses and doctors flew to Jamaica to participate in the Atlanta-Montego Bay Sister City Committee Fifth Annual Health Fair. They were joined by another 45 local practitioners and provided free health care to 1,850 patients. The team of specialists in pediatrics, podiatry, gynecology, internal medicine and other medical areas brought 140 boxes of donated medical supplies with them. Medical services and supplies were valued at over seven million dollars.

The city of Salcedo in the Dominican Republic, another of Atlanta’s Caribbean links, experienced the after effects of hurricane Georges. The Atlanta-Salcedo Sister City Committee and other Georgia organizations quickly organized and sent money, clothing, food and medicine. The Mayor and Governor of Salcedo visited Atlanta in October 1998 to thank the city for its support.

In response to a winter crisis, The Atlanta-Bucharest Sister City organized supplies for citizens of Bucharest, Romania. Georgianne Thomas said, "These examples demonstrate Atlanta’s capacity to care for its friends."
 

Educational programs

Students and educational institutions also benefited from sister city programs. In April, Montego Bay hosted the Second Annual Super Exchange. Students from North Atlanta High School participated along with school delegations from Salcedo and Port-of-Spain (Trinidad). North Atlanta High School successfully hosted the Trans Caribbean Exchange in Atlanta in November with participation including students of Montego Bay and Port-of-Spain, which sent a delegation led by its Mayor and the Minister of Tourism for Tobago. This activity forms part of the award-winning International Business Program coordinated by North Atlanta High School which has established a worldwide network of schools and colleges to share learning in Business Management. Other sister city participants include Rio-de-Janeiro (Brazil) and Newcastle (Great Britain).

The University of Northumbria in Newcastle was appointed as official coordinator of the State of Georgia’s ‘Centers Abroad’ program for Europe. A Memorandum of Understanding cleared the way to expand a program of exchanges between students, academic and administrative staff. Shared research programs and other joint developments are goals for the New Year.
 

Economic Development

Newcastle joined the roster of sister cities pursuing economic development interests by establishing an office in Atlanta, representing the Northern Region of England. Another sister city actively engaged in economic development is Taipei (Taiwan) which established its economic office in Atlanta three years ago. 
 

Cultural activities

Cultural activities were prominent on the Sister Cities 1998 calendar. In February, the Atlanta-Toulouse Sister City Committee hosted a performance of the Ballet Capitole de Toulouse at the Fox Theater. Rio de Janeiro Sister City Committee co-hosted the performance of the Angola Capoeira Dance Masters Seminar during the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta in July.

In April, the Atlanta-Ancient City of Olympia Sister City Committee dedicated their gift of a statute in Olympia, Greece. This was in reciprocation for the 17’x 26’ statue ‘Tribute’ that was placed in Atlanta’s Centennial Park during the Olympics by the Ancient City of Olympia and AHEPA – a Greek organization founded in Atlanta in 1922. 
 

Great expectations for 1999

Georgianne Thomas said, "We are looking forward to a busy program in 1999. Our monthly routine of activities includes student and adult exchanges and visiting delegations. During the summer we are also looking forward to our ‘retreat’ where Sister City Chairs come together to discuss strategy and development. In the build up to the 2001 Convention we will actively pursue sponsorship from Atlanta organizations."

Two sister cities will take turns every three months to exhibit art and cultural artifacts in the Atrium of Atlanta’s Airport. The exhibit will be launched in February by Newcastle and Port-of-Spain.

The 20^th anniversary of the Taipei Atlanta Sister-City relationship will be marked by a performance by the Chinese Symphony. This event is being sponsored by the City of Taipei, and will be held at Symphony Hall on February 7^th.

During March, 1999, a ‘TransAtlantic Symposium for Workforce Development’ at Georgia State University, will bring together speakers from business, industry, education and government from Nuremberg, Atlanta and other cities.

Georgianne Thomas said, "Atlanta’s active Sister City program reinforces the city’s status as a truly international city. The ongoing goal of the Commission is to form cultural, educational, professional and economic ties and to extend a hand of friendship to our sister city partners."