Compared to the kinds of justice action that we usually admire and embrace, starting a sister city connection with Palestine might seem rather low-key, perhaps even “toothless.”
Yet activists have found it can bring about a remarkable sea-change in a community’s awareness and understanding of the issues, often more quickly and on a wider scale than our usual approaches.
With art exchanges, entrepreneurial collaborations, pen pal connections, opportunities to “come and see” (as Palestinians have long urged us to do), and so much more, a sister city relationship can achieve a quantum leap in a community’s understanding of the people of Palestine, how they live, and what they endure.
Breaking through decades of Israeli propaganda and effectively persuading the public about current realities in Palestine - is an essential priority in the movement for Palestinian rights.
Even before a sister city relationship is established the public discussion and debate it can stimulate are a magnificent means of “waking up” an entire community. Imagine initiating those discussions in thousands of cities around the world and the changes we would see in our societies!
Join us to hear from experienced Sister City organizers and learn about this under-utilized and dynamic means of fostering justice for the people of Palestine.
Essrea Cherin is a co-founder and current vice-chair of the Boulder-Nablus Sister City Project, designed to inspire cross-cultural friendships between Americans and Palestinians. She serves as the Executive Director of Pilgrims of Ibillin, and has extensive experience in connecting people with the goals of peace and justice in the Middle East.
Youssef Elzein is a Lebanese American who has been a key organizer in the campaign to establish a Sister City relationship between his city of Dayton, Ohio and the Palestinian city of Salfit in the West Bank. Elzein has worked as a Civil Engineer for 35 years.