Sister Cities OKC Shines on International Stage - Sister Cities International
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COMMUNITY
Sister Cities OKC
Shines on International Stage
BY TAMARA HERMEN
I
f you can’t travel to Brazil, China, Above, Dancers with the University of Oklahoma Confucius
Institute perform with scarfs
Mexico, Peru, Russia, Rwanda or
Taiwan, then the next best option is The timing to highlight the Sister Cities program, it
for the culture to come to you. seems, made sense for two reasons: the pandemic and
The interactive Sister Cities OKC program, featuring separately, Oklahoma’s excellence being recognized
official interchanges with eight cities in these countries, is internationally.
designed to bring this global education to Oklahoma City “The benefits of being a Sister City is it gives you a deeper
citizens. knowledge of other cultures and other people around the
The result is normally a feast of tastes, sounds and world,” Pointer said. “Right now we have a crisis, a global
stunning visual elements, with lasting benefits. crisis, that I think Sister Cities can help with.”
Mary Blankenship Pointer took time to talk about the Not only does the current state of world affairs during the
Sister Cities OKC program in the midst of her relentless work pandemic depend heavily on country to country interactions,
to process critical and timely Small Business Administration but the Sister Cities exchanges and interactions form links
loans amid the pandemic. Pointer is Senior Vice President at person to person, business to business and student to
Frontier State Bank and the current President of the Sister student. The framework is in place.
Cities OKC organization. The Sister Cities International program was created in
MAY/JUNE 2020 ion Oklahoma 23
1956 by President Eisenhower to lessen 2020 Sister Cities International
the chance of future conflicts. The Distinguished Leadership Award.
official mission of Sister Cities “This is a very, very prestigious
International is to “promote peace award. It’s huge,” said Pointer.
through mutual respect, understanding Past honorees include Second Lady of
and cooperation - one individual, one the United States Karen Pence; United
community at a time.” In short, the States Secretary of the Air Force
Sister Cities vision and infrastructure Barbara M. Barrett; The Honorable
is beneficial on many levels. Norman Mineta; New Mexico Governor
Oklahomans supporting the Sister Bill Richardson; Mayor Richard M.
Cities OKC program have been hard at Daley; and Maryland Lt. Governor
work building grassroots relationships Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.
and bridges. It is being noticed. Sister “Governor Anoatubby and the
Cities OKC is currently shining on the Chickasaw Nation have been
program’s international stage. supporters of Sister Cities OKC for
many years. When Governor Anoatubby
International Recognition for learns of a need he is always the first
OKC to quietly offer assistance,” said
The Sister Cities branch programs Pointer. “This year we received several
are where the many bonds continue to highly qualified nominations from other
form and results are revealed. board members. After reviewing
Oklahoma City has directly nurtured its Governor Anoatubby’s qualifications,
program for nearly four decades and the board unanimously selected
the results of this outreach are Governor Anoatubby to receive the 2020
exciting. Sister Cities International
Oklahoma’s interactive work with the Distinguished Leadership Award for his
Sister Cities program the past 45 years vision and leadership.”
has culminated in an enriching Top, Asian Night Market Festival festivities Oklahomans at work on the Sister
program with dynamic partners. Above, Ambassador Jose Arturo Rodriguez Cities program are being noticed on a
Because of the progressive work of Diaz, from the Guatemalan government
Below, Traditional Mariachi musicians with global scale and at home. Programs in
Sister Cities OKC, Pointer was Johnna Kirschner (left) and Mary Oklahoma City are taking root and
appointed to the Sister Cities Blankenship Pointer growing.
International board in the fall of 2019
to fulfill a term. In July of 2020, she will OKC’s Dynamic Sister Cities
run for election to serve a three-year Heritage
board position. The Sister Cities OKC program has
Additionally, Governor Bill Anoatubby long stood the test of time. With the
of the Chickasaw Nation was guidance of vital community leaders
unanimously selected to receive the and involved members throughout its
24 ion Oklahoma MAY/JUNE 2020
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt with his Left, Mary Blankenship Pointer, President,
children, Maggie and George, at the Sister Cities OKC and Sharon Gou,
2019 Asian Culture Celebration. University of Oklahoma Confucius
Institute, during 2020 Chinese New Year
40-year history, the group has celebration. Bottom, Lion dancers
nourished and grown the celebrating the Chinese New Year.
relationships of eight Sister Cities. around the world,” said Oklahoma City
The Oklahoma City Sister Cities are Mayor David Holt.
Haikou, China; Puebla, Mexico; There are currently around 200
Taipei, Taiwan; Tainan, Taiwan; Rio members of Oklahoma City’s Sister
de Janeiro, Brazil; Ulyanovsk, Cities organization. All members are
Russia; Kilgali City, Rwanda; and invited to experience three free
Piura, Peru. cultural programs a year, typically
“The relationship is an showcasing music, food, art and
agreement made Mayor to Mayor,” camaraderie from a specific city or
explained Pointer. “I would say the region. The organization also annually
Mayor is the top guy.” sponsors the Global Achievement
“The Sister Cities program is Awards banquet honoring local
very active in OKC and I find the visionaries.
program and especially its events Pointer described how the
are a great way to connect with our immigrant community organization has hosted a colorful Cinco de Mayo event at
as well as the leaders and residents in our Sister Cities the River complex complete with Mexican food, a Mariachi
MAY/JUNE 2020 ion Oklahoma 25
Sister Cities International OKC Global Achievement Award. Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, left, meets in his office with
dignitary Director General Peter Chen from Taiwan.
Band and tequila. Sister Cities OKC executed for its cultures, but it has given us a platform to spread the news
membership an elaborate presentation of culture at the of Oklahoma City’s great renaissance across the globe.”
Governor’s pavilion by the Taipei Economic Cultural Office
complete with costumes, artifacts, lovely fabrics, musicians Action and Interaction
playing beautiful instruments and singing in Taiwanese. Not Sister Cities OKC has demonstrated that its alliances are
to be forgotten is participation in the Asian District Night making an impact.
Market Festival and much more. Several of the words used to describe this program in the
There is a lot to experience through the Sister Cities OKC informational literature include develop, provide, create,
program and the opportunities are growing. stimulate and collaborate.
Oklahoma City’s first Sister City, Haikou, China, was “We want more excitement, said Pointer. “We want more
established in 1981. In 2021, Oklahoma City is poised to discussion and conversation.”
celebrate its 40th anniversary with Taipei, Taiwan. The fruits of this discussion and conversation bring a level
“Our most recent Sister City was signed in January, 2020. of external feedback that would not otherwise be available.
It is Piura, Peru. We had a trip planned in May to celebrate For example, Oklahoma Christian University opened a
with the Mayor, Vice Mayor and Governor. Unfortunately, it campus in Kilgali in 2012 to offer a Master’s Degree
will be postponed,” Pointer said. “We are also planning a program in Business Administration. Alternately, students
celebration for Taiwan in 2021.” from Kigali have been attending Oklahoma Christian for
The avenues of exchange with eight Sister Cities are many years.
varied, but each relationship is vital. Pointer also described her personal Sister Cities OKC
“For nearly 65 years, Sister Cities International has interactions regarding business.
encouraged cultural, educational, informational, and trade “In 2018, Nancy Hyde and I had the opportunity to travel
exchanges between cities of similar size across the globe. to Kigali. We met with the Bank of Kigali to help negotiate a
For Oklahoma City, in particular, it has given us an loan program for women-owned businesses,” she explained.
opportunity to build partnerships, share ideas, and create “We were able to tour approximately 12 businesses and help
lifelong bonds with citizens from around the world,” said with their business plans. We participated in a panel
Mark Stonecipher, Oklahoma City’s Ward 8 Councilman. “Not discussion that approximately 50 women
only has it exposed our citizens to a variety of different attended. Discussions included how to obtain business
26 ion Oklahoma MAY/JUNE 2020
Sister Cities OKC
2019-2020 Directors
Mary Blankenship-Pointer, President
US-China Mayor's Summit participants
Aldwyn Sappleton, Vice President
Mucki Wright, Secretary
loans, business plans, budgeting and accounting.” Nancy Hyde, Treasurer
Plans are in the works to begin exchanges with the most Jonna Kirschner, Executive Advisor
recently developed Sister City, Piura, Peru. Cheryl Clements
“We are working with the Honorary Consular Enrique Carol Sander
Gabatta-Villar to travel to Piura, Peru,” she continued. “We Chris Morriss
had planned to travel in May to meet many dignitaries, the Vicki Clark Gourley
Chamber of Commerce, and business owners. An economic Deanna Bradley
and educational exchange is anticipated in 2021.” Judy Austin
Although delays are being faced on many levels for millions Paul Dudman
of people due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the humanness of Young Chappell
outreach and camaraderie can serve as an anchor. Thessali Farr
Lou Kerr
Relationships Matter Now
Ronald Sutor, M.D.
“Right now with the COVID virus, we have a global problem,
Cristina Good
and I think Sister Cities is probably as important, if not more
important, than it ever has been in the history since 1956,”
Advisory Board
Pointer said.
Mayor David Holt
Pointer explained there has not been a major global conflict
The Honorable George Nigh
in the world since President Eisenhower created the Sister
The Honorable Ron Norick
Cities. The pandemic disruption, however, is significant.
Catherine Armitage
“Our mission is to bring people together for education,
Mark Stonecipher
cultural and economic causes,” she said. “We can connect
Zhander P’ng
globally between our Sister Cities and use our education and
Russ Tallchief
economic resources to work together.”
Terry Neese
“It is the communication. It is the education,” she said. “So
Rabbi Vered Harris
if we have education here or best case practices here or
Edie Roodman
wherever, we can share those best case practices and work
Marion Paden
together globally instead of in silos.”
Jaffee Wu
Pointer cited some specific examples of sharing amid the
pandemic. She explained, “the Chinese People’s Association
MAY/JUNE 2020 ion Oklahoma 27
Sister Cities OKC
Taipei, Taiwan
Population: 2 million
Program Initiated: 2/1981
Tainan, Taiwan
Population: 1 million
Program Initiated: 8/1986
Haikou, China
Population: 1.5 million
Program Initiated: 11/1992 At the Global Achievement Award luncheon with Merrill Eisenhower
Attwater, center, who is the great-grandson of President Eisenhower,
Puebla, Mexico
founder of Sister Cities International in 1956
Population: 4 million
Program Initiated: 10/1993 of Friendship with Foreign Countries contacted the international
Sister Cities office to provide face masks. Taiwan will donate two
Ulyanovsk, Russia
million hospital masks to the United States in an expanded effort
Population: 700,000
to provide hard-to-find medical supplies to nations afflicted by
Program Initiated: 6/1996
the coronavirus pandemic.”
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil President Eisenhower possibly never imagined the medical
Population: 6,323,037 crisis and international lockdown due to the coronavirus
Program Initiated: 2/2004 pandemic in 2020. However, his vision of hope and exchange
Kigali City, Rwanda through the international and local Sister Cities programs still
Population: 965,398 stands strong. Its philosophies may even ring truer and clearer
Program Initiated: 4/2011 today.
Piura, Peru Boldness of Diversity
Population: 484,475 Sister Cities OKC is bold in magnifying international exchanges,
Program Initiated: 1/2020 displaying international customs and celebrating diversity related
to its Sister Cities. These dynamic cultural connections result in
creating a citizen network and awareness that cannot help but
strengthen communities.
“Vicki Gourley invited me to join the board of Sister Cities six
years ago,” Pointer said. “I discovered the mission of Sister Cities
aligns with the principals that my family taught me — mutual
respect, understanding and cooperation.”
To learn more about Sister Cities OKC membership and for more
information visit http://sistercitiesokc.org. n
Women business owners in Kagali, Rwanda
28 ion Oklahoma MAY/JUNE 2020
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