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First Annual Cherry Blossom
Walk Co-Hosted by Sister Cities of Nashville and The Japan-America Society of Tennessee
Mayor Karl Dean, Consul General of Japan Hiroshi Sato, and Sister Cities
of Nashville ("SCN") Board President David Briley will lead the First Annual Cherry Blossom walk, a free community
event hosted by SCN and JAST, to kick off Nashville's Second Annual Cherry Blossom Festival, co-sponsored by the Consul General's office and the Japan-America Society of Tennessee. The festival will follow the walk and take place at Riverfront
Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Walk participants are asked to convene at Riverfront Park for the walk which will
begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. Participants will proceed for a walk on Nashville’s Cumberland River Greenway for two,
three or four miles, with the four-mile round trip route looping at Sister Cities’ Magdeburg Connector to Morgan Park in
Germantown. (Map - http://tinyurl.com/yao35c2). The purpose of the walk
is to raise awareness throughout Nashville about the Second Annual Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival and highlight Nashville's
unique relationship with Japan, which includes the cooperation of SCN and the Japanese Consul General's Office in developing
a special relationship with a potential sister city in Japan. The walk is also designed to promote the mission of Sister
Cities of Nashville and JAST as well as raise money to support scholarship opportunities for Nashville students to study abroad
in one of Nashville's many sister cities. The event is free and open to all in the community. Commemorative t-shirts
will be available for sale. If you'd like to make a donation in support of this event, please click the Donate icon
below or simply mail your check to SCN, P.O. Box 120555, Nashville, TN 37212 with "Cherry Blossom Walk" on the memo
line.
Magdeburg-Nashville
Theater Blog
The local theater
company of Magdeburg, Germany has established a blog featuring discussions by Nashville and Magdeburg theater professionals.
Published as a part of Theater Magdeburg's production of Sam Shepherd's Fool for Love, the blog builds on a partnership
begun in 2005 with the production of Das Treffen – The Other Side, which brought actors from the two cities together
in performances of a simultaneous, transatlantic play. Click here for more information or to join the discussion.
Korean Students Explore Nashville's
Best
During a two-week exchange which brought ten high school students from Gwangjin-Gu, Metropolitan Seoul, South Korea
to Nashville, Mayor Karl Dean signed a “friendship city” agreement furthering the partnership between our two
cities. The intent is for Gwangjin-Gu to become an official sister city to Nashville later this year.
The students packed a lot of educational and cultural activities into their stay, as well as official visits to Mayor Dean
and a presentation of books on Korea to Donna Nicely, director of the Nashville Public Library. The students
visited the Parthenon, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Music Row, Metro Courthouse, Farmer’s Market and Opry Mills.
They tried line dancing at the Wildhorse Saloon, took in a Predators game, enjoyed lunch and a tour of Belmont University,
and got a taste of the music scene, attending a pre-concert rehearsal for the band, Shinedown, as well as attending a musical
showcase presented by Wild Oats Records. Sister Cities also took the group on a one-day excursion
to Memphis to see Graceland and eat at Rendevouz Barbecue. The students also did varying activities
with their host families, attending school sporting and theatre events, and shopping at local malls. Area
public and private schools hosted the students for some of the days during their stay. Students attended six schools in all:
Martin Luther King, Hume Fogg, University School of Nashville, Harpeth Hall, Lipscomb and Vanderbilt. The
trip culminated in a farewell dinner hosted by SCN’s Korean Committee Chair Kim Lilly, in which all students and their
host families enjoyed a final meal together of Korean and Southern favorites, and shared favorite experiences in Nashville.
Click here for more photos.
International Exchange Opportunities in 2010
Sister Cities of Nashville
invites Nashville high school students to participate in unique and exciting international student exchanges in 2010: Gwangjin-Gu, Metropolitan Seoul, Korea (which is slated to become an official sister city to Nashville
in 2010) sent 10 high school students to Nashville from January 10 - 24 to attend classes and visit attractions
in the city. Gwangjin-Gu has invited 10 students from Nashville to visit and tour the area, June 1 - June
13. Students will stay with local families. Korean language skills are not required to participate.
Application deadline is March 1.
Mendoza,
Argentina - Students who have completed two years of Spanish have the opportunity to participate in an exchange to
Mendoza, Argentina from June 22 to July 4. Students will attend classes with host students at a private K-12 school
and go on exploratory tours in the area. Nashville will be hosting students from Mendoza in the fall 2010 and we are
seeking host families. Application deadline for travel to Mendoza is March 25.
Caen, France – Students who have completed two years of high school French
have the opportunity to participate in an exchange to Caen, France in Normandy in summer 2010. We are in
need of a French-speaking chaperone for this trip. We will need 10 or more participants for the exchange
to take place. We are also seeking a host family for a college-age student who will be interning in the
Nashville Mayor’s office for one month in summer 2010. Conversely, there is an opportunity
for a young adult from Nashville (age 18-25) to work in city government in Caen for one month. Magdeburg, Germany –– Students who have completed two years of high school German have
the opportunity to host students from Magdeburg who will be attending Nashville high schools, March 27 - April 11, 2010.
Host students and any others with the required language skills will then visit Magdeburg, Germany and attend classes
at a local school, June 4 - June 19, 2010. The exchange will include sightseeing in Magdeburg and
a field trip to Berlin. Application deadline is February 15.
Please email director@scnashville.org or Burkley Allen at burknewt@aol.com if you are interested and would like additional information.
New Sister Cities Committees on Canada and Australia
to Convene
Sister Cities of Nashville
is re-establishing our Edmonton, Canada committee as we prepare for a possible delegation visit to Edmonton during
the Canadian Country Music Awards program in Sept. 2010. Additionally, we have engaged in preliminary conversations
with the Australian Trade Commission regarding a possible sister city in Australia. If you are interested
in exploring possibilities for either and participating as a committee member, please contact director@scnashville.org.
Nashville
to Taiyuan Student Art Exchange
A delegation from Sister Cities of Nashville
visited Taiyuan, China in November. There, they presented artwork created by students in Davidson and Williamson
County public schools under the direction of Ms. Joy Xu, who teaches art class in her home for youth in the area. Sister
Cities of Nashville board members Barbara Cobb and Jackie Shrago presented the artwork to the school principal, Ms. Suzhen
Yang, when they visited the Affiliated High School of Shanxi University in Taiyuan, which has 3,500 students in the middle
and high school grades. Additionally, the group discussed the opportunity for exchanges with schools in Nashville.
Currently, the Taiyuan committee for Sister Cities of Nashville will pursue an email “penpal” program, focusing
primarily on schools in Nashville that teach Chinese before pursuing an actual student exchange between schools.
Schools that are interested in participating in this exciting pilot program with Taiyuan should contact director@scnashville.org.
A Memorable Trip to Caen
For the past 25 years,
Sister Cities of Nashville and the Nashville Bar Association sponsor annual trips between, Caen, Normandy, France and Nashville.
In October, a group of 20 made the trip to Caen. The trips aren’t solely for lawyers, but
there is a legal topic discussed at a seminar each year. The topic in 2009 was how the two systems deal
with questions about the constitutionality of proposed statues.
Our delegation began the
official visit with a wonderful dinner in Paris. The following day, the group traveled to Caen and were
greeted by their French hosts, who then took them to the Bar Office for a welcome reception. The participants
had the opportunity to stay with French families or at a local hotel.
In addition to countless
receptions and exceptional French dining, the delegates enjoyed seeing the sites and meeting the people in the area.
They listened to an informative talk by the mayor of Cabourg where Marcel Proust lived and wrote; met with officials
of the City of Deauville, the Paris beach town, and heard about Nashville’s ties with that city. They
also met with a vice mayor of Caen after touring the abbey founded by William the Conqueror which now serves as city hall.
Additionally, they visited the museum that houses the Bayeux Tapestry, which was created 900 years
ago and recounts the history of William’s conquest of England. A visit to the splendid Memorial Museum in Caen completed
the tour of the museums. This facility tells the story of the events leading up to World War II and the
landings on the beaches of Normandy just north of Caen.
The high point of the trip
was a visit to the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach where 9,387 American service men and women are buried. The
group toured the new welcome center, which featured many memorable exhibits, and were fortunate to be able to participate
in a wreath-laying ceremony before touring the cemetery.
In 2010, the French will
pay Nashvillians a return visit, and we look forward to reciprocating their hospitality. If you would like
to be on the email list for the French committee and would like to participate in the future, either helping us welcome the
French in 2010 or becoming a member of the delegation to France in 2011, please email Steve Cobb at s.a.cobb@comcast.net.
Former Vice President Al Gore Travels to Mendoza
Former Vice President Al Gore recently
traveled to Mendoza, Argentina to speak on climate change. There, he met Sister Cities’ local representative David
English, who helped forge the Nashville-Mendoza sister city partnership, as well as Mendoza Mayor Victor Fayad and Argentina’s
Ambassador to the U.S. Vilma Martinez. Gore addressed a group of business leaders, politicians, university professors
and students at Congreso University on Thursday, October 15th.
"Magdeburg: Autumn 1989"
Commemorates the Fall of the Berlin Wall
During the month of October 2009, Sister
Cities of Nashville hosted a series of events - "Magdeburg: Autumn 1989" - commemorating the 20th anniversary
of the fall of the Berlin Wall and celebrating our sister-city relationship with Magdeburg. "Needless to say, Nashville's very active and
successful partnership with Magdeburg, which was in the former East Germany, would not have been possible without these heroic
events," said Sister Cities board member, Douglas Berry, who is also Honorary German Consul for Tennessee. "We
were pleased that so many Nashvillians were able to attend and participate in the variety of educational events that
Sister Cities hosted this past month. The events included a photographic exhibit of the events in Magdeburg leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall; an exhibit
featuring the Magdeburg Puppet Theatre under two political systems as well as performances by the theatre; a film preview,
"Redirected Lives" on life in the former East Germany after the fall of the wall; and a symposium, "Nonviolence
and Peaceful Social Change: A Sister Cities Dialogue," featuring leaders of Nashville's Civil Rights movement and of
the demonstrations in Magdeburg. There are still opportunities for schools to have Honorary German Consul Douglas Berry
speak about the events leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the role of the U.S. He will be available to speak
for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year. Click here for background information about "Magdeburg: Autumn 1989."
Sister Cities of Nashville Celebrates a World
of Friendship Sister Cities' first time fund-raiser
attracted more than 200 guests to Belle Meade Plantation to celebrate the cultural diversity in our community and in our world.
Ichiban Japanese Restaurant, Gerst Haus, Rumba, Seoul Garden Korean Cuisine, Swett's, and Bread and Company provided a wide
array of local and international foods for the dinner buffet. Guests were treated to live musical performances from
some of Nashville's talented musicians as well as a silent auction featuring a range of trips, "staycation" packages,
restaurant and spa gift certificates. Proceeds from the event will benefit SCN's educational, cultural and economic
exchanges as well as provide financial aid for select students participating in our educational exchange programs. Click
here to see more event photos.
Commemoration Honoring Captain Charles M. Peal
On August 26, 2009 the city of Nashville joined our International Friendship
City Crouy, France in a simultaneous ceremony commemorating the 65th anniversary of the death of decorated WWII
fighter pilot and Nashville native Captain Charles M. Peal. See Channel 4 news coverage of the ceremony.
Nashville and Crouy are forever linked because of Captain Peal’s bravery
and sacrifice. At the same moment in time--9:00 a.m. in Nashville, 4:00 p.m. in Crouy--our two cities remembered and
paid tribute to Captain Peal, as well as all the soldiers who have fought for our freedoms. Additionally, gratitude
was shown to the citizens of Crouy for risking their safety to give our soldier a dignified funeral and for continuing to
honor his memory for the sixty-five years since his death.
Sister Cities of Nashville Launches Search for
Japanese Sister City
The Consul General of Japan Hiroshi Sato recently
hosted two receptions at his home in support of the launch to identify a sister city in Japan. Celeste Wilson and
Dr. James Auer are serving as the co-chairs of this new Sister City initiative. They announced the initiative at a reception
in June, in which the group was also celebrating the success of the first annual Cherry Blossom Festival with Consul General
Sato and Mayor Karl Dean. An honorary and a working committee have been formed to research possible sister city
partnerships. The working committee met at a second reception in July and delved into possible arts, academic
and business exchanges. A delegation is slated to travel to Japan this fall to informally visit prospective sister cities.
For more information and/or to participate in the committee, please contact director@scnashville.org. Click here for additional photos. Belfast Hosts Sister
Cities International Conference
For the first
time in its history, Sister Cities International hosted its annual conference outside the United States, and it took place
in Nashville’s sister city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Sister city leaders, members, and government
officials from around the globe attended the conference July 29 – August 1. “Building
Enduring Peace after Conflict” was the conference theme and explored how municipalities and communities can work
together in matters of conflict resolution through community and cultural diplomacy. A delegation representing
Sister Cities of Nashville attended the conference and met with the Belfast Nashville Steering Group to discuss the action
plan for 2010. SCN Board President David Briley participated in a panel discussion at the conference on successful cultural
exchanges. The delegates also attended the Belfast Nashville party to launch the exhibit of photos taken during the
Belfast musicians' trip to Nashville in March. Returning from the whirlwind trip, Briley remarked,"I loved Belfast
and Nashvillians would love the city. I am looking forward to a return trip soon." Click here to see additional photos.
International Tai Chi Symposium
Sister Cities of Nashville participated in the International
Tai Chi Symposium on Health, Education and Cultural Exchange (www.taichisymposium.com) hosted by the Vanderbilt Center for Integrative Health and Vanderbilt University, July 5-10, 2009. The
symposium embodied the spirit of Sister Cities of Nashville -- connecting Nashvillians with friends around the world through
cultural exchange and community partnership.
Traditional Tai Chi Chuan: A View through the Lens of Science was the first symposium in the U.S. to bring
together the five grandmasters of traditional Tai Chi Chuan, academic researchers, and health professionals. Because
of Nashville’s sister city relationship with Taiyuan (capital of China’s Shanxi Province), we were especially
pleased that one of the five grandmasters who came to Nashville for the symposium was Master Yang Zhenduo from Taiyuan.
Also in attendance was his grandson, Master Yang Jun, who is the president of the International Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association,
sponsor of this symposium.
SCN president David Briley made introductory
remarks at the welcome banquet on Monday, July 6, which celebrated the 10th anniversary of the sponsoring
association. Presentations by the grandmasters were a part of the evening. Sister Cities also
co-hosted a Friendship Picnic for its members and friends in conjunction with the Tai Chi Symposium on Friday, July 10. Click here to see pictures from the week.
Mendoza Musicians Perform with Nashville
Symphony The first cultural exchange to take place
between Mendoza, Argentina and Nashville since the two became Sister Cities in March occurred May 20 - 26 when a delegation
of musicians from Mendoza visited Nashville. The three musicians rehearsed and performed with the Nashville Symphony
and Curb Youth Symphony durings its "Side by Side" series. Sister Cities of Nashville Board President
David Briley hosted a luncheon in their honor at his law firm. Mayor Karl Dean, who traveled to Mendoza in March to
sign the official sister city documents, also attended to welcome the cultural ambassadors from Mendoza. Other guests included
executives from the Nashville Symphony and members of Sister Cities.
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