Sister Cities Int’l Conference: Flags, Diplomats, Cultural

During the Sister Cities International Annual Conference, SCI presented the 2019 Eisenhower Peace Prize to Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. Ms. Kennedy Townsend received the prize at the Opening Ceremony and Parade of Flags on Thursday morning, July 18 in Houston, Texas.

Every year Sister Cities International awards the Eisenhower Peace Prize to a nationally recognized leader whose lifetime of public service exemplifies, epitomizes, and promotes the value of the citizen diplomat in the timeless, noble cause of advancing world peace.

KIF Chair & SCI Board Director enjoyed taking a selfie with Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner and Kimiya Yui, a Japanese astronaut from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Annual Global Awareness Diplomatic Plenary Panel Session highlighted citizen diplomacy initiatives and opportunities with China, Germany, Ghana, Japan and Russia.

The Moderator was Ambassador Chase Untermeyer (Former Ambassador to Qatar). The Speakers included Mr. Heqiang Zhang (Director General, Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries), Ms. Alexandra Ignatyeva (General Director, Union of Russian Cities), Mr. Hideo Fukushima (Consul General to Japan in Houston), Mr. Prince Kwame Kludjeson (Africa Global Sister Cities Foundation), Mr. Thomas Meister (Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Houston).

Followed by the national election of the new national board members of SCI, sister cities and city leaders gathered at the Mayor’s City Welcome Reception. At the reception, international attendees enjoyed the foods and beverages with an entertaining dance performance by a Mexican dancer and an amazing singing performance by a Mexican singer who flew in from Mexico just for the reception.