Chicago Sister Cities International

This year marked the 9th annual Global Youth Ambassadors Virtual Leadership Summit, a joint program of Chicago Sister Cities International (CSCI) and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). The Summit is an intensive one-week program focused on leadership development, cross-cultural awareness and civic exchange designed to build the next generation of global leaders. It is an immersive experience for girls aged 14-16 living or attending school in Chicago or one of the city's 29 sister cities worldwide. This year's summit, which took place from July 13th to 20th, focused on critical themes such as Climate Change & The Environment, Women in STEM, Prioritizing Mental Health, Gender-Based Violence, Women in Sports, and Leadership in Government.
 As the culminating event for the 2024 Global Youth Ambassadors Virtual Leadership Summit, ambassadors from Chicago and the city’s sister cities presented their final projects on July 19th which consisted of rating their home cities on gender equity across one of the Summit’s several themes Thank you to all of our ambassadors and speakers for making this an amazing Summit!

Last month, we hosted the 2024 Chicago Sister Cities International Social Services Conference. We would like to thank our CSCI Social Services Steering Committee and all of our partners for helping make this event happen as well as our sponsors.

On Tuesday, July 16th, the Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Mariangela Zappia, had a courtesy meeting with Mayor Brandon Johnson to discuss Chicago’s enduring relationship with Italy and the Italian-American community. Topics of discussion included the climate crisis, the current political landscape and Chicago and Milan’s 51 year long sister city relationship.

Join the Lucerne Committee of CSCI at Swiss Heritage Night hosted by The Chicago Fire FC on Saturday, September 14th at 7:30 pm! The special ticket offer includes a unique Swiss Heritage Night Scarf, ticket(s) in a Swiss fan section as well as a post-match meet and greet for the first 200 buyers. Tickets costs $40 (excluding fees). We hope to see you there! Purchase your ticket today at: https://lnkd.in/gFkgSTZP

On Thursday, July 18th, the Durban Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International hosted The Spirit of Nelson Mandela alongside The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. This event celebrated the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela by bringing together 20 community organizations that implement his methods of peace, hosting two conflict resolution workshops facilitated by the Center for Conflict Resolution, presenting an award to Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. and a moderated intergenerational conversation. Nelson Mandela was a social rights activist, politician and philanthropist who became South Africa’s first Black president in 1994. He dedicated much of his life to teaching peaceful, nonviolent methods of standing up for what is right and ways to serve others. If you couldn't make it to the event, no worries! Here are some ways you can uphold Mandela’s teachings: Take a free conflict resolution workshop Volunteer at a local organization that means something to you Go out of your way to show others kindness Donate old clothes, toys, items or funds to a cause that you are passionate about Learn about and celebrate each other’s differences Practice active listening Thank you to everyone who attended and supported this event! For more information about The Spirit of Nelson Mandela, visit https://bit.ly/3XXYKlz

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended and spoke at our 2024 Chicago Sister Cities International Social Services Conference! We had a day full of Social Services best practices exchanges including presentations from 8 of our #sistercities on International Innovations in Social Services followed by breakout panels on the topics of Expanding Mental Health Support, Issues Faced by Older Adults, Revitalizing Workforce, Inclusive Communities, and Trauma-Informed Care. We are especially grateful for all of our amazing Chicago-based professionals and public officials, including Deputy Mayor of Chicago Kenya Merritt, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, Brandie Knazze, and First Deputy of Human Services, Mariana Osoria, that were able to attend and speak on behalf of the amazing innovations within our amazing city of Chicago. A huge thank you to our CSCI Social Services Steering Committee and all of our partners for helping make this event happen. To learn more about CSCI’s Social Services Initiatives - check out our website at: https://lnkd.in/geaiagvy

The Spirit of Nelson Mandela is just two days away! Join the Durban Committee of CSCI in partnership with The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center for this free and open to the public, youth focused, family friendly event on resolving conflicts and inspiring change. This event includes conflict resolution workshops (ages 12+), a community engagement fair featuring 19 community organizations that provide resources on anti-violence and anti-hate, live music, food, an intergenerational conversation and The Spirit of Nelson Mandela Award presented to Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. For more information and to register for the free conflict resolution workshops, visit https://lnkd.in/gQUZJZ5y

Please join us on Friday, July 19th as the 2024 Ambassadors present insights on ways they would create positive change in their communities centered on themes they have spent learning about over the past week! Themes include: Women in STEM, The Environment, Prioritizing Mental Health, Combating Gender Based Violence, Women in Sports, and Leadership in Government. Please register for the webinar here: https://lnkd.in/gtcQcziF

¡Anima a la Tricolor! Join the Bogota Committee of CSCI at Las Tablas to cheer on the Colombian National Team in their Copa América FINAL match against Argentina, Sunday July 14 at 7pm! ⚽ 🇨🇴 We hope to see you there for food, drinks and an exciting match!

On Thursday, June 27th, His Excellency, Dr. Yousef Alshawarbeh, Mayor of Amman, met with The Honorable Mayor Brandon Johnson and they signed a reaffirmation agreement to demonstrate the enduring sister city relationship between Chicago and Amman.🇯🇴 To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Chicago-Amman sister city relationship, the Amman Committee of CSCI hosted a reception on Friday, June 28th and welcomed His Excellency. The evening featured inspiring remarks from His Excellency, the Amman Committee of CSCI, and Alderman Knudsen. The program also included recognition of the UIC students that recently participated in a dental mission in Jordan and two cultural performances. During their visit, the delegation toured several organizations including mHUB, MxD, and MWRD. Here’s to continued friendship and collaboration between our cities! Greater Amman Municipality