​At our annual World of Friendship dinner reception and silent auction on October 20 at BMI, Sister Cities honored Doug Berry for his work in supporting our mission while promoting cross cultural understanding, peace and tolerance.  Doug served as board president for ten years and was instrumental in forging our partnership with Magdeburg, Germany.   Special guest for the evening was The Honorable Bill Hagerty, U.S. Ambassador to Japan.  Ambassador Hagerty shared highlights of his recent trip to our sister city Kamakura, Japan and talked about the importance of people to people connections in today's global climate.

Delegates from Nashville attended and participated in the annual Belfast Homecoming in October 2017.  Delegates attended meetings in higher education, creative industries, and law.  The group enjoyed a reception at the home of U.S. Consul General Dan Lawton as well as a gala dinner at City Hall with the Lord Mayor, City Councillors and special guests.

Our friends in Magdeburg hosted the visit of a Nashville delegation from Friday, September 28, through Sunday, October 1, treating us to a level of hospitality remarkable even for them. The Thursday program included a reception by the U.S. Consul General at the Magdeburg public library followed by a dinner at the excellent Landhaus Hadrys. Activities on Friday included an expertly guided tour of the Magdeburg Cathedral and an equally enjoyable bus tour of the city. The programs for Saturday and Sunday focused on this year's 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with visits to Luther sites in Wittenberg, Eisleben, and Mansfeld.
The main occasion for the visit was Magdeburg's second annual "Nashville Days" country music festival, which made the most of the Nashvillians present. Musician Scott Southworth contributed superb performances on both nights of the festival; Carole Bucy gave an inspiring talk on Nashville history; Nashville Oktoberfest representatives fostered links with our annual German festival; Mayor Megan Barry greeted the audience by video; and other city leaders council members Burkley Allen and Robert Swope, joined by former Nashville mayor Bill Purcell, presented a guitar signed by Mayor Barry and council members to Mayor Lutz Trümper.
The warmth and enthusiasm evident throughout the weekend on both sides brought new energy to an already strong partnership, and we are looking forward to receiving a delegation from Magdeburg in Nashville next year