Baltimore Sister Cities

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Upcoming Sister City Events

A list of upcoming events organized or supported by Baltimore Sister Cities and our sister city committees (Changwon, South Korea; Gbarnga, Liberia; Kawasaki, Japan; Luxor & Alexandria, Egypt; Odesa, Ukraine; Piraeus, Greece; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Xiamen, China) and our affiliates. Events include:


January 14 – March 25, 2023

Lunar New Year Exhibition at Baltimore Clayworks

Times: Tuesday – Saturday 10am-5pm ET. Sunday 12-5pm ET.
Admission: Free and open to the public
Location: Baltimore Clayworks, 5707 Smith Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21209
About the exhibition: Exhibition page on Baltimore Clayworks site
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 14 from 6-8 pm
Virtual Artist Talk: January 24 at 2pm ET with curator Adam Chau About the artist talk

Chinese/Vietnamese American artist, Adam Chau, has produced this series of exhibitions across the United States celebrating the Asian New Year since 2019. Participating AAPI and mixed-heritage artists share original ceramic works inspired by the animals from the Asian zodiac – a rabbit for the year 2023. Multiple cultures are represented in this project, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Event partners include Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC), Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC), Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center (AA&CC).


March – April, 2023

Architecture student exchange

Students and faculty from Morgan State University School of Architecture + Planning (MSU SA+P) travel to Baltimore’s sister city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands in March. In April, architecture faculty students from Rotterdam travel to Baltimore to reciprocate the exchange

See the Trip to Rotterdam webpage for more information.

Supported by Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee.


Q1-Q2 2023

Maryland Global Gateway soft landing program

Are you a Maryland-based business interested in testing put your business in a foreign market? If so, check out the new Global Gateway Exchange soft landing program organized by the State of Maryland’s Department of Commerce. The program helps Maryland companies ease their transitions to global markets and connects them with an international partner. Selected Maryland companies will have the opportunity to explore a foreign market with the support of a partnering incubator. Exchange partners provide companies with access to facilities, resources, networking, advisors, and more. Current international partners include incubator programs in Ireland, South Korea and Japan, with more expected to join in the coming months.

The program is also accepting applications for non-U.S. businesses looking to test out the Maryland market. Applications for foreign companies are accepted through March 15. Participating companies were eligible for funding toward rent costs for up to six months at a business incubator and accelerator in Maryland. The program also offers training, mentoring, matchmaking and networking, and assistance with business registration costs for those that choose to stay in Maryland.

More information


March 17 – April 16, 2023

Crisis Mode: Living Pilipino in America

In-person: Friday, March 17- Sunday, April 2
Online: Thursday, March 30-Sunday, April 16
Location: Strand Theater, 5426 Harford Road, Baltimore MD 21214
More info: Strand Theater website

In this one-person piece, Cori Dioquino explores the complexities of her own identity as she navigates through the three major identity crises of her life. “Crisis Mode” weaves Dioquino’s personal history with that of her motherland – The Philippines – and its complicated relationship to the United States through dance, movement, music, and art. With each crisis, she shares her experiences growing up an immigrant in the “Land of the Free”, coping with hidden mental health issues, and her gradual transition from “Proud Pinoy” to “Generic Asian”. 

Produced by Asian Pasifika Arts Collective and Strand Theater Co. Co-sponsored by the Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center (AA&CC).


March 25 to April 3, 2023

Changwon’s Annual Flower Festival

Baltimore Sister Cities members are invited to attend this annual festival. Contact the Baltimore-Changwon Sister City Committee for more information.

Promoted by Baltimore-Changwon Sister City Committee.


March 26, 2023

Annual Maryland Greek Independence Day Parade in Baltimore

Baltimore Sister Cities members are invited to arrive at 2pm to march with the Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee!

Supported by Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee.


April 1, 2023

Hanami: Baltimore’s Cherry Blossom Picnic

Join us for the annual Hanami picnic hosted by the Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee

Time: 2-4pm ET
Location: Fort McHenry Park, 2400 E. Fort Ave, Baltimore MD 21230
Admission: Free. Bring your own picnic.
More information & to register: Eventbrite page

Hanami is the Japanese tradition of enjoying cherry blossoms in full bloom with a picnic under the cherry trees. Fort McHenry park has two lovely groves of cherry trees for us to relax under. Bring your blanket, a picnic lunch, and cultural curiosity. Baltimore-Kawasaki committee members will be ready with some extra Japanese finger foods and tea.

You can park in the Fort McHenry parking lot and walk through the Visitor’s Center to reach the East Lawn Cherry Tree Grove. Beer and sake are allowed as per park rules. We anticipate good weather but, rain or shine, we will be present. And bring your camera for blossom selfies. The event is free but please register.

Organized by the Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee


April 1, 2023

Ryokucha Japanese Tea Tasting Workshop

Time: 12-2pm ET
Location: McHenry Row Conference Center, 1215 E. Fort Ave, Baltimore MD 21230
More information & to purchase tickets: Eventbrite page

Nippon Motion hosts a Ryokucha Workshop with Japanese Green Tea. Learn about loose-leaf, matcha, and ready-to-drink tea. Sample over 10 authentic varieties. Receive a Japanese-made yunomi (ceramic tea cup). This is a great opportunity for both beginners and existing fans of Japanese tea to expand their knowledge and get first-hand experience with the world of Ryokucha!

The Ryokucha Workshop takes place near Fort McHenry Park, so attendees of the Ryokucha Workshop can come join the Hanami event (Japanese cherry blossom picnic) in McHenry Park after the workshop.

Go ahead and plan a great day of Japanese culture — start with a Ryokucha Workshop from 12-2pm and head over to the Hanami picnic from 2-4pm. Wonderful scents, sights, and tastes!

Organized by Nippon Motion. Co-promoted by Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC).


April 11, 2023

Author conversation with Diana Abu-Jaber

Time: 7-8pm EST
Format: Zoom
More info & to register: mcpl.libnet.info/event/7813047

Born to an American mother and a Jordanian father, Diana Abu-Jaber now teaches writing and literature at Portland State University in Oregon. She is the author of the highly-acclaimed memoirs Life Without a Recipe and The Language of Baklava as well as the novels Crescent and Birds of Paradise. Abu-Jaber will be talking about her newest book, Fencing with the King, which has been described as a “mesmerizing breakthrough novel of family myths and inheritances.” 

Other talks in this series

Hosted by Montgomery County Public Libraries, in partnership with Montgomery County Middle Eastern American Advisory Group, Office of Community Partnerships and Baltimore-Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee.


April 12–17, 2023

Dutch tall clipper ship in Baltimore Inner Harbor

Tours available to the public through the Sail Baltimore organization.

More information


Opens April 23, 2023

Across Asia: Arts of Asia and the Islamic World

Location: Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201
Opening Reception: Sunday, April 23 at 2 pm ET
More info: Walters museum website

The Walters Art Museum presents a landmark installation of its Asian and Islamic collections, offering new ways to examine and experience both Asian and Islamic art. For the first time at the Walters, visitors can view approximately 500 artworks from across the Asian continent together in a contiguous space, including art from Islamic cultures spanning West to South Asia. Across Asia: Arts of Asia and the Islamic World is the culmination of years of work by Walters curators to expand the connectivity of the Asian and Islamic art collections and will feature visitor favorites as well as works which have previously never been on view.

During the opening reception: Celebrate the opening of the Walters Art Museum’s Across Asia: Arts of Asia and the Islamic World with performances co-presented by the Asian Arts & Culture Center. Listen to Persian music by Ahmad Borhani and Japanese koto musician Masayo Ishigure and enjoy an Indian-Thai collaborative dance performance by Nilimma Devi and Anila Kumari of Sutradhar Institute of Dance and Related Arts/Devi Dance Theatre and Suteera Nagavajara and Vorayot Suksaichon of Somapa Thai Dance Company. The celebration also includes gallery talks, drop-in art-making, and tea tasting from 11 am to 4:30 pm. All ages are welcome.

Opening reception co-sponsored by the Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center (AA&CC).


April 26, 2023

Filling the Skills Gap in the Workplace (Agile Global Innovation Series)

Time: 4-7pm ET
Location: World Trade Center building at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore
More info & to register: AGILE event series page

Job titles and college degrees are out. Skills are in. That is the takeaway from new research about how to hire and retain workers so that businesses can succeed. Emphasizing skills in job descriptions has boosted the quality and quantity of people applying for jobs. And investing in staff training related to specific skills has increased the number of people who stay with their current employer instead of searching for a greener pasture. During this session, participants will learn what academic institutions are doing to ensure their students have the right skills needed to enter and advance in careers related to global business, as well as how artificial intelligence (such as ChatGPT) is influencing the institutions’ decisions about what and how to teach.


May 1, 2023

Sister Cities International Young Artists & Authors Program on Food Security

May 1 is the deadline for sister cities to submit artwork to this showcase. Only members of Sister Cities International can submit artwork for consideration. This year’s theme is: “Peace by Piece: Food Security in My Community.”

About the program


May 5 – June 3, 2023

Annual Asia North Exhibition & Festival

Exhibit Opening Reception and Celebration: Friday, May 5
Exhibition and Festival: May 5 – June 3
More info: About the festival

The 5th annual Asia North community exhibition and festival celebrates Baltimore’s Charles North (a.k.a. Station North) neighborhood’s constantly evolving identities as a Koreatown, arts district, and creative center. Inaugurated in spring 2019, Asia North is a collaborative community celebration that recognizes, showcases, and honors the art, culture and the Asian heritage of Greater Baltimore, especially the Korean history of Baltimore’s Charles North community.

Festival includes “Three Patterns” Exhibit & Performance from May 19-28 by Michael Young. The exhibit includes 14 photos and 2 Shodo (Japanese calligraphy) works, with 3 performances on opening night including Shakuhacki by Hideo Sekino.

Stay tuned for more updates. 

Co-presented by the Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center (AA&CC) and the Central Baltimore Partnership. Baltimore-Changwon Sister City Committee plans to participate in this event.


May 31 – June 5, 2023

Japanese Coast Guard ship in Fell’s Point harbor

Tours available to the public through the Sail Baltimore organization.

More information


June 2, 2023

Baltimore Immigration Summit

Towson University and the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA) host the 10th Baltimore Immigration Summit at West Village Commons at Towson University, returning after a three-year hiatus. This is a one-day event bringing together academics, policymakers, service providers, activists, community leaders and others working with and for New Americans (immigrants and refugees) in the Baltimore region. The 2023 theme is ”Working Towards Equity: Strength and Transformation in Immigrant Communities.” Stay tuned for more information to come.


June 6, 2023

Annual Women Spanning the Globe conference

Time: 8:30-4:30pm ET
Location: Colwell Center (Formerly the Columbus Center) 701 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 
More info & to register: Event page

The annual Women Spanning the Globe conference hosted by World Trade Center Institute (WTCI) is a chance to learn from and network with hundreds of emerging and existing women leaders from the Mid-Atlantic region.

The voices at the conference are diverse and expansive. Since the event’s inception in 2005, speaker lineups have included marketing and banking executives, engineers, technology and human resources experts, journalists, and humanitarians. And while these women are spread across industries, they often experience the same professional challenges.


Sep 9 & 10, 2023

47th Annual Ukrainian Festival of Baltimore

Details to come.


Note: due to the evolving worldwide COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, we advise you to check each event’s page or event organizers for the latest updates about the event, before you go to attend an event.

Announcements

Several programs, projects, and contributions organized or supported by Baltimore Sister Cities and our sister city committees (Changwon, South Korea; Gbarnga, Liberia; Kawasaki, Japan; Luxor & Alexandria, Egypt; Odesa, Ukraine; Piraeus, Greece; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Xiamen, China) and our affiliates. Please also see our list of upcoming events.


B4 Youth Theatre Liberia – 200 Years of Returns (2022)

Promoted by Baltimore-Gbarnga Sister City Committee

B4 Youth Theatre, Inc. Liberia presented the Bicentennial performance of 200 Years of Returns in Liberia in December 2022.

This is a collaboration with Department of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Virginia (US), dancers sponsored by the Inheritance Baltimore project, and graduate researcher assistants under the direction of the Program in Racism, Immigration, and Citizenship at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University. Since this collaboration began in 2019, the team has consulted with notable Liberian scholars, artists, and policymakers such as Dr. Carl Burrowes, Dr. Clarice Ford Kulah, and Hon. Rosana G.D.H. Schaack on the development of a production that includes many perspectives for a thoughtful reflection on the challenges and triumphs which brought us together in the past and with hope for how we might persevere together in the future.

More information


Immigrant Heritage Month Recognition (2022)

Contributions by Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC)

The BXSCC and its efforts in support of Baltimore’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic were featured by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA) during their social media celebration of immigrants’ contribution to the City of Baltimore. See the post via Instagram.


Blooming Rainbow Project (2021-2022)

Organized by Baltimore-Changwon Sister City Committee (BCSCC)

During 2021-2022, artists conducted “Blooming Rainbow” — a collaborative class with children, 5-15 years old, in Baltimore and South Korea to create abstract painting jointly together. In this program, children paint scribbles — they can express their feelings, impulsion or their favorite figures. The scribbles are then exchanged with the artists in Baltimore and Korea, who overlap color onto the scribbles. The children learn about the sister cities of Baltimore, Maryland USA and Changwon, South Korea, and learn about abstract art concepts and artists.

The program is coordinated by artists Ara Ko, Jack Koppert, and Huaqi Liu (graduate students in MICA’s LeRoy E. Hoffberger Painting MFA Program in Baltimore) and Chaeyeon Hong, Yongeun Kwon and Jaeeun Kim from Ewha University in Seoul, South Korea (who travel to Changwon to teach their group of students).

Learn more about the project here.

Blooming Rainbow Project

Blooming Rainbow class – making art
Blooming Rainbow class – making art
Blooming Rainbow class – writing names in English and Korean characters

During 2021-2022, artists conducted “Blooming Rainbow” — a collaborative class with children, 5-15 years old, in Baltimore and South Korea to create abstract painting jointly together. In this program, children paint scribbles — they can express their feelings, impulsion or their favorite figures. The scribbles are then exchanged with the artists in Baltimore and Korea, who overlap color onto the scribbles. The children learn about the sister cities of Baltimore, Maryland USA and Changwon, South Korea, and learn about abstract art concepts and artists. The program is coordinated by artists Ara Ko, Jack Koppert, and Huaqi Liu (graduate students in MICA’s LeRoy E. Hoffberger Painting MFA Program in Baltimore) and Chaeyeon Hong, Yongeun Kwon and Jaeeun Kim from Ewha University in Seoul, South Korea (who travel to Changwon to teach their group of students).

Baltimore-Changwon Sister City Committee (BCSCC) is a project partner.

Video about the Blooming Rainbow project

Exhibition – Summer 2022

The work is shown online on Instagram, and in an exhibition in summer 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland USA and Changwon, South Korea.

The opening was on June 10 at 7:00pm ET Baltimore time and on June 11 at 8:00 AM Changwon time and was livestreamed online. Dami S. Schlobohm was the MC at the opening show and performed music. Dami is a cellist and music teacher born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Maryland.

Watch highlights from the exhibition opening event

The full-length recording of the event can be viewed on YouTube.

The artists who are leading this program

Artist Ara Ko with examples of her artwork
Artist Ara Ko
Artist Chae Yeon Hong
Artist Chae Yeon Hong
Blooming Rainbow hand-drawn logo with hand prints

2021 Year in Review: Baltimore Sister Cities

Annual Report & Plan

Baltimore Sister Cities Annual Accomplishments Report for 2021 (PDF, 3mb)

Baltimore Sister Cities Annual Plan for 2022 (PDF, 1.3mb)

Some of our 2021 highlights:

Photo collage of Baltimore Sister Cities 2021 activities - the activities are described in the report.

2nd photo collage of Baltimore Sister Cities 2021 activities - the activities are described in the report.

Help support Odesa, our sister city in Ukraine!

Baltimore-Odesa Sister Cities Fundraiser: Help support Baltimore's Sister City in Ukraine in its time of need! (photos of Mt Vernon Square in Baltimore; Odesa National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet)

Donate via credit card or PayPal: Donate here

The Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee will use the full amount of your donation for humanitarian aid to citizens of Odesa, Ukraine and to the Ukrainian community in Baltimore.

If you prefer to pay by check (in US dollars): Make your check out to: BSC. Put “Odesa fundraiser” in the memo line. Mail it to Baltimore Sister Cities, 4701 East Lane, Baltimore MD 21210 USA.

Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. No goods or services are provided to you for this gift. Please consult your tax advisor regarding specific questions about your deductions.

About the Baltimore-Odesa sister city relationship

The Sister Cities International program was established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to create a force for international cooperation and understanding through community involvement by promoting peace through people-to-people relationships. The Baltimore Sister Cities (BSC) Program was established in the early 1970’s by then-Mayor William Donald Schaefer. The Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee (BOSCC) was established in 1974 and is the second oldest relationship managed by Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc, a non-profit 501c3 corporation.
Visit www.baltimoreodesa.org for more information, more ways to support Odesa and Ukraine, and to volunteer for the committee.

A Tale of Two Cities: Baltimore and Odesa — The Role of Sister Cities in International Relations

Recording of a 2022 webinar hosted by Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee, where panelists discussed the connection between Baltimore and Odesa in light of current events at the intersection of public, private and government partnerships across the world which help promote international diplomacy.
youtu.be/QxAFORH3MDg

Interview on Baltimore radio

Listen to an interview on Baltimore’s WYPR radio station in 2022 with Karina Mandell, Chair, Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee, talking about Baltimore’s sister city of Odesa, Ukraine:
www.wypr.org/2022-02-25/baltmores-sister-odesa-ukraine

Baltimore Sister Cities is seeking a new treasurer

The Treasurer of Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. (BSC) is stepping down in early 2022 after 3 years of service, so BSC is looking for a new treasurer.

Key responsibilities are: bookkeeping for the accounts of the corporation and its 8 sister city committees; processing payments and deposits for the corporation and its committees; managing the corporation’s checking account at a local bank; preparing and filing state and federal tax returns; working with the corporation’s executive committee to prepare an annual budget; and attending board meetings (approximately every 6 weeks). Some accounting background and experience with QuickBooks, Excel and Google Workplace (formerly called ‘G Suite’) is a plus.

Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. (BSC) is a non-profit 501c3 corporation and all of its members and officers, including the Treasurer, are unpaid volunteers. The position offers great international management experience and personal satisfaction in line with the mission of Sister Cities International: ‘To promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time.’ For more information about BSC, see our home page.

Several other Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. executive officer positions will also be opening up in January 2022.

Persons who are interested in the Treasurer position or other positions at BSC should contact  for more information. Please reply on or before December 31, 2021.

Ballot topics for January 27, 2022 BSC Annual Membership Meeting

In the January 27, 2022 annual membership meeting of Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc., (BSC), the following items (A, B, and C) will be submitted for approval by the BSC membership (voting members of BSC board and the constituent sister city committees). The information has been posted on this webpage so that members have a chance to review it before the meeting.

A. 2021 ACCOMPLISHMENTS REPORT

(for BSC-level activities and activities for the constituent sister city committees)

View proposed 2021 Accomplishments Report (PDF, 5.8mb)

PDF posted on: 2022-01-23 4pm ET

B. 2022 PLAN

(for BSC-level activities and activities for the constituent sister city committees)

View proposed 2022 Plan (PDF, 2mb)

PDF posted on: 2022-01-23 4pm ET

C. Board Elections

Below is the list of board directors that represent sister city committees and other organizations on our board, as defined in our bylaws.

Persons in bold font with an asterisk (*) are nominees, up for election this year. These nominations were made by the sister city committees and other organizations represented on our BSC, Inc. board. Opposing nominations, if desired, can be made at the January 27, 2022 annual meeting.

Persons WITHOUT an asterisk are in the middle of their board term and therefore NOT up for reelection this year.

OrganizationRepresentativeTerm
BSC:Changwon (BCSCC) Representative:
Michelle Lee
2021-2022
Gbarnga (BGSCC) Representative:
William Hug *
2022-2023
Kawasaki (BKSCC) Representative:
Jay Gordon
2021-2022
Luxor-Alexandria (BLASCC) Representative to :
Karen Leggett Abouraya
2021-2022
Odesa (BOSCC) Representative:
Karina Mandell *
2022-2023
Piraeus (BPSCC) Representative:
Diane Homberg *
2022-2023
Rotterdam (BRSCC) Representative:
Gary Davison *
2022-2023
Xiamen (BXSCC) Representative:
Kerry Holahan *
2022-2023
BDC:Baltimore Development Corporation Representative:
William Cawthern * (Director of Baltimore Foreign Trade Zone #74)
2022-2023
BOPA:Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts Representative:
Lauren Green (Director of Marketing)
2021-2022
Mayor’s Office:Baltimore Mayor’s Office Representative:
Nina Themelis * (Deputy Director, Mayor’s Office of Government Relations)
2022-2023
MIMA:Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Representative:
Catalina Rodriguez-Lima (Director of MIMA)
2021-2022

Note: Non-voting board members (currently Geri Byrd, Hosea Chew, Teresa Leslie, Nancy Taylor) are not approved at the Annual Membership Meeting but at the 1st regular board meeting of the year following the annual meeting. This year that board meeting is scheduled for February 23, 2022. BSC officers are also elected at the February 23 meeting. The officer positions to be elected this year are: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Assistant Secretary.

D. Sister City Committee Chairs

The following list informational only. The chairs are elected by their committee members. The chairs are not elected in the BSC annual membership meeting.

CommitteeChairTerm
Changwon (BCSCC)Michelle LeeUntil 2022-12-31
Gbarnga (BGSCC)Pending
Kawasaki (BKSCC)Jay Gordon2021-2022
Luxor-Alexandria (BLASCC) Karen Leggett Abouraya & Tharwat Abouraya (co-chairs)2022-2023
Odesa (BOSCC)Karina MandellUntil 2022-06-01
Piraeus (BPSCC)Diane Homberg2021-2022
Rotterdam (BRSCC)Rachel Sengers2022-2023
Xiamen (BXSCC)Xin (Cindy) Wang2022-2023

Maryland state representatives visit to the Netherlands

Map showing USA and the Netherlands; logos of MDEM, NWP, and BRSCC. Text: November visit to the Netherlands | Amsterdam Water Week | Climate Resilience | Flood Management

Representatives of Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM, formerly known as MEMA), travel to the Netherlands for a flood-resilience themed trip in early November. JaLeesa Tate, Maryland State Hazard Mitigation Officer; Kyle Overly, Director of the Disaster Risk Reduction Directorate; and Allegra Tartaglia, Non-Governmental Services Branch Manager, will participate in Amsterdam International Water Week and share about resilience efforts in Maryland at this AIWW panel on Nov 1: aiww2021.com/event/risk-and-resilience-in-the-americas

AIWW is a hybrid conference, and the online events are FREE, including the panel in which MDEM is participating. To register: aiww2021.com/register

The MDEM representatives will also visit integrated climate resilience and flood prevention infrastructure sites in Rotterdam and The Hague and hold meetings on the topics of resilience and disaster risk reduction during their visit to Netherlands.

In addition, Kyle Overly will be joining a government panel exchanging flood resilience initiatives at the Dubai World Expo Urban and Rural Development Day in the Dutch Biotope Pavilion in the Sustainability District (Dutch Dubai), sharing the milestones and initiatives in cities in the State of Maryland and the city of Baltimore.

We thank Janett Tapia, Arjan Braamskamp, and their colleagues at Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) for their work in planning this trip. The Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC) is honored to help with the planning.

This is part of ongoing collaboration between Maryland and the Netherlands on climate adaption and resilience.

Kawasaki and Baltimore explore steel mill closures and redevelopment

Photo of Kawasaki at sunset with Mount Fuji in background; photo of Baltimore Inner Harbor waterfront at twilight with skyline, water, and boat.

Background

During a delegation visit from Kawasaki to Baltimore in 2019 to celebrate the 40th year anniversary of the sister city relationship, several delegates spoke informally to Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC) about JFE, a Kawasaki corporation and the second largest steel manufacturer in Japan, closing down its steel mill on a reclaimed island in Tokyo Bay, part of Kawasaki. Koji Hirao, the Chairman of the Kawasaki International Association and a member of the 2019 delegation, reached out to BKSCC in 2020, to find out if Baltimore would be interested in providing background information for a Kawasaki municipal project following the removal of the JFE steel mill facility. Kawasaki wanted to talk to groups in Baltimore who had been involved in the Tradepoint Atlantic redevelopment project at the Bethlehem Steel site at Sparrows Point, Baltimore County, for insights into planning and execution.

Meeting in October 2021 about steel mill site redevelopment

In response to Kawasaki’s inquiry, BKSCC is helping to organize a virtual meeting on Tuesday, October 19 with about 20 invited participants. The meeting will include Baltimore county officials and members of TradePoint Atlantic’s development team along with members of Kawasaki City’s coastal area development team. The purpose of the meeting is to share the invaluable experiences by those Baltimore parties who were involved in the redevelopment of the Bethlehem Steel site. 

Attendees will include: the members of the City of Kawasaki Coastal Area International Strategy Headquarters; its advisors from the Mitsubishi Research Institute; the Tradepoint Atlantic management team; development officers from Baltimore County; the Baltimore Development Corporation; and the Commerce Department of the State of Maryland; several BKSCC members; and Geri Byrd, president of Baltimore Sister Cities.

Carbon-free power generation

BKSCC is also asking Kawasaki City to provide Baltimore with new research and information about their initiatives on carbon-free power generation. Kawasaki City is a leader in Japan, committing itself to the pursuit of a carbon-free circular economy. One of the city’s initiatives is to generate carbon-free power (ie, hydrogen) by using plastic waste and food waste. This initiative is managed by the City of Kawasaki Coastal Area International Strategy Headquarters. This article is an example of this trend: globetrender.com/2021/06/19/tokyu-hotels-first-hydrogen-hotel-japan

Our Message to the Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities

Map of world showing the locations of Baltimore's sister cities. Text says: In solidarity with AAPI communities

— April 2021 —

Baltimore Sister Cities (BSC) stands united and in solidarity with members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in Baltimore and in all parts of the United States. Especially as home to three Sister City relationships in Asia (Changwon, Korea; Kawasaki, Japan; and Xiamen, China), BSC deplores the events of the past year targeting members of AAPI communities. We are outraged at this senseless violence and abhor the pain and hurt inflicted on our AAPI colleagues and friends.

BSC makes this statement with awareness that anti-Asian violence is woven into the very history of our country. The Chinese massacre of 1871, the attacks on Filipino American farmworkers in the 1930’s, the angry incarceration in prison camps of Japanese Americans during WWII, and the violent arson by the Ku Klux Clan of Vietnamese American fishing boats in the 1970’s, were all emboldened by dehumanizing stereotypes and prejudice perpetuated towards Asians who immigrated into the American landscape. This normalizing of racism has continued in language like “Kung Flu” and “China Plague” in recent months.

BSC is committed to fighting prejudice and to creating dialogues on all forms of discrimination. It leads with a purpose of promoting cultural interchanges that can foster new and more culturally aware engagement. It is not what we say in the short term, but what we remain dedicated to that has lasting effects. BSC has vowed to send a strong message by providing an opportunity for an open dialogue of discussion with a distinguished group of panelists that will shed light on violence against AAPI communities. Within the next few weeks we will be announcing a live event and webinar discussion to educate and create awareness of AAPI issues and their long-term effects.

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Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. No goods or services were provided for this gift. Please consult your tax advisor regarding specific questions about your deductions.

 

Web site copyright © 2023 Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc.

logo-baltimoreBaltimore sister city committees operate under the auspices of the City of Baltimore’s Office of the Mayor.

 

Brandon M. Scott, Mayor

 

Previous mayor’s Dec 2015 press release about Baltimore Sister Cities.

 

Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. is a 501c3 organization incorporated in the State of Maryland.
Member of  Sister Cities International, Maryland Nonprofits, World Trade Center Institute, Visit Baltimore, & affiliate of Maryland International Education Consortium.
Recipient of 2016 Innovation Award from Sister Cities International.