A Model for Sister City Relationships

The Minneapolis - najaf sisTer CiTy relaTionship

A Model for Sister City Relationships between Iraqi and American Cities in Support of Reconciliation

IraqI and amerIcan reconcIlIatIon Project mInneaPolIs - najaf sIster cIty rePort

“The Minneapolis - Najaf Sister City Relationship: A Model for Sister City Relationships between Iraqi and American Cities in Support of Reconciliation”

The Iraqi and American Reconciliation ProjectThe Muslim Peacemaker Teams

Originally Published in February 2013 by the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project

Authors: Luke Wilcox, Evelyn Daugherty, Sami Rasouli

Special thanks to: Jenny Chayabutr, Bill Deef, Adam Kaplan, Bob Lyman, Mayor R.T. Rybak, Meet Minneapolis, Yuko Miyamoto, Sister Cities International

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Minneapolis - najaf sister City report iraqi and aMeriCan reConCiliation projeCt

Foreword: Mayor R.T. Rybak 3

A Message from the Executive Directors 5

Executive Summary 6

The Minneapolis - najaf sisTer CiTy relaTionship: a Model for sisTer CiTy relaTionships beTween iraqi and aMeriCan CiTies in supporT of reConCiliaTion

Background Information 8

Delegations: Making Friends and Meeting Colleagues 10

Humanitarian Projects: Supporting Iraqi Efforts to Recover 15

Arts and Culture: Promoting Cultural Understanding and Respect 16

Conclusion: Positive Impact on Our Communities 18

Appendix: Starting a New Iraqi – American Sister City Relationship Overview 20Getting Started Checklist 21 Contact Us 23

Table of ConTenTs

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Mayor R.T. RybakCity of Minneapolis

It is an honor to introduce the Sister City relationship between Minneapolis, USA and Najaf, Iraq. On July 31, 2009, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to approve a Sister City relationship with Najaf, and I signed the agreement soon after that.

A Sister City relationship involves two cities partnering to build friendship and support mutual prosperity. As Mayor of Minneapolis, I helped welcome the first delegation from Najaf to Minneapolis in 2009. City officials and professionals from Najaf told me how important this new agreement was to them and their city. It signaled a new start to their relationship not only with Minneapolitans, but with all Americans.

The relationship has benefited Minneapolis and its residents in many ways. As Minneapolis continues to develop into a global hub for health and medicine, technology and business, and higher education, its Sister City relationships play an important role in generating international connections. The University of Minnesota, local businesses, and many metro area hospitals and health care systems have welcomed delegations from Najaf and begun relationships with counterparts in their Iraqi Sister City. Partnerships like this help ensure a warm welcome for international visitors in Minneapolis and build an environment conducive to greater global integration for local businesses.

On a larger scale, programs like the relationship between Minneapolis and Najaf have never been more needed in an interconnected world. The special relationship created between Minneapolis and Najaf has helped begin a new direction for the relationship between our two countries. It has been an honor for Minneapolis to play this role in the process of reconciliation and healing.

I invite you to explore this report and get involved in your local Sister City relationships. If your city does not currently have a relationship with an Iraqi city, consider starting one using the information and resources found in this report. Whether contributing to an existing relationship or starting a new one, you have the opportunity to improve the life of your community and be an ambassador for a better world.

As President Dwight Eisenhower, founder of the Sister Cities movement, said, “Two deeply held convictions unite us in common purpose. First, is our belief in effective, responsive, local government as a principal bulwark of freedom. Second, is our faith in the great promise of sister city affiliations in helping build the solid structure of world peace.”

I hope this report will be useful for you and invite you to join me and the City of Minneapolis in building peace and prosperity for cities in the United States and around the world through the Sister Cities movement.

foreword

Mayor R.T. RybakCity of Minneapolis

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Minneapolis, USA

Najaf, Iraq

4


Kathy McKay, Iraqi and American Reconciliation ProjectSami Rasouli, Muslim Peacemaker Teams

A Sister City relationship is about building concrete, peaceful relationships between the people of an American city and a city in another country. President Dwight Eisenhower launched the idea in 1956 when he called for “citizen diplomacy” following the end of his military career.

Using the current Sister City relationship between Minneapolis, MN USA and Najaf, Najaf Province, Iraq as an example, this report looks at a Sister City relationship between an Iraqi and an American city and the benefits such a relationship can provide participating communities.

Sister City relationships enhance cultural and community vitality by involving citizens in cross-cultural exchanges of art, professional expertise, and friendship. They bring economic benefit through delegation visits, business opportunities with citizens from the Sister City, and promotion of each city as a tourist destination. On a larger scale, they can play an important role in supporting reconciliation between peoples separated by war, sanctions, and violence.

In 2009, Minneapolis residents worked with the City Council to pass a formal resolution approving a Sister City relationship with Najaf, Iraq. Since then, the relationship has been managed by government officials of both cities and by two non-profit organizations, the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project (IARP) in Minneapolis and the Muslim Peacemaker Teams (MPT) in Najaf. Activities of the Sister City relationship have included twelve professional and friendship delegations between the two cities; a water sanitation program that has provided clean water to more than 40,000 students and hospital patients in the Najaf area; displays of artworks from the Najaf area at more than 50 galleries and public spaces in the Minneapolis area; the exchange of hundreds of letters between students and adults of the two cities; bringing Najafis injured in the war to Minneapolis for medical treatment; and other projects.

What is the cumulative effect of these activities? Why are they important? Sister City efforts build long-term friendships and relationships at the individual and community levels. In the 21st century, the relationship between America and Iraq, and America and the world, depends not only on our nation’s actions but also on the actions of our nation’s communities. At this juncture of the relationship between the United States and Iraq, the Minneapolis-Najaf sister city relationship is a particularly timely and relevant model of alternative diplomacy and reconciliation that should be duplicated in other Iraqi and American cities.

We hope this report will be useful for you and we invite you to join us in the movement for reconciliation – one person and one community at a time.

Kathy McKay Sami Rasouli Executive Director Director Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project Muslim Peacemaker Teams

a Message froM The exeCuTive direCTors

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exeCuTive suMMary

On July 31, 2009, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to become Sister Cities with Najaf, Iraq. The provincial government in Najaf approved the relationship in the spring of 2010. Initiated by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956, Sister City relationships involve cultural and professional exchanges between cities in the United States and cities around the world. A Sister City relationship is both a symbolic statement of friendship and an official commitment to build tangible connections between the people of two cities.

The relationship between Minneapolis and Najaf is a partnership between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. It is managed by local government officials and the nonprofit organizations Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project (IARP) in Minneapolis and Muslim Peacemaker Teams (MPT) in Najaf. The relationship is distinctive for its mission of reconciliation between two cities and peoples separated by war and occupation, but shares the broader Sister City movement’s aim of building cultural, professional, and personal ties between the people of two cities. This report describes how the Minneapolis – Najaf Sister City relationship has been successful in moving toward both goals: supporting reconciliation and building strong ties between the people of two cities located geographically halfway across the globe from each other.

Activities of the Minneapolis – Najaf Sister City relationship have included:

• 12 peace-building, medical, academic, artist, and friendship delegations between the two cities;

• providing clean water to over 80 schools in the Najaf area and more than 40,000 Iraqi students;

• presenting Iraqi visual art, film, book art, theater, and panel discussions at more than 50 galleries and public spaces in the Minneapolis metro area;

• more than 100 presentations in the Minneapolis area on life in Iraq under occupation and war, nonviolence and peacemakers in Iraq, and Iraqi culture;

• exchanging hundreds of letters with messages of peace between students and adults in Iraq and the United States; and

• providing medical care to Najafis injured in the war.

Using the Najaf – Minneapolis relationship as an example, this report illustrates how a Sister City relationship can support reconciliation and have a positive impact on community vitality and cultural vibrancy in communities in the United States and Iraq. The report also provides information for other communities interested in forming Sister City relationships.

The first section of the report provides information about the origins and goals of Sister City relationships in general and the Minneapolis – Najaf relationship in particular. The following sections discuss concrete ways that partners in the relationship support reconciliation, cultural understanding and respect, friendship, professional relationships, and rebuilding efforts in Najaf after war, sanctions, and occupation. The conclusion summarizes the benefits for communities participating in a Sister City relationship, and the appendix provides information and resources on starting a new Sister City relationship between Iraqi and American cities.

Initiated by President

Dwight Eisenhower

in 1956, Sister City

relationships involve

cultural and professional

exchanges between

cities in the United States

and cities around the

world.

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The Minneapolis - najaf sisTer CiTy relaTionship

A Model for Sister City Relationships between Iraqi and American Cities in Support of Reconciliation

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On July 31, 2009, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to become Sister Cities with Najaf, Iraq. A Sister City Relationship is a symbolic statement of friendship and an official commitment to build connections between two cities in support of mutual respect and understanding, professional and economic partnership, and peace-building. For Iraq and the United States, Sister City relationships offer a unique opportunity for citizens in both countries to support reconciliation and rebuilding after decades of war, sanctions, and occupation.

The relationship between Minneapolis and Najaf is a partnership between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The day-to-day work is managed by two nonprofit organizations in each city—the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project (IARP) in Minneapolis and the Muslim Peacemaker Teams (MPT) in Najaf. The Cities of Minneapolis and Najaf assist with welcoming and hosting delegations; facilitate connections between government officials, businesses, and other professionals of the two cities; provide logistical support for international travel and communications; and open numerous doors for the project. Private sector companies participate in delegations and expand trade and business between the two cities.

About Sister City Relationships

The Sister City program was launched in 1956, when President Dwight Eisenhower called for exchange between Americans and people of other nations. President Eisenhower proposed the creation of sister city relationships in order to support citizen-to-citizen diplomacy to foster world peace. Originally proposed as part of the National League of Cities, Sister Cities International (SCI) became an independent nonprofit organization in 1967.

Sister Cities International is the national membership organization today for sister city

programs between cities in the United States and around the world, currently representing more than 2,100 communities in 121 countries. SCI’s mission is to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation—one individual, one community at a time. Sister Cities International creates the framework for long-term, sustainable partnerships, many of which have endured for decades.

About the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project & the Muslim Peacemaker Teams

The Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project (IARP) manages the Minneapolis – Najaf Sister City relationship in Minneapolis. IARP began in 2004 when Iraqi-American and 25-year Minneapolis resident Sami Rasouli returned to his home in Najaf, Iraq to reconnect with his family and society. There, Rasouli founded the Muslim Peacemaker Teams (MPT), a non-religious, non-profit organization that manages the Sister City relationship on the Najaf side. Colleagues in Minnesota founded IARP the same year, and IARP was incorporated as a non-profit organization in July 2007.

The mission of IARP is to promote reconciliation between the people of the United States and Iraq in response to the devastation of war, sanctions and occupation that has affected Iraqi families, society, and culture. IARP realizes its mission through the arts, education, cultural and professional exchange, support for peacemakers in Iraq, and water and sanitation projects.

MPT brings Iraqis together in peace to work on projects that support the rebuilding of a nonviolent, civil society in Iraq. MPT projects have included a United Nations project to settle controversy about parts of the new Iraqi constitution; providing training to raise awareness about the roots of nonviolence in Islamic teaching; and educating about the important role of women in rebuilding a peaceful society that protects the rights of all.

Two deeply held

convictions unite us

in common purpose.

First, is our belief in

effective, responsive,

local government as

a principal bulwark

of freedom. Second, is

our faith in the great

promise of sister city

affiliations in helping

build the solid structure

of world peace.

- U.S. President Dwight

D. Eisenhower

baCkground inforMaTion

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About Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota, also known as “The City of Lakes,” lies between both banks of the Mississippi River. The “Twin Cities” of Minneapolis and St. Paul form the 16th largest Metropolitan area in the United States, with a population of about 3.3 million. The Twin Cities are a center for healthcare, religion, the arts, and education, hosting the University of Minnesota and more than ten other public and private colleges. Residents of the Twin Cities are also known for their commitment to civic engagement and volunteerism.

Meet Minneapolis: Official Convention + Visitors Association coordinates the City of Minneapolis’ support for its Sister City relationships. Meet Minneapolis assists with visas, lodging and tourism, programming, and other logistics for visiting delegations from Najaf.

About Najaf

Located at the center of the province of Najaf (about 100 miles south of Baghdad), the city of Najaf has a population of approximately 900,000. It is an academic, medical, and religious center in the region. In addition to seminaries and mosque-related schools, the city hosts universities, colleges for humanitarian studies, and technical and vocational institutes.

The city of Najaf is considered one of the holiest places for the Shiite Sect of Islam, as

the home of the shrine of Imam Ali, fourth Islamic Caliphate and cousin of the prophet Mohammed. Two to four million pilgrims, in addition to residents of Najaf province, visit the shrine of Imam Ali every year.

Najaf is considered to be relatively safe and secure in comparison to other provinces. However, the infrastructure of Najaf suffers from the effects of decades of war, sanctions and occupation. In particular, there is a need for clean water, safe educational facilities, affordable housing, and medical services.

What is Reconciliation?

The Minneapolis – Najaf Sister City relationship carries a mission of reconciliation after war, sanctions, and occupation. One definition of reconciliation is about repairing broken relationships and addressing past harm done to a group. Reconciliation is a process toward healing.

Through the Minneapolis – Najaf Sister City Relationship, IARP and MPT create opportunities for citizens in both cities to support reconciliation in the three areas described in this report:

1. Delegations: Making Friends and Meeting Colleagues;

2. Rebuilding: Supporting Iraqi Efforts to Rebuild Infrastructure and Capacity; and

3. Arts and Culture: Promoting Cultural Understanding, Respect, and Healing.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (center) accepts a letter from Najaf delegate Dr. Abd Ali Hassan Al-Khaffaf in 2009 formalizing the Sister City relationship between the two cities.

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“We found Americans

to be a friendly, lovely

people. They hope that

the Iraqi people have

peace and love rather

than war and violence.

Thank you for your

wonderful hospitality

during our trip to

Minneapolis.”

- Dr. Abdulkareem

Al-Radhi, 2009 Najaf

Delegate to Minneapolis

When President Eisenhower established the Sister City movement, he said, “You don’t go to war with your friends.” With this in mind, the Minneapolis – Najaf relationship facilitates delegation visits between citizens to support reconciliation, a peaceful future, and cross-cultural understanding.

Delegates to Minneapolis have included artists, doctors, professors, students, businesspeople, and government officials. Each delegation has expanded friendships and provided opportunities for cultural, professional, and personal exchange. Through home-stays and personal interaction, business men and women of Iraq have gotten to know similar business people from Minnesota, opening minds, changing pre-conceptions, and igniting curiosity. Activities as ordinary as attending civic events, going to ball games, and getting ice cream melt away fears and generate friendship and appreciation of one another.

Since 2009, Minneapolis has hosted eight delegations and more than 40 individuals from Najaf, while Najaf has hosted four delegations from Minneapolis. Both cities plan to expand these numbers in the coming years.

Peace-Building and Friendship Delegations

The two cities in Sister City relationships often have very different cultures, traditions, and economies, and there may be distorted media representation of each city in the other. Through the Minneapolis – Najaf Sister City relationship, residents of both cities have had the opportunity to get to know one another, build friendship, exchange cultural experiences, and lay the foundation for long-term relationships.

First Delegation from Najaf to Minneapolis, September 2009

In September 2009, 18 delegates from Najaf visited Minneapolis as the first official Sister City delegation between the two cities. The delegates included doctors, professors, government officials, and engineers. Their goal was to begin new friendships and new business, professional, and academic relationships with counterparts in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul). The delegates met with hundreds of Twin Cities residents at meetings, events, and tours, including:

• A meeting with the Minneapolis Mayor and City Council

• Meetings with University of Minnesota faculty

• Tours of the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and the State Capitol

• Meetings with a battered women’s shelter, literary center, and human rights organization

• A large public event attended by 400 Twin Cities residents

Throughout this first visit, the delegates conveyed a message of friendship and peace, but also asked for help rebuilding their country. Delegates reported having little say over reconstruction projects under the US occupation and decried the “brain drain” of Iraqi professionals over the past decades of war and sanctions. Many of the highly-trained people needed to run hospitals, schools and universities and repair infrastructure like roads, bridges, and water treatment facilities had been killed, uprooted as refugees, or forced to flee the country. These were the people who normally would lead the rebuilding of Iraq, but had been lost to the country.

In a spirit of expectation rather than anger, the delegates told Twin Cities residents that they felt America’s war on Iraq had destroyed

delegaTions: Making friends and MeeTing Colleagues

10


their nation and that Americans have a moral and legal obligation to help restore Iraq. The delegates believed Americans to be a generous and compassionate people and hoped that the military tanks in Iraq would be replaced with skilled professionals and resources under the direction of Iraqi leadership.

Medical Treatment Delegation, Fall 2010

In the fall of 2010, IARP and MPT brought two young Iraqis injured during the violence of the war and occupation to Minneapolis for medical treatment. Zainab, a recent college graduate, lost both her legs when an American missile hit her home in 2004. Mustafa, a nine-year old boy, lost his right leg, two toes on his right foot, and use of his right arm when he was electrocuted by a damaged power line near his family’s home in Najaf.

Thanks to generous donations from local hospitals and medical facilities, including Shriner’s Hospital for Children, Courage Center, Mayo Clinic, and Winkley Orthotics and Prosthetics, Mustafa and Zainab received medical treatment and therapy that allowed them to return to Najaf walking on two legs. Mustafa received an artificial leg and surgery to restore movement to his right arm, and a Minneapolis church (St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church) continues to sponsor annual visits for Mustafa and his mother so he can be fitted for prostheses as he grows.

During their stay in Minnesota, Mustafa, Mustafa’s mother, Zaineb, and Zaineb’s mother lived with host families and interacted with a variety of communities in Minneapolis. Mustafa attended a public school and his mother participated in English and sewing classes. Zainab and her mother accompanied Minnesotans on outings to the orchestra, park, and theater. Zainab also partnered with a local writer to author a book that tells her story, and all four shared their stories at several large events.

First American Delegation to Najaf

In November 2012, a delegation traveled from Minneapolis to Najaf to build friendships

and represent Minneapolis to its Sister City. According to the Najaf provincial government, which helped host the delegation, the group of seven Americans was the first American citizen delegation to travel to Najaf since before 2003. The group helped plant 70 trees in Najaf and met with governmental, non-governmental, and academic groups in Najaf.

IARP Executive Director Kathy McKay led the delegation: “We traveled to Iraq to represent Minneapolis, Sister City to Najaf. We were honored and humbled by the hospitality we received from hundreds of Iraqi citizens. Iraqis are anxious to partner with American citizens as they work to rebuild their country. Iraqis want to work for reconciliation – whether through business partnerships, cultural and academic exchanges, or symbolic gestures such as our delegation and local citizens working together on hands and knees to plant trees in Najaf.”

The delegation joined with host organization the Muslim Peacemaker Teams and a group of young Iraqis calling themselves Project Plant a Tree to plant trees down the median strip of a major road in Najaf. McKay adds, “With cars driving by in both directions, we stripped the plastic casing from 70 trees, put the trees in the ground and packed the dirt around the stems. It was one of many memorable experiences in a city working to rebuild after decades of war and economic sanctions.”

Other events on the delegates’ schedule included meetings with local government officials; a videoconference dialogue between nursing faculty at the University of Kufa in Najaf and the University of Minnesota; touring cultural and religious sites, including the shrines of Imam Ali in Najaf and Imam Husain in Karbala; visiting three elementary schools and one high school that have received clean water through IARP’s Water for Peace program; delivering letters written by children at a St. Paul church and south Minneapolis schools; and making presentations about Minneapolis and Minnesota.

Other American Travelers to Najaf

In June and July 2011, IARP staff member Luke Wilcox traveled from Minneapolis to

“We traveled to Iraq to

represent Minneapolis,

Sister City to Najaf.

We were honored

and humbled by the

hospitality we received

from hundreds of Iraqi

citizens. Iraqis want to

work for reconciliation

– whether through

business partnerships,

cultural and academic

exchanges, or symbolic

gestures such as our

delegation and local

citizens working together

on hands and knees to

plant trees in Najaf.”

- IARP Executive Director Kathy McKay

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“Iraqi doctors are eager

to learn, but we don’t

have the opportunity

to learn. Thank you for

this exceptional trip.

It was amazing in all

of its activities. We

visited many hospitals,

including United,

Shriners, Regions,

and Mayo. They were

very informative and

interesting, and as a

radiologist I was able

to visit the radiological

departments in these

hospitals.”

- Delegate Dr. Ali Rashid

Najaf for five weeks. During his time in Najaf, Wilcox stayed with the family of Sami Rasouli, director of the Muslim Peacemaker Teams, and helped teach English classes to Najafis. He also visited the University of Kufa in Najaf and met with faculty there, visited many Najafis in their homes, and met with the governor of Najaf Province. After Wilcox returned to Minneapolis he presented his experiences in Najaf to many churches and community groups.

In August 2011, Anna Kaminski, a student at the University of Minnesota, traveled to Najaf to work with the Muslim Peacemaker Teams (MPT) for three weeks. Kaminski helped teach English classes, coordinated a garbage clean-up day for a street in Najaf, and visited many Najafi homes. Kaminski is a Global Studies and Arts major at the University of Minnesota, and after she returned to Minneapolis she displayed photos she took in Najaf at a number of exhibits.

Evelyn Daugherty, a 2011 graduate of Macalester College in St Paul, MN and a volunteer with IARP, visited Najaf for two weeks in April 2012. Daugherty visited elementary schools in Najaf to share “Letters for Peace” written by American children and help them write responses. She also visited the University of Kufa, where she learned about plans for an Arabic language program for non-native speakers; met with the Governor of Najaf Province, whose staff generously made the preparations for her trip; and met with many of the individuals who had traveled to Minneapolis as delegates.

Professional Development and Training Delegations

Many of the delegates to Minneapolis have noted that Iraq’s professional infrastructure has been destroyed over the last three decades of war, sanctions, and occupation. Some sources cite that over 40 percent of Iraq’s middle class was forced to flee as a result of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, sanctions in the 1990s, and American-led war and occupation after 2003, leaving a population that largely lacks the professional expertise

necessary for rebuilding. By facilitating delegations that support professional development and training, the Minneapolis – Najaf relationship helps Iraqis gain tools and resources they need to contribute to their country’s future.

Medical Training Delegation, October 2011

In October 2011, IARP welcomed eight physicians and one journalist from Najaf. The group came with the goal of building relationships with health-care professionals, universities and medical organizations in Minnesota and gaining skills and knowledge to support the rehabilitation of the medical sector in Najaf. During their 17 days in Minnesota, the doctors met and trained with the University of Minnesota, HealthPartners/Regions Hospital, Fairview Health Services, Mayo Clinic, Shriners Hospital for Children, Gillette Healthcare, Winkley Orthotics and Prosthetics, medical device companies, and other medical professionals.

The group also met with Congressman Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, former Minnesota governor Wendell Anderson, and others. The delegates interacted with local community groups, including members of St. Joan of Arc Catholic and Pilgrim Lutheran churches, students at Macalester College, IARP volunteers and supporters, and members of Twin Cities-based peace and justice groups.

Maan Kareem, one of the delegates and the director of three prosthetics and orthotics centers in Iraq, worked with IARP board member Al Nettles and Twin Cities-based Winkley Orthotics to find a supplier of high-quality raw materials to assemble and fit prostheses in Najaf. As a result of his visit, Dr. Kareem is collaborating with American Prosthetic Components to bring these materials to Iraq.

Event Planning and Management Delegation, February 2012

In 2012, IARP and MPT partnered with Meet Minneapolis: Official Convention + Visitors Association to host 5 delegates from Najaf for

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“President Yasseen and

Dr. Alleban are very

committed to rebuilding

higher education at

the University of Kufa

and throughout Iraq.

Their visit moved

forward cooperative

efforts between the

University of Minnesota

and the University of

Kufa. We see higher

education cooperation

as an important way for

American institutions

to participate in

reconciliation.”

- Kathy McKay, Executive

Director, Iraqi and

American Reconciliation

Project

training on festival and event management. The five delegates included staff of the Najaf Foreign Relations Office and members of the Najaf 2012 Festival and Celebrations Committee.

Delegates met with over 25 government officials and staff from the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis convention and hospitality community. The training included sections and speakers on event and festival management, large scale event planning, convention and visitor bureau services, crisis management, food preparation and safety, convention center operations, and visitor protocol. The group toured a variety of event spaces, including the Minneapolis Convention Center, Mill City Museum, Minneapolis Hilton Hotel, Minnesota History Center, and Minneapolis Emergency Training Center.

In addition to the training activities, the delegates had the opportunity to interact with many local residents. After IARP volunteers Elise and James Roberts hosted the group for dinner in their home, one of the delegates, Nazar Abdulridha Safi Al-Zubaidi, said, “I never thought I would be in the home of an American. When we drove up to the house, she was expectantly watching for us at her front window. She seemed so excited to have us at her home.”

Higher Education Delegations

The University of Minnesota and the University of Kufa in the Najaf area have exchanged “Letters of Cooperation” and begun several faculty and administrator exchanges.

In January 2010, Dr. Liz Wieling, a professor of psychology the University of Minnesota, traveled to Najaf to meet with University of Kufa faculty and community mental health professionals about trauma-related health care in Najaf. Decades of war, sanctions, and occupation have decimated Iraq’s medical sector, and mental health has often been ignored in the face of death and physical injury. Professor Wieling is working to help the University of Kufa develop a program for the treatment and care of individuals with trauma-related disorders and plans to return to Najaf

soon to work directly with Kufa University.

In September 2011, the Dean of Nursing of the University of Kufa, Dr. Abdulkareem Al-Radhi, returned to Minneapolis to further his relationship with the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota. For three days he met with faculty and administrators to learn more about the curriculum and operations of the School of Nursing. As a result of the visit, Dr. Al-Radhi is establishing a midwifery program at the University of Kufa and nursing students at the University of Minnesota raised funds to install a water sanitation system at an elementary school in Najaf through IARP and MPT’s Water for Peace program.

In April 2012, Dr. Akeel Yasseen, President of the University of Kufa, visited the Twin Cities and met with faculty and administrators at the University of Minnesota, Augsburg College, the University of St. Thomas, and Macalester College. President Yasseen and Dr. Zuhair Allebban, a faculty member at the University of Kufa who traveled with President Yasseen, gave a public lecture at the University of Minnesota on, “Higher Education in Iraq: Strategic Opportunities for Partnership.” President Yasseen also met with deans, faculty, and staff of international programming at the University of Minnesota about establishing an Arabic language program at the University of Kufa for Twin Cities college students, collaborative faculty research opportunities, a joint scientific journal, and guest faculty lectures at the University of Kufa.

English Training for Business, November to December 2010

In the fall of 2010, the President of the Najaf Chamber of Commerce, Zuhair Sharba, spent a month and a half in the Twin Cities studying English through a program at the University of St. Thomas. Sharba stayed with a local family and met with local businesses about opportunities to partner with Iraqi businesses in Najaf.

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Delegates from Minneapolis to Najaf in November 2012 also visited other cities in Iraq, including Babylon. Here the delegates stand with faculty from the University of Babylon holding signs requesting a Sister City relationship

between Babylon and Portland, Oregon.

In October 2011, IARP welcomed eight physicians and one journalist from Najaf. The group came with the goal of building relationships with health-care professionals, universities and medical organizations in Minnesota and gaining skills and knowledge to support the rehabilitation of the medical sector in Najaf.

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“We are organizing

nonviolently for better

government, universal

access to basic services

such as clean water, and

peace. We want to drink

eight cups of water a

day like they tell you to

in America, believing we

are benefiting our health

rather than fearing

illness.

- Sami Rasouli, Director,

Muslim Peacemaker

Teams

Decades of American military involvement and economic sanctions have led to the deterioration of Iraq’s infrastructure, including in the health and education sectors, water sanitation, and electricity.

Approximately 4.7 million Iraqis were displaced by the 2003 – 2011 war and occupation. While Iraq was once renowned for its universities and hospitals, today electricity comes and goes every couple of hours in many areas of the country and 7 million Iraqis lack access to clean water.

Despite these numbers, Iraqis are working hard to rebuild and displaced professionals are starting to return to the country. The area of Najaf has made significant progress over the past few years and delegates to Minneapolis talk frequently about their city as a center of rebuilding and development. The delegations described above in the section, “Professional Development and Training Delegations” focused on rebuilding technical capacity and knowledge as well as friendship. These delegates returned to Najaf with skills, ideas and new connections to support their work to rebuild Iraq’s professional and economic infrastructure.

Water Sanitation

Today, approximately 7 million Iraqis still lack access to clean water, and Iraq ranks 5th worst in the world for access to clean water. Water-borne diseases such as diarrhea remain significant killers of Iraqi children under five. In Najaf Province, the main water system is gradually being restored, but many are still forced to drink water contaminated with bacteria from sewage.

“Water for Peace” is a program that partners American groups with schools and hospitals in Iraq to provide water sanitation systems. In a Water for Peace project, American groups organize to educate their community about

water in Iraq and fundraise for a clean water system to be installed in a school or hospital in Najaf. In Iraq, the Muslim Peacemaker Teams help Iraqis organize to educate and advocate for clean water. As of February 2013, American individuals, school and civic groups had raised and contributed funds for water sanitation systems to be installed in a large teaching hospital and 85 schools in the Najaf area, which together serve more than 42,000 students.

Sanitation and Garbage Clean-Up

With support from donors in the Minneapolis area, MPT and IARP have worked with local residents of neighborhoods in Najaf to clean up streets and distribute large, high-quality garbage containers. In the years after the 2003 U.S. invasion, government agencies were abandoned and looted and garbage collectors were routinely kidnapped or killed, leading to a massive garbage problem in the country. Widespread garbage piles contributed to dirty water and disease, clogging sewage pipes and generating open pools of sewage.

Minneapolis residents (and others) can contribute financially to IARP and MPT to support garbage clean-up projects in Najaf and help create a healthier environment for Najaf residents.

Facilitating Business Relationships

In Najaf, foreign investment and involvement has increased over the past years as violence from the occupation has decreased. The Minneapolis – Najaf Sister City relationship, as with many Sister City relationships, facilitates connections between business people in the two cities, providing economic benefit to both cities.

One example is the deal for raw materials needed to make prostheses in Iraq referenced above; another is a low-cost housing project currently in development.

huManiTarian projeCTs: supporTing iraqi efforTs To reCover

15


IARP and MPT present art exhibits, film screenings, book-art, theater, music, letter-writing opportunities, educational forums, and other cultural opportunities that promote understanding, respect, and dialogue between the people of Minneapolis and Najaf.

Letters for Peace

“Letters for Peace” facilitates Minneapolis and Najaf youth and adults communicating directly through letters. Through personal dialogue and communication, the program fosters meaningful relationships between Iraqis and Americans. It is available to individuals and groups, such as churches or schools, and letters are translated by members of IARP and MPT before being sent to Iraq or America. Hundreds of people in both Minneapolis and Najaf have participated.

Community Educational Events

IARP and partner organizations in the Twin Cities organize educational events for Minnesotans to learn about Iraqi culture and people, the Sister City relationship with Najaf, the effects of war and occupation on Iraq, and how to get involved in supporting reconciliation. Examples include an annual talk given by MPT Director Sami Rasouli when he visits Minneapolis about the current situation in Iraq; presentations at adult forums of churches; and joint presentations by IARP staff and visiting delegates from Najaf to classes at local universities.

Presentations also lead groups to become active participants in reconciliation efforts. For example, after hearing Rasouli speak at their university, students at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul decided to participate in IARP and MPT’s Water for Peace program and raised more than $1,400 to install a large water sanitation system at the Imam Redha Elementary School for Girls in Najaf.

Book- and Video-Making Workshops

In 2012, IARP partnered with The Advocates for Human Rights (a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization) and artists Monica Haller and Nathan Fisher to host book- and video-making workshops for Iraqis living in Minnesota. The workshops sought to empower participating Iraqis to tell their stories to their communities and a broader audience across the Twin Cities and region. The books and videos were released in the fall of 2012, along with lesson plans for use in local schools. IARP also organized several public receptions with the Iraqi authors and filmmakers in the Twin Cities.

The Unreturned

Filmed by Minneapolis-based filmmaker Nathan Fisher, “The Unreturned” is a feature-length documentary that follows five displaced Iraqis as they struggle to integrate into new communities. The film, which won “Best of Festival Honors” during its première at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, personifies the tragedy of the more than four million Iraqis who fled their homes after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. As many Najafis have been forced to flee their city because of violence, the film provides a window for Minneapolis residents into the pain and suffering of displacement that many people of their Sister City continue to face. IARP has organized numerous screenings and discussions with the director in the Twin Cities area.

The Iraqi Art Project

A program of IARP, the Iraqi Art Project has presented Iraqi and American visual art, film, book art, theater, lectures, and panel discussions at more than 50 galleries and public spaces in the Twin Cities metro area, displaying more than 450 pieces of art from the Najaf area of Iraq. In the summer of 2010,

arTs and CulTure: proMoTing CulTural undersTanding and respeCT

“IARP offers a wider

spectrum of discourse

about the effects of war

on the human condition.

It presents real stories

by real people who have

been directly affected by

forces much larger than

themselves, in many

ways acting beyond their

control. The challenge

for IARP is to make these

perspectives accessible to

the public, no easy task.”

- Attendee at IARP art

exhibit.

16


IARP presented “The Art of Conflict” in Minneapolis, a juried visual art exhibit that brought together 15 pieces by Minnesota and other American artists and 15 pieces by Iraqi artists in dialogue on the war. For the show, IARP brought two artists from Iraq to Minneapolis for conversations with local artists, and included programming with refugee agencies and a screening of The Unreturned. In 2011, IARP was invited to do a follow-up show at the University of Minnesota Regis Center gallery, called “Navigating the Aftermath.” Programming with the exhibit included panel discussions with veterans, Iraqis in Minnesota, peace activists, professors, and a former US State Department officer.

In February 2012, IARP hosted another art exhibit, “Not About Bombs,” in Minneapolis, featuring five prominent Iraqi women artists. The exhibit addressed war and diaspora from a female perspective and involved programming with classes from local high schools and colleges.

Songs of Hope

In the summer of 2012, IARP and MPT facilitated the first-ever group from Iraq to participate in the annual Songs of Hope summer camp. The group, coming from Najaf, joined kids from many other countries around the world to rehearse together for three weeks and then perform choreographed concerts of international songs around the Twin Cities metro area and region.

Minneapolis Sister Cities Day

Meet Minneapolis, the Convention and Visitors Association of Minneapolis, hosts an annual Sister Cities Day Celebration. The free event draws 700 - 800 attendees and highlights the culture and music of Minneapolis’ 10 international sister cities. In 2012 the event featured arts and culture activities for children to connect with peers in Najaf.

The Not About Bombs exhibit challenged stereotypes about Middle Eastern

women. This piece by Tamara Abdul Hadi includes nine photos of Iraqi

women proudly holding the Iraqi flag at their high school graduation.

“Letters for Peace” facilitates Minneapolis and Najaf youth and

adults communicating directly through letters. Through personal dialogue and

communication, the program fosters meaningful relationships between Iraqis

and Americans.

Songs of Hope performs Iraqi music at the 2012 Minneapolis’ Sister Cities Day

Celebration.

17


“I am so honored to gain

your friendship. Meeting

with you made a great

difference in my life and

thoughts. Hope to see

you soon in Najaf.”

“I felt privileged to have

conversations from

the heart with both

Iraqi guests as well as

honesty about their

situation and how we

all were thinking. It was

a very rich experience.

The challenges of having

strangers become family

members is well worth

the effort.”

Every city in a Sister City relationship receives significant benefit to its own community life, including enhancement of cultural and community vitality through cross-cultural exchanges of art, professional expertise, and friendship. In the Minneapolis – St. Paul metro area, cross-cultural Sister City activities (including art exhibits, community presentations, service-learning projects to provide clean water, and delegation events) have reached over 20,000 people annually since 2010.

A second benefit to communities participating in a Sister City relationship is economic opportunity through delegation visits, business ventures with citizens from the Sister City, and enhanced awareness of the city as a tourist destination in a foreign country. Residents of Sister Cities build trust, respect, and good communication—necessary prerequisites for business partnerships to succeed, especially in an international setting.

A third benefit is improved relations between citizens from diverse backgrounds, such as Christians and Muslims. In Minneapolis (and in many American communities), there are large numbers of new immigrants who practice Islam and are not well-understood by the majority culture. Through one-to-one and small group-to-small group interaction, the Minneapolis – Najaf Sister City relationship reduces fear and mistrust of Arabs, Muslims and people of Middle Eastern descent. Members of the majority community relax and become more open to local residents of the

Muslim faith, and the action of inviting citizens from the Middle East signals a welcoming attitude to the local Muslim community.

Just as Americans recovered from fearing the Japanese just two generations ago with hundreds of Japanese – American Sister City relationships, Sister City relationships between Iraqi and American cities can help bring about a similar dramatic change between European Americans and people of Middle Eastern descent.

A fourth benefit to American communities participating in a Sister City relationship with an Iraqi community is increased opportunities for people affected by the war on Iraq to heal. The community in Minneapolis includes many who have been affected in one way or another by the war (such as veterans and refugees). There are too few opportunities for these people to heal personally and to help others heal. Through the arts, community dialogue and education, personal interaction with Iraqi delegates, and opportunities to support rebuilding in Iraq, the Minneapolis – Najaf Sister City relationship provides a way for those who have experienced war to participate in healing and reconciliation.

This report is a first step toward replicating the Minneapolis – Najaf model to create more Iraqi and American Sister City relationships, a process that will have an impact on community life in cities across the United States and Iraq and on the overall relationship between the people of the United States and Iraq.

ConClusion: posiTive iMpaCT on our CoMMuniTies

18


appendix:

Starting a New Iraqi-American Sister City Relationship

19


To find out more about

how to start a sister city

relationship or receive

assistance in your search

you can contact Sister

Cities International at

[email protected] or

202-347-8630.

Starting your own Sister City relationship between an Iraqi and an American city can be a rewarding and challenging project. All Sister City relationships have great potential to generate friendship, peace, cultural understanding and respect, professional opportunities, and community vitality. Sister City relationships between Iraqi and American cities also have a special mission of promoting reconciliation after war and violence.

Before you start organizing a Sister City relationship, you should make sure you want to devote the necessary time and energy to organize a project team or advisory board, gather community support, work with your city government, communicate and collaborate with colleagues in your potential Sister City, and put in place enough systems so that the relationship is sustainable for the long-term. If you are willing to work at this, the relationships you will develop can be incredibly fruitful and meaningful.

The first step to developing a new Sister City relationship is to contact your local sister city

program, if one exists. Then check out the resources available on the website of Sister Cities International (SCI), www.sister-cities.org, and contact their staff for support at [email protected] or 202-347-8630. Next contact the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project (IARP) to let them know of your desire to form a relationship between an Iraqi city and an American city. You can contact IARP at [email protected] or 952-545-9981 (more detailed contact information can be found at the end of this report).

Sister Cities International is the organization that manages the network of all Sister Cities across the world. While each Sister City relationship is usually managed by local groups of citizens, the actual agreements are between the respective governing bodies of each city. Participating cities can join SCI to be a part of the larger movement, connect with other Sister Cities, access resources provided by SCI, and receive support from the SCI staff.

Building a lasting relationship with an international community might well be one of the most rewarding activities for your community. However, the process of searching for and finding that special partner that shares your interests and goals is often intricate and lengthy. Therefore, your search must be extremely well organized and undertaken with great planning and commitment. It is up to you to take a proactive role in this process.

It is crucial to be sensitive to the needs of your prospective community, and at all times be aware that this relationship is intended to last a lifetime. Therefore, choose wisely.

Please be aware that the checklist on the following page is meant to serve as a guide as

you go through the affiliations process. For more information on the twinning process, please contact IARP or Sister Cities International.

If you are ready to find an Iraqi city to partner with (or an American city if you are Iraqi), please contact Sister Cities International at [email protected] or 202-347-8630. You may also contact IARP for additional assistance at [email protected] or 952-545-9981.

overview

Getting Started

20


For additional support,

contact Sister Cities

International at

[email protected] or

202-347-8630. You may

also contact the Iraqi and

American Reconciliation

Project (IARP) for

assistance at info@

reconciliationproject.

org, 952-545-9981,

or through our

website at www.

reconciliationproject.org.

1. Contact the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project (IARP) and Sister Cities International (SCI) to let us know of your plans:

IARP: [email protected], 952-545-9981 or www.reconciliationproject.orgSCI: [email protected], 202-347-8630 or www.sister-cities.org

If you are in Iraq, contact the Muslim Peacemaker Teams (MPT) to let us know of your plans:

MPT: [email protected] or 964.780.425.1707

2. Find out if your community already has a sister city organization. You can check on Sister Cities International’s website or do an online search. If your community already has a sister city organization we highly recommend you contact them, since they will most likely be a source of support, information, and networking. Many cities also have set their own criteria for establishing sister cities or have a moratorium on new partnerships, both of which you should be aware of before putting in long hours and raising expectations.

3. If your community does not have a sister city committee, your first priority is to create one. This committee should be led by elected officers (i.e., president/chairperson, vice-president, treasurer, secretary) and comprised of a broad range of community members: community leader(s) who speak directly for the mayor/city manager, professionals (e.g. from business, medicine, law), chamber of commerce officials, youth and educators (both at high school and university level), cultural organizations, retirees, or any other members of the community. Form sub-committees as needed, such as fund-raising or youth, as well as separate committees for each sister city affiliation. If you are organizing a sister city committee from scratch we highly recommend you contact Sister Cities International at [email protected] and request a call to discuss the process.

4. Gather and secure strong community support. Don’t forget to involve other groups, such as your Rotary club, churches, hospitals, schools, or your local government, for example.

5. Outline your initial goals for the partnership. Is it to initiate a high school exchange? Spur economic development? Promote municipal cooperation? Setting priorities is important since your program will want to start small and build the number of programs you perform.

6. If you do not already have a city that you want to form a relationship with, IARP and Sister Cities International can help you find an appropriate city. You can also search for appropriate cities on your own, using resources such as the Internet, your local library or Chamber of Commerce, a business or familial contact in that community, and so on. Consider involving more than just the members of your committee. For instance, you might have a geography teacher assign this as a class project; ask your Rotary club to contact its international chapters; or hold a town meeting to consider the diverse interests and needs of your entire community. You can also check with local veteran associations to see if any U.S. armed services personnel would like to be a part of the initiative. Many partnerships in places where the U.S. was formerly in conflict have been started by soldiers from those very same conflicts.

7. Typically you will want to get the blessing of your mayor or city council before fully pursuing the partnership. Make sure you have all your ducks in a row—who is on your committee, what are the goals of the partnership, who are potential partners, what would be the commitment/involvement of the city, how you plan on funding/sustaining the partnership, etc. You also

geTTing sTarTed CheCklisT

21


might try to get letters of support from institutions and civic or elected leaders to show broad community support.

8. When you have the support of the mayor and are ready to approach a potential partner, you should prepare a detailed packet of information about your community. This packet should include a formal letter from your top elected official (and committee president/chairperson) inviting the community to enter into a dialogue regarding the prospect of becoming sister cities (Sister Cities International has a template for this)..

9. After preparing a packet contact IARP and Sister Cities International, which can liaise with the U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassies to try and identify the appropriate contact for you to approach in your target city. This is also a helpful way to ensure that you have on the ground support from State Department officials as you navigate the partnership.

10. After identifying the appropriate contact, ideally you can contact them before sending the packet so they expect it. After sending the packet you should allow for a relatively significant time for a response (2 weeks or more). If you receive a positive response, reply promptly and extend an invitation for an official delegation to visit, with suggestions for potential projects, such as student exchange, business/trade development, and so on. Build your relationship. Get to know one another well. After some time, you will be able to determine if this is the right match for you. Please keep Sister Cities International and the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project informed regarding your progress.

11. When there is mutual intent to become formally linked, both top elected officials must sign an official sister cities agreement (sample documents are available from Sister Cities International). At this point, you will be eligible to use the name Sister Cities, and you will officially become part of our network of registered sister cities.

12. Continue to build your relationship by involving more community members and expanding the scope of your projects. Keep Sister Cities International and the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project updated with reports of your exchange programs and general activities. Do not hesitate to contact us with questions at any time.

Remember that these are general guidelines and your twinning process might have more or fewer steps. Stay flexible, manage expectations, and remember that for a relationship that will last indefinitely it often takes a lot of effort to get things started.

22

Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project416 E. Hennepin Ave. #116Minneapolis, MN 55414http://reconciliationproject.orginfo@reconciliationproject.org952.545.9981

Muslim Peacemaker TeamsHay Al-GhadeerNajaf, Iraqhttp://reconciliationproject.org/muslim-peacemaker-teams/[email protected]

Sister Cities Internationalhttp://sister-cities.org/[email protected]

Meet Minneapolishttp://www.minneapolis.org/partners-amp-community/[email protected]

ConTaCT us

The Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project (IARP) supports reconciliation between the people of the United States and Iraq. We work toward our mission through the arts, education, cultural and professional exchange, support for peacemakers in Iraq, and water and sanitation projects. To learn more, visit http://reconciliationproject.org.

The Muslim Peacemaker Teams (MPT) is an Iraq-registered nonprofit organization that began in 2005 in response to the violence that had erupted in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion. The mission of MPT is to bring Iraqis together in peace to work for the good of the country. To learn more, visit http://reconciliationproject.org/muslim-peacemaker-teams/.

Documents

A Model for Sister City Relationships