SISTER CITIES
In early 1983, the Shawnee Chamber of commerce and the Shawnee Historical Society sought the City's support of the Sister City Program, which resulted in the Governing Body adopting a resolution of support, Resolution No. 601, on March 28, 1983. At that time, 12 other cities in Kansas were participating in the Sister City Program.
The Sister City program was created in an effort to increase international understanding by encouraging relationships between communities in different parts of the world. The goal for the cities involved is to learn more about each other and to develop lasting and meaningful relationships through ongoing exchanges of people, ideas, and cultures. Affiliations between cities in the United States and other countries began shortly after 1945, but no real national focus was realized until 1946 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower initiated the People to People Program at the White House.
The City of Shawnee now has three sister cities:
- Pittem Belgium Established 1984 Resolution 614
- Listowel Ireland Established 1985 Resolution 647
- Erfurt Germany Established 1993 Resolution 926