San Antonio Receives Three Sister Cities International Awards Including For Best Overall Program

Press release from the City of San Antonio:

Monday, August 2, 2021

CONTACT: Caitlin Cowart
caitlin.cowart@sanantonio.gov

SAN ANTONIO (August 2, 2021) – Out of a competitive field that included programs nationwide, the City of San Antonio Sister Cities Program was named the winner of the Sister Cities International 2021 Award for Best Overall Program for a city with a population greater than 300,000. This year, it received two additional awards which include the 2021 Innovation in Business, Trade, and Professional Exchange Award and the 2021 Innovation in Youth and Education Award both for a city with a population greater than 300,000. All three awards recognized activities carried out during 2020.

San Antonio was selected for the Award for Best Overall Program for key projects that included the Metro Priority Plan, its international strategy which was created in collaboration with Greater: SATX ; reciprocal humanitarian assistance exchange with Wuxi, China during the COVID-19 global pandemic led by the Alamo Asian American Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with other community stakeholders; “We Shall Overcome” program which was a virtual journey across the globe visiting San Antonio Sister and Friendship Cities, led by Musical Bridges Around the World (MBAW); an outdoor panel exhibit and video project between San Antonio and Suzhou, China with a spot light on world heritage led by the World Heritage Office in collaboration with the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and the San Antonio Museum of Art; targeted youth exchange with Darmstadt, Germany and Wuxi, China, led by Students of Service (SOS); as well as a diverse range of other exchanges with our global partners overseas.

“Thank you to Sister Cities International for their work worldwide and for selecting San Antonio for these prestigious awards. This past year, we all faced unprecedented challenges. Staying in contact virtually through cultural, economic, educational, and humanitarian activities and by offering support to one another were key to remaining connected to our friends across the globe,” said Ron Nirenberg, Mayor of San Antonio, TX. “Our team at home and our partners abroad contributed to this accomplishment. We look forward to expanding relationships to new cities and deepening existing relationships in the years to come.”

The Innovation in Business, Trade, and Professional Exchange Award emphasized the Metro Priority Plan which was finalized in 2020. The Plan, created by the Economic Development Department with input by the now rebranded Greater: SATX Regional Economic Partnership laid out a new and ambitious direction for the city to improve trade, foreign direct investment, and its standing as a global center of commerce. At its core, the Metro Priority Plan has a three-fold approach: 1) focus efforts on key global markets, 2) increase San Antonio’s access to the outside world through diplomacy, business, culture, and education, and 3) elevate the city’s reputation as a global leader.

The Innovation in Youth and Education Award highlighted a virtual newsletter created by students in San Antonio and Darmstadt as well as a virtual series of student video exchanges with Wuxi, both initiatives led by SOS.

The San Antonio Sister Cities Program, managed directly by the Global Engagement Office of the City of San Antonio, takes a project-based approach to the activities across four main pillars of activities: Cultural Engagement, Youth and Education, Business, Trade and Professional Exchange, and Humanitarian Assistance.

“Truly, this honor is not held by just one person. There have been countless people at every level involved who make our Sister Cities program world-class, including the consular and diplomatic corps as well the governmental agencies we work with. Every day, we benefit from working with our tireless volunteers, our outstanding educational institutions, a talented network of cultural, educational and community nonprofits, and our business and economic leaders,” shared Shahrzad Dowlatshahi, Chief Diplomacy & Protocol Officer of the City of San Antonio who heads the San Antonio Sister City Program. “I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Sister Cities International for this extraordinary honor which we are proud to share with all of our partners involved in our global network.”

Founded as a Presidential Initiative by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, Sister Cities International serves as the national membership organization for 500-member communities with over 2,000 partnerships in more than 140 countries on six continents. The Sister City awards competition recognizes the accomplishments of outstanding individuals and community sister city programs that promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation.

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.