The Eastern Africa Sister Cities (EASC) was established following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Sister Cities International and the Inter Region Economic Network (IREN) in August 2011. EASC’s main goals are to develop, coordinate, incubate, help sustain existing city, town and municipality links worldwide with emphasis to promote a south to south city twinning and strengthen Sister Cities in Eastern Africa region.

Through city twinning relationships, individuals, communities and organised groups establish close relationships with other local or international counterparts. These partnerships allow the twinning communities to creatively learn, work, and solve problems through cultural, educational, municipal, business, professional, technical and project exchanges.

By August 2011, there were 23 Sister City relationships between Eastern Africa and United States of America cities. These cities are in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Rwanda. EASC looks forward to create new partnerships and maintain existing inter-City relationships in all the 12 Eastern African Countries.

Mission

To promote peace and economic prosperity in Africa through mutual respect, understanding, cooperation and city twinning.

Vision

To be a leader in improving living standards in Eastern Africa through city twinning.

Organisational goals

• To create and develop partnerships between Eastern Africa cities, towns and counties and similar jurisdictions in other nations in Africa and the world.
• To provide effective leadership support to all sister cities in Eastern Africa.
• To encourage twinning partners to create environments through which communities will creatively learn, work, and solve problems together through cultural, educational, municipal and business partnership.
• To promote peace, love and understanding among communities divided by ethnic, tribal and political conflicts through dialogue and friendship.
• To create a conducive atmosphere in which economic development and trade between partners can be enhanced.

Key areas of activity

•  Leadership training: EASC initiates and participates in regional and international leadership trainings aimed at improving the management skills of leaders of towns/cities. The trainings cover areas such as financial management, accountability and proposal writing among others. The trainings allow municipal leaders to be efficient and explore more avenues that will increase revenue collection in their towns/cities.

•  EASC forums: EASC initiates and hosts forums and conferences to promote people-to-people diplomacy.  The forums bring together leaders from within and outside the region to share ideas, good practices and brainstorm solutions to common challenges affecting their regions. Through such forums, EASC envisages that solutions to problems such as poor drainage, congestion, poor housing and poverty can be forged.

• Youth empowerment: EASC aims to equip the youth with innovative ideas that surface their leadership skills and attract investment through community projects, knowledge sharing and competition. The youth discuss topical issues and seek permanent solutions to common challenges in the region such as food shortages, corruption, unemployment and insecurity. EASC also organises various competitions aimed at increasing interaction among youth in Eastern Africa region and other parts of the world.

• Trade: EASC organises regional trade events that bring together business people and investors from different parts of the world to learn and share new economic opportunities for the mutual benefit of twinning partners. Towns are given the opportunity to present their value propositions to their twinning partners hence increasing market opportunities for products and services in the twinning regions.

•Information sharing: Bi-weekly articles in The African Executive (www.africanexecutive.com), a weekly magazine produced by IREN Kenya give Eastern Africans a platform to share challenges and solutions to matters affecting their region; speak to each other and the world as well as publicity. The articles in the magazine address issues affecting Africa with the aim of finding long-term solutions to African problems. EASC opinion pieces and reports on projects carried out by the sister cities and economic activities in the sister cities are periodically published in The African Executive.

About IREN Kenya

The Inter Region Economic Network (IREN Kenya) is a leading independent African think tank that promotes ideas and strategies geared towards causing prosperity in Africa through free enterprise and sound public policy.  IREN’s key focus areas include targeted events, trainings, research, consultancy, communication and its flagship online magazine, The African Executive published in English every Wednesday. (http://www.irenkenya.com/)

About SCI

Sister Cities International (SCI) founded in 1956 by U.S.A President Dwight D. Eisenhower, is a non-profit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between U.S.A and international communities. SCI strives to build global cooperation at the municipal level, promote cultural understanding and stimulate economic development. SCI is a leader for local community development and volunteer action. SCI motivates and empowers private citizens, municipal officials and business leaders to conduct long-term sister city programs. SCI believes that Sister City programs should mutually benefit partnering communities (http://www.sister-cities.org/)

Contacts:                    
Eastern Africa Sister Cities
Nyaku House, Mez Flr     
Argwings Kodhek Road, Hurlingham   
P.O Box 135-00100 GPO 
NAIROBI – KENYA                
TEL: 254-20-2731497     
FAX: 254-20-2723258      
Email:easc@irenkenya.com