REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Friendship City Memorandum of Understanding with Icheon City, Republic of Korea
Report
BACKGROUND
A Sister City, County, or State relationship is a broad-based, long-term partnership between two communities in two countries. A relationship is officially recognized after the highest elected or appointed official from both communities sign an agreement to become sister cities. A city may have any number of sister cities, with community involvement ranging from a half dozen to hundreds of volunteers. In addition to volunteers, sister city organizations can include representatives from nonprofits, municipal governments, the private sector, and other civic organizations. Each sister city organization is independent and pursues the activities and thematic areas that are important to them and their community including municipal, business, trade, educational, and cultural exchanges and projects with their sister city.
Through this program, the City of Santa Clara has established relationships with three Sister Cities around the world: Coimbra, Portugal, established on August 4, 1974; Izumo, Japan, established on October 11, 1986; and Limerick, Ireland, established on August 1, 2014. The Santa Clara Sister Cities Association ("SCSCA") organizes a majority of the cultural and educational exchanges and activities with the City's Sister Cities. SCSCA is a non-profit organization that brings different cultures together with the goal of enriching the lives of students through cultural exchange. The City provides annual funding to SCSCA to support its cultural exchange program, which totaled $5,659 in Fiscal Year 2018-19.
A "Friendship City" is different from a Sister City in that it is often the first stage in the relationship before partner cities establish an official "Sister City" relationship. Whereas a Friendship City relationship is not required prior to two cities establishing an official Sister Cities relationship, t...
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