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WHEREAS, for over sixty-seven years, beginning in 1956, the City of Pittsburgh has historically pioneered bilateral, officially sanctioned international "Sister City" relationships in order to carry out the widest possible diversity of activities offered under any international program. Sister Cities International, founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, intends to promote world peace through the critical inclusion and value of citizen diplomacy regardless of federal policies, and;
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WHEREAS, sister city partnerships are unique in that they sanction and engage three main sectors: local government, business, and a variety of citizen volunteers representing every component of civil society: municipal, professional, business, academic, humanitarian, environmental, scientific medical, and cultural exchange or project, and;
WHEREAS, Pittsburgh now enjoys twenty of these unique relationships, developing mutually beneficial programs in commerce, education, environment, sports, technology, and culture to work together to share best practices that address the global challenges being faced by cities of today and tomorrow, and;
WHEREAS, Matanzas, Cuba was Pittsburgh's seventh official sister city, founded in 1993 to establish goodwill through community exchanges based on mutual respect and shared interest by the late Senator Jim Ferlo, and Lisa Valanti, and;
WHEREAS, this year, 2023, marks it's the thirty-year anniversary of this sister city relationship, and;
WHEREAS, the City Council of Pittsburgh recognizes, applauds, and supports the contributions this official Sister City Partnership has made over the past thirty years, and the efforts of the dedicated individuals and institutions such as Global Links, The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Pittsburgh Historical Society, Sankofa Community Gardens, Casa San Jose, The Thomas Merton Center, Phipps Botanical Gardens, and many more who have contributed to its success, often under difficult situations, towar...
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