HOUSTON TX (July 17, 2017) – The City of Houston won the bid to host the 63rd Sister Cities International (SCI) Annual Conference in 2019. The announcement was made on July 16, 2017, during the SCI 61st Annual Conference and Leadership Summit.

The SCI 61st Annual Conference and Leadership Summit was held in Virginia Beach, VA on July 12-16, 2017. This year’s SCI Conference theme was “Global Communities for World Peace,” building on President Eisenhower’s initial vision of creating a more peaceful world by building global relationships.

The SCI Conference is expected to bring to Houston the most influential global leaders, citizen diplomats, business executives, educators, mayors, and municipal officials from the U.S. and around the world. This is the first time the City of Houston will host this international conference, and the Sister Cities of Houston members are looking forward to showcasing our great city. Congratulations to Mayor Sylvester Turner; Harry Gee, President Sister Cities of Houston; Ellen Goldberg Immediate Past President Sister Cities of Houston, and the Sister Cities of Houston Board Members.

Another win for Houston! The Houston-Karachi Sister City Association (HKSCA) was honored with the Sister Cities International (SCI) 2017 Innovation Award for Arts and Culture for a city with a population over 500,001. The award was presented by Stephen Quigley, SCI Chairman; and the Mayor Ron Nirenberg of the City of San Antonio and SCI vice Chair, at the Lou Wozar Diplomatic Awards Dinner. Muhammad Saeed Sheikh, President Houston-Karachi Sister City Association, Ellen Goldberg, Immediate Past President Sister Cities of Houston and Cristal Montañéz Baylor, Executive Director Hashoo Foundation USA and Houston-Karachi Sister City Association board member, received the Award.

The SCI Innovation Award recognizes the accomplishments of outstanding community and individual Sister City programs that promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation. This is the third time in the last six years the HKSCA has won this SCI Innovation Award. Congratulations to the Consulate General of Pakistan in Houston, Mayors office of Trade & International Affairs, Sister Cities of Houston & all collaborating organizations.

Sister Cities International was founded as a Presidential Initiative by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, Sister Cities International serves as the national membership organization for 560 individual sister cities, counties, and states across the United States with relationships in 2,300 communities in 150 countries on six continents. The sister city network unites tens of thousands of citizen diplomats and volunteers who work tirelessly to promote the organizations’ mission of creating world peace and understanding through economic development, youth and education, arts and culture, and humanitarian assistance.