Our Mission

Sister Cities International (SCI)

President Dwight D. Eisenhower founded the Sister Cities program in 1956 to achieve international peace through a people-to-people concept of twinning U.S. cities with foreign communities all over the globe. His hope was that through goodwill, understanding, and helping other cultures we would ensure a world of peace. Presently, 1,060 U.S. cities have Sister City ties with over 1,900 cities in 120 nations. Sister Cities is the largest citizen exchange organization in the world. SCI is headquartered in Washington DC.

SCI is a non-profit, national organization driven by grassroots citizen volunteers and city officials. Exchange programs provide each country with enormous social and economic benefits and promote greater cross-cultural understanding worldwide.

The Pasadena Sister Cities Committee

It is an official committee of the City of Pasadena. Most the organization’s programs are financed through fund raising efforts of the membership. Such funds are used to help entertain foreign visitors, to arrange cultural exchanges, and, most importantly, to benefit the student exchange programs. The volunteer members have helped set a pace for the future by globally linking Pasadena with lasting friendships with our sister cities. This cross-cultural linking enriches each city with cultural, social, and economic benefits.