Forging an international friendship | The buzz of the city

Buffalo has rich international friendships, with twenty cities that she calls sisters. Established by President Eisenhower in 1956, Sister Cities International promotes peace and prosperity by fostering connections between people from different communities around the world.

Defined as “long-term partnerships between two communities in two countries,” sister city relationships can arise from historical ties, expatriate communities, business relationships, shared geographic or sectoral challenges, or even study interests /work abroad. Regardless of their origins, these partnerships provide opportunities for cross-cultural exchange, connection, community gathering and global learning.

“There’s a lot going on between Buffalo and its sister cities in different countries around the world,” explains Bernard Kunz, vice-president of the Buffalo-Lille association. “Currently we are supporting our friends from the Ukrainian sister cities of Horlivka and Drohobych. Earlier this year, we supported reconstruction efforts in our sister city of Kanazawa, Japan. A group of high school students from Dortmund, Germany, are currently enrolled in local schools, and students from Kenmore are currently in Lille, France.

These opportunities for connection allow us to support our sister cities in times of need and celebration, and to experience international perspectives, lifestyles and values ​​in a rapidly changing world. Recently, Buffalo’s sister city committees participated in a Sister City Mixer. Here’s what we learned, from the history of links to how to get involved.

Dortmund, Germany: This twinning relationship was proposed by Herbert Morgenroth, who came to the University at Buffalo as an exchange professor in the seventies. He noticed similarities between the two places – the suburbs, the size, the famous steel companies – and contacted the German honorary consul in Buffalo to apply for the program. To date, this partnership offers a high school exchange as well as cultural events, such as Waldfest in Marilla on July 21. This month, the Buffalo-Dortmund Twin City Committee is celebrating the forty-fifth anniversary of the partnership with a fundraiser at the Buffalo Yacht Club.

Kanazawa, Japan: JapanWNY manages the Buffalo-Kanazawa Twin City Committee, which organizes events and exchange activities between the two cities. “We regularly send delegations to Kanazawa for the Kanazawa Marathon and major festivals, and we welcome official delegations for major events like our 60th anniversary in 2022,” explains coordinator Chris Morrison. Other cultural activities include mochi-making workshops and mizuhiki (the art of tying knots). The organization is currently holding a fundraiser for Kanazawa residents affected by this natural disaster. The best way to get involved is to become a member.

Rzeszów, Poland: In July, Pomost International is organizing a two-week active exchange for all ages with the Polish sister city of Rzeszów. It includes accommodation and meals, tickets to sporting and musical events, as well as intensive courses and workshops. Rest assured: you don’t need to speak Polish to participate, but you will learn some if you decide to go.

Lille, France: The Buffalo-Lille Association holds monthly meetings. His big event this year is a trip from July 6 to 14 to visit Lille and its Belgian neighbors (Mouscron, Tournai and Kortrijk). The itinerary includes visits to the European Parliament in Brussels, offices in the Eurometropole region of Lille and a visit to public murals curated by the art organization. Renart Collective.

Where to learn a new language

For stakeholders of all levelsIn-person language classes offer a new connection to distant lands and opportunities to practice with native speakers right here in the Queen City.

To practice your skills, find a foreign pen pal on websites like InterPals, Global Penfriends, or PenPal World. From here you can decide whether you want to write letters, emails or messages on WhatsApp.

French: THE Alliance-Française of Buffalo offers conversation classes and French workshops year-round on the Buffalo State University campus (affbuffalo.org/classes).

Italian: The instructors at Buffalo Italian Cultural Center teach Italian and Sicilian (ccibuffalo.org/classes).

Polish: Polish Saturday School has been held at Saint-Stanislas Parish since 1955 (polishschoolbuffalo.com).