Honorable Mayor and Council Members: I wish to thank the Menlo Park City Council for their active participation in the SISTER CITIES PROGRAM. The City of Menlo Park, along with most cities in California and across the nation, have committed to the values prescribed by the Sister Cities International (SCI) organization based in Washington, D.C. Through each city's contact with nearly 2,600 member cities, a better understanding of individual differences, cultures, societes, business practicies and a host of other ways people connecting with people can be achieved. This week the Sister Cities International is holding their ANNUAL MEETING. Attached is more information about this event. Former President George W. Bush has been invited to be a keynote speaker. The Sister Cities program began under the leadershiip of former President DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, the nation's 34th President (1953-1961). Also attached is a recap of statements made by him and each President thereafter through former President Barack Obama. In other Sister Cities news, 1- The Menlo Park Sister City COMMITTEE overseeing their counterpart in four cities located in Ireland, Japan, India and China is scheduled to meet next Wednesday, July 24, 2019. 2- The Sister Cities International (SCI) NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (NorCal) - Board of Directors annual meeting is scheduled to be hosted by Menlo Park in October 2019. 3- We are also excited that approx. 10 Bizen, JAPANESE STUDENTS will be traveling to Menlo Park in early August. If you are interested in being a host family for approx. 1 week, please let the Menlo Park Sister City Committee Chair and/or staff know as soon as possible. You are also welcome to participate in their other local activities. All in all, the Sister City PROGRAM WORKS, much like it does in Palo Alto, Mountain View and Sunnyvale to the south and Redwood City and San Francisco to the north. Through the friendships made in this program, the hope of world peace, understanding and prosperity has a chance to occur, grow and flourish. Encl.: Sister Cities International - 2019 Annual Meeting (6 pages) Remarks by U.S. Presidents, 1953 - 2009 (2 pages) application/pdf attachment: Sister_Cities_Internat_l._Annual____Conference_2019.pdf application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document attachment: U.S._President_s_Remarks.docx
