About Us

There is a movement in the United States. It began in 1956 with President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He envisioned that U.S. cities could create formal partnerships with foreign cities to build relationships. Municipality to municipality, cities could exchange information and ideas in order to build friendships and understand cultural differences.

This idea sparked the beginning of Sister Cities International and a huge step to world peace.

Today, more than 600 U.S. cities have relationships in 137 countries, some 2,000 municipal partnerships. Each year, thousands of citizen-diplomats, young and old, represent the United States around the world, promoting democracy and understanding.

Since 1985, the Fort Worth Sister Cities organization has been in the forefront of Sister Cities’ leadership, recognized nationally and internationally for its far-reaching, innovative model programs. Its continuously expanding international network now includes eight sister cities.

Fort Worth Sister Cities’ youth programs, including the award-winning International Leadership Academy, are the best in the United States. Sister Cities has established true partnerships with the Fort Worth school district, Texas Christian University, the Black Ecumenical Leaders Alliance, the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau, and others to offer valuable international experiences to the young people of Fort Worth, all with opportunities for financial assistance.
Our professional development exchanges have facilitated exchange of ideas between highly trained police officers, architecture students and practitioners and educators at all levels just to name a few. Becoming a member of Fort Worth Sister Cities opens doors to a world of possibilities including attending an international protocol workshop, exploring the culture of another nation through home hosting or meeting the mayor of a sister city while traveling abroad and everything in between.

We take the U.S. abroad and bring the world back home. We train tomorrow’s leaders to better serve their city and their world. And we need your help.

Sister Cities International is proud of the Fort Worth program. It’s one that Fort Worth is proud of and one you will be proud of too.

The world is ready. The time is now.