On the municipal level, the exchange of experiences between cities leads to new ideas and unique solutions to problems. At the local level, there are opportunities for personal development, new friendships, and new challenges to understand the world around us.
It began with Montpellier.
In 1954, the city of Louisville established its first Sister City relationship with Montpellier (France) with a partnership between the University of Montpellier and the University of Louisville. Two years later, in establishing a People-To-People Program President Dwight D. Eisenhower placed “faith in the great promise of people-to-people and sister city affiliations in helping build the solid structure of world peace.
After establishing a few more sister cities relationships, Sister Cities of Louisville was established in 1978 to aid Louisville’s sister city program, still run through the Office of the Mayor. In 1981, Sister City programs was moved to Sister Cities of Louisville, and in 2020 Sister Cities of Louisville was included under World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana’s array of programming.
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Sister Cities International: Young Artists and Authors Showcase!
For decades, Sister Cities International has leveraged the power that art has to transform societies and transcend cultural boundaries through the Young Artists and Authors Showcase, or YAAS. The Showcase has given youth worldwide the opportunity to express their vision for a more unified, peaceful world through original art and literature.
Meet our Sister Cities.
