More in 2014
Maui County received a delegation of four members of the Tokushima Island Visitor’s Bureau and Amami Oshima Islands City Hall staff February 18 & 19, 2014 to discuss the possibility of a Friendship City relationship. Both Tokushima and the Amami Oshima Islands grow sugarcane. Hiroshi Soejima, Dr. Yuto Iwasaki, Mr. Kensuke Tsuneda, and Dr. Misao Makino met with Managing Director Keith Regan, briefly with Mayor Alan Arakawa, Council Chair Gladys Baisa, Councilmember Mike Victorino, and representatives of Maui County Sister Cities Foundation. The Maui Japanese Chamber of Commerce joined Maui County Sister Cities Foundation in hosting a small dinner for the four visitors.
MORE...
Assisting Mayor Alan Arakawa and the Office of Economic Development in promoting Maui County at the Goyang, Korea Flower Festival. The Office of Economic Development as well as the Maui Visitors Bureau will market Maui County, our island lifestyle, educational opportunities for English, Nursing and the Visitor Industry.
AND MORE TO COME...
~ Kagiyama Hula Festival with Maui Kumu Hula as judges
~ Miyakojima Youth Study Group to Maui
~ Protocol Panel - China
~ Membership Drive
~ Fundraising Event
U.S.-China Sister Cities International Conference
As Hawaii’s only member participant, Maui County Sister Cities Foundation, Inc. was honored to represent Mayor Alan Arakawa, who served on the Honorary Host Committee led by General Colin L. Powell, five Governors, three U.S. Senators, nine U.S. Congressmembers, and 12 other Mayors at the U.S.-China Sister Cities International Conference in Washington, D.C. March 26-28, 2014.
MCSCF DIRECTOR Alexa Betts Basinger and Delegate Xixan Zhang
from Shanghai at the Opening Reception at the China Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The full-day of sessions and events on Thursday, March 27, 2014, was held at the Ronald Regan Building. Beginning with the Opening Ceremony and Welcome in the Amphitheater co-hosted by Mary D. Kane, President and CEO of Sister Cities International and Xie Yuan, Vice President, Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
Morning session attended was “Community Engagement Programs,” focusing on ways to involve our community in Sister Cities efforts, emphasizing the importance of outreach.
Afternoon session attended was “Commercial Service Panel – Protocol of Doing Business Between the U.S. and China,” to help prepare for our own protocol panels for Maui County.
Both sessions were very informative with many useful ideas shared by the panel and participants.
There was a special event after the informative Keynote Luncheon. Sister Cities International arranged for MCSCF to meet personally with Mr. Xie Yuan to present him with ‘aloha’ greetings and a gift. This was a unique exchange and very much appreciated. MCSCF presented a proclamation from Governor Abercrombie, a letter wishing a successful event from Mayor Arakawa, and a gift from MCSCF. It was a very good conversation too, as Mr. Xie Yuan knew much about Hawaii!
This busy day ended with the Awards Dinner and Ceremony celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the first U.S.-China Sister City, and to recognize successful SCI programs in the exchange categories of Youth, Economy & Trade, Arts & Culture and Most Innovative, Community Involvement, Sustainable Development and Outstanding Individual.
To value-add to our time in Washington, D.C. MCSCF scheduled appointments with each of our congressional delegates. We were able to share our current international work as ‘citizen ambassadors,’ and to let them know of our plans for the future.
We delivered presentation packets about MCSCF and our unique affiliation with Sister Cities International, together with a variety of information about Maui County.
Meetings were held with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard’s Dylan Beesley; Senator Brian Schatz’s Legislative Assistant, Will Rogers; Senator Mazie Hirono and her top-notch Assistant, Adam Tanga. Congresswoman Coleen Hanabusa’s Senior/Military Legislative Assistant is following up with us.
We are grateful for their support of our programs.
