Lawrence Sister Cities Advisory Board
October 29, 2008 minutes
Minutes Approved: November 12, 2008
|
MEMBERS PRESENT: |
Jon Josserand, Bob Moody, Andrew Tsubaki, Ken Albrecht, Michael Kennedy, Kathleen Hodge, Gina Ross, Kelly Herndon, Bill Keel, Bob Schumm. Kathleen Hodge, Linda Hyler |
|
MEMBERS ABSENT: |
Lynn Ground, Lori Hutfles, Stuart Boley. |
|
STAFF LIAISON PRESENT: |
Cynthia Boecker |
|
PUBLIC PRESENT: |
Prof. Dennis Christilles , KU Department of Theatre and Film; Karen Christilles, KU Lied Center; Brian Bondari, doctoral student in music theory; Katrina Bondari, doctoral student in theatre studies; and Elizabeth Grimm |
A special meeting had been called by Chair Bill Keel at the request of Bob Schumm at the last regular board meeting. The meeting was scheduled for October 29 at the Max Kade center. The purpose of the meeting was to allow for a more lengthy discussion of issues arising from a report by the Third Sister City subcommittee to the board concerning the possibility of exploring a sister city relationship with Iniades, Greece.
Chair Bill Keel announced the presence of a quorum. The Chair introduced and welcomed the new city staff liaison for the Board, Cynthia Boecker.
The Chair turned the meeting over to Schumm for the purposes of presentation.
Schumm discussed the background, history and contacts with individuals from the Iniades area. The following details are extracted from a report made by the Third Sister City sub-committee to the Board, which was reviewed and discussed during the course of the board meeting.
Background:
On July 22, 2008 L. Hyler sent an email to the Advisory Board advising that City
Commissioner Sue Hack had contacted her about an inquiry received involving a Greek city. Hack advised that she had been contacted by Karen Christilles of the KU Lied Center, whose husband Dennis, a faculty member of the KU Department of Theatre and Film. Dennis has been taking approximately 18 KU students to Greece on a biennial basis for the past 12 years, visiting Iniades, Greece for approximately seven weeks each time.
This Greek community and area has welcomed the program, every year. They provide free housing for the students. The students take classes in Greek culture, art, and language. They rehearse and then perform a play in the city's ancient historic theatre, which is right outside the modern village.
There is a relatively new mayor for the area whom is extremely supportive of the KU program and is very interested in expanding and broadening international relationships. He has inquired through the KU officials about the possibility of fostering a Sister Cities relationship with Lawrence.
Follow-up meetings and communications:
1) August 14, 2008:
· Schumm and Hodge met with Dennis and Karen Christilles at the KU Lied Center to gather more information from the potential Greek city. The smaller village name is Katohi. Katohi is part of the slightly larger municipality of Iniades (or Oiniades) which consists of five villages and the surrounding area which have been governed as a new municipality headed by a mayor since 1998. The area is located in the far southwest area of Greece. This relatively new municipal structure has allowed for the area to become more effective in civic outreach and marketing efforts. Iniades had a 2001 population of just over 10,000. In ancient times, it was a strategically important area and it was known as Oeniadae.
· Athens is 3.5 hours away by public bus. The bus fare is approximately 32 Euros. Greek is the official language. English is a prevalent language. The Mayor's name is Antonio Aletias. Although the area is rather rural and dependent upon agriculture, the income level is moderate.
· Possible contacts for a Friends Group in Iniades would include Dimitra Pitsikou and Mike Balemenos.
2) August 20, 2008:
· Demitra Pitsikou was visiting Lawrence with her young daughter. Schumm and Hodge took advantage of this situation to meet with her and Dennis Christilles for lunch to informally discuss the Lawrence sister cities programs and history. Schumm and Hodge also reviewed some of the various issues explored in developing a possible Sister Cities relationship: i.e. answering questions regarding safety, politics, travel costs, the identification of opportunities of interest and exchange, and potential for creation and support of “friends groups.”
· Demitra Pitsikou, Dennis Christilles, and Karen Christilles met with the Sister Cities Advisory Board at its regular month evening meeting at the Lawrence Public Library. They visited with the board about Iniades and distributed literature about this community. The board encouraged further investigation regarding the opportunity.
3) Communication from Professor Tsubaki:
· Keel and Schumm received an email memorandum from Professor Tsubaki summarizing the history of the KU-Iniades relationship, and his long personal involvement in the Iniades area and with the KU study abroad program.
4) August 21, 2008:
· Ms. Pitsikou visited City Hall and met with Mike Dever, Dave Corliss, Dennis and Karen Christilles, Bob Schumm, and Kathleen Hodge. General discussion occurred regarding the possibility of exploring a Sister City relationship and was deemed to be very supportive of further exploration.
5) August 28, 2008:
· The board’s Third Sister City sub-committee met at the offices of FTI, Inc. Members present included: Schumm, Hodge, Josserand, Ross, Tsubaki, Tubbs. The committee discussed the following aspects of a potential relationship with Iniades:
o Stability of political environment is very good
o Safety of area is very good
o Cost of travel to/from appears acceptable. Comparable to Tokyo.
o Ability of both cities to form friends groups seems to exist
o Attitudes of city elected officials seems positive to explore a relationship
o High level of interest has been expressed by other city
o Prospects for exchanges from each of the cities seem to be present.
o Major interests for both cities:
ü Language instruction.
ü Theatre programs.
ü Interest in history
ü Existing record of KU study abroad program in area
ü Cities located in agricultural areas
ü Cultural exchanges desired for high school age students
tu tu tu
Subsequent to these events a few emails have been exchanged between Schumm and Ms. Pitsikou. She has reported that the Iniades Cultural Affairs Committee is starting to set up a friends group. Although she indicates that their Mayor is ready to proceed to formalize a relationship Schumm has cautioned that many steps remain to be considered.
Bob Schumm introduced several guests who attended for the purpose of sharing their experiences in Iniades with the KU Theatre study abroad program.
· Dennis Christilles - The Greeks have been very accommodating of the KU program and students. For lodging, they have provided at no cost a 2-story L-shaped elementary school in the village of Katohi which includes kitchen and dining facilities, sleeping rooms, showers, and a performance practice room. Classrooms are used as dormitory rooms. A cook from the village prepares meals of local cuisine for program participants. The facility is a short walk to the center of town. The ancient Oiniades Theatre which is used by the KU students is just outside of the village of Katohi and also serves as an ongoing archeological site. Professor Tsubaki first visited the area in 1986. The KU theatre study abroad program now goes to Iniades once every two years. Students are primarily from the theatre program but also include students in classics and music.
· Christilles - The KU program accommodates about 18, and has taken up to 21. Prof. Christilles believes that there are many homes available in Iniades which could be available for home stays for high school age exchanges. He reports that the Iniades side is interested in developing a relationship where high school or college age students could visit Lawrence in a structured program. One idea would be to have Greek exchanges to Lawrence offsetting the biennial KU visits to Greece. A US to Iniades exchange with high school students could possibly overlap with the KU program and students being in Greece.
· Brian Bondari, doctoral student in music theory - Brian told the board about his work putting on the KU theatre production. The actual performances are made in the ancient theatre of Oiniades, built in the fourth century BC. The KU production was part of the Oiniades Summer Theatre Festival. The production includes young Greek students in the community. These young students receive informal English language instruction in the mornings and the KU students look forward to working with the area students. The KU students feel like they are almost celebrities amongst the local people
· Katrina Bondari, doctoral student in theatre studies, and Elizabeth Grimm. -- Katrina and Elizabeth explained that in addition to the informal English instruction given to elementary and high school students, that the students and community members would seek out KU students to improve upon their English conversation skills.
· Importance of speaking English in Greece. Language skills are very important for the Greeks. Students can achieve several differing levels of English language competency, and employment opportunities are associated with a high level of English proficiency.
General discussion:
Dennis Christilles feels that faculty in classics and other interested KU departments could form the nucleus of a friends group for Iniades. Hyler mentioned that a LHS instructor, Mr. Jason Lichte, who takes some high school students to Greece and might be helpful in the development of a friends group.
Hyler asked about the difficulties that Lawrence students might encounter in Greece without the advantage of Greek speaking skills and what activities would exist in this rather rural area. It was suggested that lack of Greek speaking skills should not be problematic. The area is located near many popular beaches and the Ionian Sea.
The board returned to a discussion of the importance placed in Greece for speaking English and that there are relatively few formal school courses compared to the level of English many desire to obtain for professional career purposes. A number of private English schools exist in Iniades to serve this purpose.
Discussion occurred regarding the proper age for exchanges. Prof. Christilles thought that junior high might be a little young but that high school should work. Schumm reminded the board that the Sister Cities relationships are between cities and broader sets of programs, just not school exchanges, and we need to be mindful of the wider purposes and opportunities possible in a relationship.
Some of the factors discussed by the Third Sister City committee were reviewed and discussed by the board:
· Cost: Current rough airfare estimates Kansas City to Athens - $1,600. Bus fare to Iniades about 30 Euro. Or you can travel to Italy and take a ferry to Port of Petra. These costs seemed similar to costs of sending students to Tokyo
· Political stability/safety: Democracy. NATO.
· Prospect for Exchanges by both sides. Tsubaki asked if Greeks could afford to travel here? Christilles said some would. Home-stays provided here would probably be the expectation of Greek visitors. The travel would start from Greece as a trickle
· Willingness of overseas mayor and/or other local officials to commit to a long term relationship -- Schumm worded this as “is this a fad, or is it a commitment.” Schumm reminded the board about two previous efforts in France and Spain and how those relationships did not develop even after indications of support from overseas officials. The mayor in Iniades was elected about a year ago and serves for a six year term. He is very interested in advancing a closer relationship and was the one who initiated the initial contacts. Everyone has assured us that the mayor’s attitude is very positive. Schumm mentioned that a visitation might be desirable at some point to gauge local sentiment and sentiment. Hodge reminded the board that it was the Greek Mayor who actually initiated the question a possible relationship with Lawrence. Hyler mentioned a video which she has which was prepared by the Iniades area which reinforces their high degree of interest. D. Christilles said the interest is more than just the mayor, that the Cultural Affairs person is highly interested. The KU study abroad program is politically very popular in the area, and the community itself is behind this interest.
· Prospect for Exchanges by Both Cities: Already covered. Appears to be good.
· Abilities of each city to establish friends groups: Schumm reports that Greek side is ready to go. Karen, Dennis and others have suggested the potential to establish a local friends group.
The question of impact upon resources was raised. Schumm indicated that he did not anticipate any immediate need for resources. The current infrastructure of Sister Cities can handle a third city. Any student exchanges will take some time to initiate and then would start as a trickle. At that time the Board would have to address the desirability of providing financial assistance to needy students through fund raising or other support. Others noted the severe budget issues facing the City and how no additional support should be anticipated from them in such a climate.
Keel called attention of the board to policies which have been distributed to the board in the past, and are germane to this topic. He made reference to two pages titled “Guidelines for the Selection of Sister Cities” which appears to have been drafted in the early 1990’s. (The full set of guidelines is attached to these minutes). These guidelines appear to be largely duplicative of the policies which have been guiding considerations by the Third Sister Cities subcommittee.
In particular, Keel noted the following portion of the guidelines:
When it appears that a foreign city is a candidate for affiliation with Lawrence, the Advisory Board appoints a leader(s) to organize a support group (Friends of Eutin and Friends of Hiratsuka) to begin making arrangements to implement that relationship.
Keel suggested that based upon the strong support which we are hearing from the Greek side of things it may not be necessary for Lawrence representatives to visit Iniades.
Instead, in the spirit of advancing the issue along he entertained a motion to appoint Karen and Dennis Christilles as Co-Chairs for a new Friends of Iniades group to continue to develop and foster these relationships for the purpose of advancing this issue. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 7:00.
///////////////////////////////
Attachment:
Guidelines for Selection of Sister Cities
(source: policy manual drafted and adopted during the early 1990’s)
Prior Relationship
An existing relationship between groups or individuals in Lawrence and the city with whom we are considering a Sister City affiliation is essential. Such relationships enable the Board to better evaluate the potential of the affiliation, and also provides a basis for support for the relationship. (The twenty-five year relationship between KU and the citizens of Eutin surely exemplifies a maximum prior contact. In the case of Hiratsuka, Lawrence obtained the support of Kanagawa University through a long-term contact between University scientific colleagues Ted Kuwana and Shizuo Fujiwara. Our application to Hiratsuka was strengthened and supported by the presence of a KU alumni Organization in Tokyo and also by the permanent representative of the Kansas Department of Economic Development in Tokyo.) Sister Cities International representatives advised when we were organizing that we should pursue affiliations based upon these kinds of established relationships.
Citizen Leadership and Support
Lawrence must have strong, committed leadership to head the membership programs. It is essential that a capable local support group for a foreign city exists even before the city is approached. The maintenance of a Sister City requires many dedicated volunteers who will contribute time, expertise, and money over a long term. It must also be apparent that such leadership and support also exists in the foreign city. (Since the inception of the program in Lawrence, leaders and volunteers have been identified for Japan, Germany, and France.)
University/Educational Affiliation potential
Because the University of Kansas plays such a significant role in the life Of Lawrence, it is important that Lawrence affiliate with foreign cities that already have, or want to develop relationships with the KU. (Eutin has provided foreign language study for KU students for years. Hiratsuka has Tokai University and the new branch of Kanagawa University.)
Mutual Interests
The Advisory Board believes that not only should the stated goals of an affiliation between Lawrence and a sister city be compatible, but also a sister city should share our commitment to educational, cultural, and environmental values and a desire for a high quality of life for our citizens. (Lawrence citizens who have visited these two cities are wholeheartedly enthusiastic and convinced that they share our interests and ideals.)
No Other Sister City in U. S.
We are not interested in pursuing a relationship with a foreign city that already has a Sister City in the United States. However, we have not included exclusivity provisions in the current agreements.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:
Membership Organizations
When it appears that a foreign city is a candidate for affiliation with Lawrence, the Advisory Board appoints a leader(s) to organize a support group (Friends of Eutin and Friends of Hiratsuka) to begin making arrangements to implement that relationship. These membership groups function as follows:
Sister City Contact
The membership organization is the primary contact between Lawrence's sister city program and the foreign city's sister city program, funneling information to and from the sister city. The primary contact in the sister city may be a volunteer organization (Eutin), or may be a city official (Hiratsuka).
Monitor Exchanges and Supervise Events
Educational, cultural, social, and economic exchanges and events are coordinated through the membership organization. This makes it especially important to have members representing various aspects of the community, but particularly education and cultural institutions that are likely to be involved in exchanges.
The student exchanges are the outstanding success of the Sister Cities program. Each
Lawrence and Hiratsuka student who has visited a Sister City has affected friendships not just between themselves and their families, but also among everyone they have met. These students have learned so much more about the world than they could learn by reading, or in the classroom, or on television. In addition, the students are goodwill ambassadors for their countries. It is difficult to overemphasize the impact of this exchange on the people who participate, no matter what their role in the exchange. Therefore it is especially important for the membership organizations to include Lawrence educators.
Raise Funds
The membership organization helps the Advisory Board to raise funds to support exchanges, informational materials, visits of foreign delegations, organizational expenses, and program activities (such as participating in the Festival of Cultures) other than volunteer travel.
Coordinate Official Visitors and Homestays
The membership organization works with the Advisory Board, city offices, the Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations to make arrangements to host official visitors. A list of homestays for student groups and for individuals will be maintained and coordinated.