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Sister Cities <br />October 4, 2022 <br />Page 2 <br />2 <br />9 <br />9 <br />5 <br />both communities sign off on an agreement to become sister cities. A city may have any <br />number of sister cities, with community involvement ranging from a half dozen to <br />hundreds of volunteers. In addition to volunteers, sister city organizations can include <br />representatives from nonprofits, municipal governments, the private sector, and other <br />civic organizations. Each sister city organization can partake in youth, education, arts, <br />cultural, trade, government, and community development exchanges. <br />Examples of Sister Cities Outside of Sister Cities International <br />Below are examples of cities launching their own Sister Cities Program. <br />Garden Grove Sister City Association <br />The City of Garden Grove and Anyang have had a Sister City relationship since 1989. A <br />student exchange program began in 1991, in hopes of expanding cultural knowledge <br />among youth in the community. The Garden Grove Sister City Association is a nonprofit <br />corporation used to connect GG with cities in foreign countries. The organization works <br />closely with the City. <br />Buena Park Sister City Foundation <br />In 2017, the City of Buena Park and Seongbuk officiated a relationship. The purpose of <br />the Buena Park Sister City Foundation is to focus on cross-cultural interpretation at a local <br />level. The first official student exchange program was part of the inauguration in 2017. <br />The foundation prioritizes itself with bringing in new perspectives, so both cites can learn <br />and thrive together. <br />Sister Cities of Long Beach Inc. <br />In 1996, Long Beach City Council passed a resolution to form an umbrella organization <br />called Sister Cities of Long Beach Inc. (SCLB). Through this initiative, Long Beach has <br />successfully brought together the international communities they served. SCLB is a <br />nonprofit focused on further developing and executing projects in regards to the current <br />and future sister cities of Long Beach. <br />Next Steps <br />The City Council has the discretion to adopt or not adopt the attached resolution (Exhibit <br />1) establishing a sister city affiliation with the City of Sahuayo of the State of Michoacán <br />of the United Mexican States (“Mexico”). If the City Council adopts the resolution, staff <br />will review best practices for implementing the sister city affiliation and will return to the <br />City Council with additional information, if directed to do so.