Neighbor News
Columbia, Maryland’s Newest Sister City is Cap-Haitien, Haiti
Columbia's other sister cities are in Cergy-Pontoise, France (since 1977); Tres Cantos, Spain (since 1990); and Tema, Ghana (since 2014).
The community of Columbia, Maryland now has a fourth sister city — Cap-Haitien, Haiti, a community on the northern coast of the Caribbean island of Haiti with a population of about 190,000 people. It is home to the Palace of Sans Souci and the buildings at Ramiers and the Citadel, which together have been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cap-Haitien Mayor Jean Claude Mondesir signed the sister city agreement in July while joined by a delegation from Howard County, which is home to a large Haitian and Caribbean diaspora. That added Cap-Haitien to an expanding family that also includes Columbia’s sister cities in Cergy-Pontoise, France (since 1977); Tres Cantos, Spain (since 1990); and Tema, Ghana (since 2014).
A sister city relationship is a long-term partnership, approved by Sister Cities International, that allows both communities to get involved in citizen diplomacy, projects of mutual interest and international relations. It can lead to cultural enrichment, educational exchanges, business relationships and humanitarian contributions.
Find out what's happening in Columbiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Columbia Association is seeking additional volunteer members for its Cap-Haitien Sister City Committee. Members should be residents of Columbia or Howard County who are interested in developing future exchanges and activities for the residents of Columbia and Cap-Haitien in the areas of culture, dance, visual arts, music, education, sports, environment and business.
For additional information, please contact Laura Smit, program manager for CA’s International Exchange and Multicultural Programs, by calling 410-715-3162 or sending an email to International@ColumbiaAssociation.org.
Find out what's happening in Columbiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
CA’s International Exchange and Multicultural Programs foster international understanding and celebrate the diverse cultures of Columbia. The goals of the International Exchange Program include developing new exchanges with Columbia’s four sister cities and creating new sister city relationships in other cities and nations. CA also develops multicultural programs for the community such as the World Languages Café, Culture Fests and the International Book Club. For more information, go to ColumbiaAssociation.org/multicultural.
