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Twenty-seven years after boarding my first plane to Japan, I found myself speaking to hundreds of people at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C. I never could have predicted where that first trip would lead. The most consequential experiences in life rarely announce themselves in advance.
Read MoreIt was an honor to welcome Ghana’s Vice President, the Honorable Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, to Washington, D.C. for Sister Cities International’s 70th anniversary. Watching national and local leaders come together reminded me that international relationships aren’t only built in capitals, they’re built city by city. If you’ve never visited Africa, put it on your list.
Read MoreThe United States just established its first two sister-city partnerships with Papua New Guinea, a country of roughly 860 languages and a motto that says it all: “Expect the unexpected.” A signing ceremony is only the beginning. The real work happens through the decades of relationships that follow.
Read MoreI had never seen a grown man carry and dance with a 100-pound tuna on his shoulder until the opening day of our U.S.-Japan Sister Cities International Summit. Between that and the story of a tsunami-swept boat that became a sister-city friendship, I learned that a conference becomes memorable when people encounter a story, not just information. Thank you, Izumisano, for that kind of welcome.
Read More“Carlo, this is a Thai tie that you can tie to strengthen ties between Thailand and the United States,” Ambassador Suriya Chindawongse told me before joining a live band for karaoke. I’ll remember the tie. I’ll remember the karaoke even more.
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