Committees
The Catania Committee promotes and encourages activities and exchanges to promote art, culture, education and business opportunities between Catania and Phoenix. The Committee welcomes new ideas and projects that will help it achieve its long term goal of bringing the cultures of these two important urban centers closer. The Catania Committee actively supports the Phoenix Sister Cities Youth Ambassador Exchange Program and seeks out business opportunities that are beneficial to each city. It also participates in hosting visiting delegations and has a role in all major events produced by Phoenix Sister Cities. The Catania Committee meets on the third Thursday of each month and welcomes new members.
The Chengdu Committee fosters and encourages mutual understanding, friendship and a higher quality of life for the people of Phoenix and Chengdu. At the heart of the Committee is the commitment to exchange partnership and expertise which translates into long-term benefits for citizens, organizations, businesses, and schools, both in Phoenix and in Chengdu. Volunteer committee members work to promote activities including Chinese Week, trade delegations, youth and education programs, arts and cultural exchanges, teacher training and municipal training. The Chengdu Committee meets on the first Wednesday of each month and welcomes new members.
Disabilities Awareness Committee (DAC) The Disability Awareness Committee explores how Phoenix Sister Cities can fully incorporate people with disabilities into all programs and activities as well as create opportunities to share information and build disabilities awareness among the Sister Cities. The Committee exchanges information about accessibility issues, arts programs and adaptive recreation for people with disabilities and professionals who work with various special needs on an individual bases and community setting. The Committee has worked with both the Hermosillo and Grenoble Committees to produce unique experiences for disabled athletes and community leaders. One such program was a wheelchair basketball exchange with Hermosillo, Mexico. Another was an exchange of disabled people with Grenoble, France that focused on adaptive recreation and accessibility in public transit and housing which includes programs doctors and therapists working with rehabilitation. The Disabilities Awareness Committee meets on the first Tuesday of each month and welcomes new members. Economic Relations Committee The Economic Relations Committee promotes Phoenix, Phoenix Sister Cities, and new business relationships that educate local businesses on international trends and practices while strengthening the economic ties that bind Phoenix to the progressive global economy. The Economic Relations Committee or ERC helps Phoenix Sister Cities with economic planning, financial goals, and constant review and development of economic relations criteria for evaluation of current and future sister city relationships. The ERC seeks to support local businesses by holding talks and seminars to share information about the Global Markets, most notable is the Global Links Luncheon speaker series. Future goals also include developing the means to provide synergy between the business community's involvement in the ERC and other activities of Phoenix Sister Cities.
The Ennis Committee is dedicated to promoting friendship and understanding between the cities of Phoenix and Ennis through a variety of programs. The Ennis Committee supports the Phoenix Sister Cities Youth Ambassador Exchange Program, the Irish Castle Banquet, the St. Patrick's Parade and Irish Faire, the Irish Cultural Center at Hance Park and other Irish cultural events. At the same time the Committee actively promotes business opportunities between the two cities. The Ennis Committee meets on the fourth Thursday of each month and welcomes new members.
The Grenoble Committee is devoted to nurturing the Phoenix-Grenoble relationship by promoting and supporting a variety of opportunities that connect the two cities. These include, but are not limited to, cultural exchanges, economic development, art exchanges and sports-for-the-disabled in the form of activities and events. The Committee also works to foster relationships between ASU and universities in Grenoble in many areas including nanotechnology. Volunteers participate in French Week, a program sponsored by the Association of French Teachers. The Grenoble Committee meets on the second Tuesday of each month and welcomes new members.
The Hermosillo Committee supports a rich and busy friendship between Phoenix and Hermosillo, Mexico, overseeing extensive exchanges among business people, students, teachers, police and firefighters, sports enthusiasts and many others. The Committee provides disabilities assistance to Hermosillo in a variety of ways. For example, two fully equipped vans with wheelchair lifts were presented to Hermosillo. The Committee organizes an annual Christmas toy drive for needy children of Hermosillo in cooperation with the Phoenix Police Department. Other activities include high school youth exchanges, exchange of university students and faculty and the exchange of youth baseball teams. The Hermosillo Committee meets on the second Tuesday of each month and welcomes new members.
The Himeji Committee actively supports the city of Himeji, Japan and promotes Japanese culture through its relationship and activities with the Japanese-American community of Phoenix. The Committee's main project is Matsuri, a festival of Japan held in downtown Phoenix the last weekend in February. The Committee supports the festival by working at the two-day event. The Himeji Committee supports the goal of nurturing future international leaders by sending Youth Ambassadors to Himeji. The Committee also is involved in the Teach Abroad Program that sends Phoenix teachers to Himeji to work for the Himeji Board of Education, helping Japanese youth speak and understand conversational English. The Himeji Committee meets on the first Thursday of each month and welcomes new members.
The Ramat-Gan Committee is dedicated to promoting art and culture, sports, education, and business opportunities between Ramat-Gan and Phoenix. The Committee seeks out and supports opportunities for the two desert cities to share technology and information that are mutually beneficial. The Ramat-Gan Committee cultivates a pluralistic, area-wide membership and is actively engaged in developing business contacts to help the Committee and Phoenix Sister Cities meet its international goals. Throughout the year Committee volunteers support the Phoenix Sister Cities Youth Ambassador Exchange and maintain a presence at all Phoenix Sister Cities events. The Ramat-Gan Committee meets on the second Thursday of each month and welcomes new members.
The Taipei Committee is a bridge connecting the City of Phoenix and the City of Taipei, Taiwan through cultural, educational and business exchanges. The Taipei Committee supports the Taipei-Phoenix Sister Cities relationship through Youth Ambassador and teacher exchanges. Among its many activities, Committee volunteers actively promote Phoenix Chinese Week, Taipei cultural performances, delegation visits, the Arizona Dragon Boat Festival, Taipei Culture Summer Camp and the Asian Business Expo. The committee also provides outreach to the Phoenix community about Taipei. The Taipei Committee meets on the second Thursday of each month and welcomes new members. |
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Catania City Committee 
Chengdu City Committee
Ennis City Committee
Grenoble City Committee
Hermosillo City Committee
Himeji City Committee
Ramat-Gan City Committee
Taipei City Committee
