Indy Linked with Campinas, Brazil

Inside INdiana Business reports that Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard and Mayor Helio De Oliveria Santos of Campinas, Brazil, on Tuesday (28 July) signed an agreement to make Campinas the newest Sister City of Indianapolis. The city has existing partnerships with Cologne, Germany; Monza, Italy; Piran, Slovenia; Hangzhou, China; and Taipei, Taiwan.

According to Inside INdiana Business, the Indy Mayor's criteria for selecting a Sister City include "having a metropolitan population of more than one million, an international airport, economic vitality in multiple industries and an education and cultural infrastructure able to foster exchanges with Indianapolis institutions". However, neither Monza nor Piran meet all of those criteria. Last year, the mayor canceled a nascent Sister City agreement with Eldoret, Kenya, where the Indiana University School of Medicine and Moi University School of Medicine have engaged in a cooperative program since 1989.

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Sister City Expansion and Global Economic Ties

Guest speaker for the 23 September meeting of the World Trade Club of Indiana will be Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard. He will expand on remarks made during his recent State of the City address about increasing the number of Indianapolis' sister cities and managing these relationships to provide mutual opportunities for trade and economic development.

At present, Indianapolis has four official Sister Cities: Cologne, Germany; Monza, Italy; Piran, Slovenia; Taipei, Taiwan. Developing these formal international relationships, Mayor Ballard has said, is an integral part of Indianapolis' efforts towards being a world class city.

Why were these locations chosen as sister cities with Indianapolis? What impact have these sister city agreements had on Indianapolis: culturally, diplomatically, economically?

For example a delegation from Cologne arrives in Indianapolis 4 October for a week-long visit to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Indianapolis-Cologne Sister City Partnership.

Registration for the meeting begins at 4:30 p.m., followed by the program and dinner in the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel – Panorama Room. Cost for nonmembers is $50. For reservations, click here.