Sister Cities International was created under President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration in 1956. He envisioned a network that would be a champion for peace and prosperity by fostering bonds between people from different communities around the world. By forming these relationships, Eisenhower reasoned, people from different cultures could understand, appreciate and celebrate their differences while building partnerships that would lessen the chance of new conflicts.

Since its inception, the Sister Cities International network has played a key role in renewing and strengthening global relationships.​ Its mission is just as important today as when it was founded. With the advent of the internet and other new technologies, the world has grown smaller and the relationships and interactions between the U.S. and other nations are more complex than ever. Despite the increase in online communication, the face-to-face meetings and personal relationships developed through Sister Cities are still vital and irreplaceable

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A SISTER CITY ​RELATIONSHIP
​A Sister City is a  long-term, cooperative relationship between two cities in different countries through which cultural, educational, business and technical exchanges take place. It is formalized when two mayors (or highest elected/appointed officials) sign a memorandum of understanding establishing a Sister City relationship. Activities are usually organized and implemented by volunteers, local institutions and municipal employees. A city may have several Sister Cities.

WHAT SISTER CITY ORGANIZATIONS DO
Sister City organizations plan and implement cooperative activities and exchanges in cultural, educational, municipal, technical, business and humanitarian fields. Thousands of real-life exchanges take place every year, as well as virtual exchanges and other remote, cooperative activities.

SISTER CITY VS. FRIENDSHIP CITY
The terms Sister City and Friendship City sometimes have different meanings. Generally speaking, Friendship Cities are less formal than Sister Cities. In some cases, Friendship City is often used as a first stage in the relationship; after it is strengthened and the partners are sure they want a long term relationship, they will become Sister Cities.