Sister Cities New Zealand - newsletter August 2013

Building people-to-people and economic relationships

www.sistercities.org.nz ISSUE 7 - 2013

NEWS & EVENTS

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2014 CONFERENCE – GORE HERE WE COME!

n behalf of the Gore District, I extend an invitation to as many representatives as possible from Sister Cities across New Zealand to join us in Gore from 3-5 April 2014, at Heartland Hotel, for the Sister Cities New Zealand conference. We look forward to sharing your company and showcasing our part of the world.

2013 Conference Attendees During Some Downtime in Tauranga

DID YOU KNOW? The SCNZ Board are seeking nominations from across New Zealand for people who communities wish to recognise with a “Life Membership” from SCNZ. They must have worked long term and have supported of the development and growth of sister city relationships within the region or at a national/international level.

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NEWS & EVENTS WHO ARE OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS? A Member’s profile - Southern Travelnet Ltd Click here for more information

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PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO NEWSLETTERS Contributors of articles to the SCNZ newsletter are requested from now on to send photos as separate attachments with their articles. This assists the Editorial Staff to place a good quality photo of your activity onto the website. Members assistance with this would be greatly appreciated.

NEW ZEALAND’S ADVANTAGE: WE’RE FOCUSED, COMMITTED AND CONNECTED

n June President of Sister Cities New Zealand Hiromi Morris and board advisor Jeanine Begg attended the Ethnic People in Commerce (EPIC) conference in Wellington. This conference brought together the public and private sector, ethnic and mainstream people looking to grow their businesses to meet an outward-facing marketplace. The key messages pointed to the importance of “connections” – something that Sister Cities New Zealand (SCNZ) has a lot of experience with.

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REMEMBERING THE KOREAN WAR

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orea-New Zealand Cultural Association and World TV in association with Artstation Gallery and Massey University were pleased to exhibit a photographic memoir of the Korean War 5-22 June 2013 at the Artstation Gallery, Newtown, Auckland.

The show commemorated the 60th anniversary of armistice of the Korean War on 27 July 1953. The exhibition consisted of photographic collections of individual war veterans, providing viewers with a glimpse into wartime.

REINITIATING A RELATIONSHIP WITH MAHINA, TAHITI Sometimes our sister city relationship lapse. No shame in that they just need a little reinvigoration from time to time. Gisborne has had a Sister City relationship with Mahina, Tahiti since 2006, however owing to difficulties outside both parties control the relationship lapsed. Read how a recent visit has re-established the relationship.

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SOCIAL MEDIA : IS YOUR SISTER CITY GROUP MAKING THE MOST OF THIS TECHNOLOGY? Social Media is the way of the future, not replacing the people-to-people contact, rather supplementing it, often alleviating the difficulty of distance. Next time you’re online have a look at Sister Cities International Social Media presence – see:

Facebook Twitter Youtube

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NEWS & EVENTS SEEKING A RELATIONSHIP NINGDE CITY, CHINA Ningde, situated on the northeast of Fujian Province and to the west of Taiwan Straits is seeking a NZ relationship. Ningde’s key industries include agriculture (tea, lychee and mushroom plantation), aquaculture, forestry, mineral resources, food processing, tourism, and shipbuilding.

The city government has a strong desire to form a trade relationship with a NZ region/city.

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INVERCARGILL – KUMAGAYA 20 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONG The Sister City relationship between Invercargill in Southland, New Zealand and Kumagaya in Saitama, Japan has entered its third decade. A highlight has seen re-signing ceremonies in both countries – read more here.

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CHINA ZHEJIANG CIVIC DELEGATION TO WELLINGTON

r Lu Guohao (George) who is the Deputy Director-General, Department of Foreign Affairs of The People’s Government of Zhejiang Province, led a Zhejiang Civic delegation visited Wellington in April 2013. The purpose of the group’s visit is to implement results of Mr. Xia Baolong’s (Party Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Committee) visit to New Zealand, and enhance friendly exchanges between Zhejiang and the Wellington Region under the framework of the Strategic Economic Partnership MOU signed between Zhejiang and the Wellington Region in September 2012.

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CHRISTCHURCH - KURASHIKI SISTER CITY COMMITTEE

NEW ZEALAND - CHINA FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY 2013 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

One of NZ’s longer standing Sister City relationships celebrates 40 years. Read about the history of the relationship and how its significance to the two cities will be celebrated.

The New Zealand China Friendship Society held its annual conference at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch on the 24-26th May 2013. Keynote speaker Consul-General Madam Tan Xiutian spoke of ‘building a stronger relationship between NZ and China through culture’ and encouraging youth to ‘join the ranks of friendship builders’.

40 th ANNIVERSARY (1973-2013)

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WELLINGTON - XIAMEN PAEDIATRIC PROJECT NOW IN ITS FIFTH YEAR The Wellington-Xiamen Paediatric project, winner of the Air New Zealand Sister Cities award for Education in 2012, is now in its fifth successful year. Read about why the relationship was initiated, about the key partnerships and successes of this Award winning project.

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FAREWELL FUNCTION FOR MR MINORU KIKUCHI AND HIS WIFE Recently a farewell function was held at the George Hotel Christchurch for Mr. Minoru Kikuchi Japanese Consul for Christchurch. For more information and photos click on the link.

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NEWS & EVENTS START THINKING ABOUT YOUR 2014 AIR NEW ZEALAND SISTER CITIES AWARD ENTRIES Although we are only half way through the year how about thinking about your entry into the next year’s awards.

Don’t hesitate to contact any member of your Board or Jess (SCNZ Administrator) – you can be put in touch with someone to help if you don’t know where to start or how to go about it.

by Jonathan Hooker of Masterton

HAPPENINGS FROM MASTERTON

Much is going on in Masterton – presentations to the Palmerston North China Friendship Society on their experience with Sister Cities; visit to Hatsukaichi, Japanby Mayor and Mayoress; inward visit from Changchun Agricultural Academy of Sciences representative and a visit to Changchun to continue to build relationships in the area of Forestry and High End Tourism as well as other business opportunities.

AUCKLAND - BRISBANE RECIPROCAL BUSINESS EXCHANGE TO MARK 25th ANNIVERSARY 2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the Auckland – Brisbane sister city relationship, one of Auckland’s strongest and mutually beneficial international partnerships. To celebrate this significant milestone, a reciprocal business exchange was arranged.

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HUTT CITY COUNCIL NEWS & EVENTS

by James Lamb

RUGBY, MUD, STAFFROOMS AND SKYPE = FUTURE GLOBAL TRADE? Young people winning from international exchange is alive and well in Lower Hutt with several education and youth exchanges on the go this year.

Hutt International Boys School and combined Japanese High School teams celebrate post-match

LEARNING HOW TO PLAY LIKE ALL BLACKS 68 students and coaches from the Japan High School Athletic Federation have been in New Zealand for a week to learn how to play rugby like an All Black. Lower Hutt will host their biggest group to their 6th annual rugby camp playing host to 40 boys, 12 girls and 16 coaches.

Based at Petone Rugby Club, our overseas friends learn rugby skills and then put it in to practice on the field against Hutt Valley high schools.

The camp is coordinated by Hutt City Council in partnership with the Japan New Zealand Centre based in Osaka, and the training is managed by Dave Pollock and Christian Cullen from Rugby and Beyond.

Continued on the next page

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HUTT CITY COUNCIL NEWS & EVENTS The week also includes visits to NZ Rugby Union HQ, Waiwhetu Marae, Te Papa Museum, the Weta Cave and further Wellington region highlights.

All students on camp are home hosted which gives the students a taste of kiwi culture and local families an insight in to Japanese culture. They can boast about being taught by ex All Blacks, but remember their time distinguishing Vegemite from Marmite at the breakfast table.

A TASTE OF KIWI WET’N’WILD!

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suggestion of mud, mountain biking and 4WDing on Wellington Harbour’s rugged eastern coast sounds completely foreign to students of Lower Hutt’s sister city, Tempe in Arizona, USA. But they loved it and rated a day of mud adventures in Wainuiomata a top highlight of a fun-filled five-week stay in Lower Hutt. Not to mention the recent storm!

Now in its 32nd year, students from Tempe get the chance to experience the best of Lower Hutt and the wider Wellington region has to offer. Many behind the scenes tours, school visits, including experiencing what -35C feel s like in the Antarctic Ice Core Laboratory at GNS Science meant their exchange partners often learn a lot themselves too.

Tempe students Kat, Sean, Nicole and Dian on the SS Paiaka

Mayor Ray Wallace welcomed the students to Lower shipwreck on the Pencarrow Coast Hutt along with American Ambassador David Huebner who lives in Lower Hutt too. A bonus was their visit meant they could also join the Independence Day celebrations at the American Embassy in Wellington.

Our Lower Hutt exchange partners are now in the USA experiencing the friendliness of Tempe, who are four time winners of their national Overall Best Sister City Program in America award. Here’s to many more.

TRAVELLING ON SKYPE BEFORE FLYING OVERSEAS

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ight Tui Glen primary school Year 7/8 students are heading to Lower Hutt’s sister city Minoh, Japan this September and are set to make a deeper connection when they visit thanks to getting to know each other first on Skype.

Tui Glen teacher Graeme Penty is excited to leading his school’s group this year and has already seen the young students grow while meeting their new sister city friends online.

“It’s a huge opportunity for our students and they’re really gaining a lot from learning the language, broadening their global understanding and simply seeing how others live.”

American Ambassador David Huebner (second left) and Mayor Ray Wallace (middle) with the 2013 Tempe students and their Lower Hutt exchange partners

Graeme Penty has connections in Japan after several trips to Minoh and as Nishio already and is certainly passionate about sharing his love of all things Japanese with his school and community.

Hutt Valley High School also have a group of 20 travelling to Minoh in September to visit their sister school, Minoh High School. The two school groups are supported by grants from the Hutt Minoh House Friendship Trust and a lot of love from the community and their families!

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HUTT CITY COUNCIL NEWS & EVENTS INSPIRING TEACHERS Each year 3 teachers are hosted in Lower Hutt by their kiwi counterparts who immerse them in school life and allow them to see education approaches from a different perspective.

Janice Ewbank recently wrote about her trip to Boulcott [Primary] School in the Tempe Sister City Newsletter. “ My New Zealand exchange experience impacted my life in so many ways, and at so many levels. New Zealand is a country of beautiful landscape, culture, and, people, none of which I will ever forget. I returned from my travels with a notebook

full of insights and inspiration, and with my perspective on life and the world around me forever changed. I wish that every student and teacher could have an experience such as mine.

Thank you, Sister Cities and all of my New Zealand friends, for a truly life changing experience.”

But it was our morning tea and combined lunch breaks that seemed to make the biggest impact. A staffroom full of staff at these times sharing cake and cookies was something she was off to explore in Tempe.

INVALUABLE BONDS Hutt City Council’s International Relations Manager, James Lamb is impressed at the level of participation across the city.

“We pride ourselves on being a diverse city and we’re fortunate to have many schools at all levels involved in international exchanges and regular programmes.”

“These exchanges are invaluable and build bonds that continue long after they return home,” he says .

“Nothing beats young students getting a chance to engage face to face with their international peers. All of these activities will add up to lifelong friendships, impact global trade and even form future business partnerships.”

This diary of events is only as good as the information we receive.

If you would like your activities for 2013 listed here please contact us

Newsletter contributons to: editor@sistercities.org.nz

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