Celebrate Madison's Sister Cities

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Mario Guevara

Wisconsin state Rep. Chris Taylor participated in a 2018 delegation to El Salvador focused on immigration issues. With her is Fabiola Hamdan, Dane County immigration specialist. Rep. Taylor will be the master of ceremonies for an April 27 event featuring Madison’s three Latin American partnerships, including Arcatao, visited during 2018 trip.

The second annual event showcasing Madison’s sister cities will highlight communities in Latin America, including Arcatao, El Salvador (recently visited by state Rep. Chris Taylor, pictured, the event emcee); Camaguey, Cuba; and Tepatitlan, Mexico. The keynote speaker is Eduardo Santana-Castellon, a wildlife biologist at the Universidad de Guadalajara and UW-Madison alum. There will also be a buffet dinner and performances from Ballet Folklorico de Maria Diaz and Madison Youth Choirs.

press release: Although online ticket sales have ended, you may still make a reservation by contacting program chair Jon Heinrich at 608.215.6828  or jonfelixheinrich@hotmail.com. 

The citizens of Madison have been creating international friendships with communities around the world for over thirty years.  The Common Council approved our first sister city relationship in 1986 with Arcatao, El Salvador and since then many more have been formed, which currently include: Freiburg, Germany; Vilnius, Lithuania; Camaguey, Cuba;  Mantova, Italy; Obihiro, Japan; Tepatitlan, Mexico; Kanifing, The Gambia; and Bahir-Dar, Ethiopia become our newest sister city in 2018.

To maintain and coordinate these programs, the Common Council approved the creation of the Sister City Collaboration Committee (SCCC) in 2008.  The SCCC is comprised of representatives from each of the sister cities, an at-large community member and an alderperson. Visit www.cityofmadison.com/sister-cities .

Sister city programs are active in a  variety of areas that include human rights, environmental advocacy, cultural and student exchanges, medical and humanitarian aid, to name a few.  Mutual visits have occurred over the years with our sister cities to the benefit of all involved, and through these international exchanges we celebrate our differences as well as our shared humanity, the with theme of “people to people” at the core. The value these exchanges represents and the significance of celebrating our differences and our shared humanity  will be recognized at the April 27, event.

Tickets for “Celebrate Madison’s Sister Cities” are $40 ($25 for students). For additional information, please contact Jon Heinrich, Program Chair at  jonfelixheinrich@hotmail.com or Charles James, SCCC Chair at cjjames@wisc.edu of the Madison Sister City Collaboration Committee. Tickets may also be purchased by sending a check to Madison-Kanifing Sister City Committee, P.O. Box 70817, Madison, WI 53704.