City of Hays

The City of Hays has proclaimed Sister Cities International Day. Sister Cities International Day will commemorate 60 years since the organization was founded as a Presidential initiative by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 at the White House Conference on citizen diplomacy. The organization now spans over 550 U.S. member cities, counties and states with relationships with over 2100 communities in 145 countries, spanning 6 continents. The organization began with a mission to create more community-led global relationships so that people of different cultures could appreciate their differences and build partnerships that would lessen the chance of new national conflicts.

“It is our goal to celebrate sister cities and the impact they make on the world on this day,” declared Eber Phelps, Mayor of Hays.

The city of Hays is proud to be a driving part of this global network with sister city partnerships spanning the globe in the following cities and countries: Santa Maria, Paraguay and Xinzheng, Henan, China.

Sixty years ago, on September 11, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower founded Sister Cities International at a White House Conference on citizen diplomacy. One of our favorite sons of Kansas had the vision to create more community-led global relationships so that people of different cultures could appreciate their differences and build partnerships that would lessen the chance of new national conflicts.

Phelps said, “The mission of Sister Cities continues to be important today. We are proud that our State, and particularly the city of Hays, continues to be a leader with the passion for world peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation.”

“In early June, a delegation from Santa Maria, Paraguay, one of Hays’ sister cities, visited our community. And we look forward to representatives from Xinzheng, China coming to Hays soon,” said Ann Leiker, Chair of the Hays Sister Cities Advisory Board. “We are proud of our sister cities and the people that we have gotten to know.”

The city of Hays is joining hundreds of cities around the globe, and thousands of people around the world, in celebrating this day to mark this major milestone for world peace.

The 60th anniversary celebration is taking place at the Annual Sister Cities International Conference, July 14-16, in Washington, D.C. Ms. Cindy Elliott is attending and has been asked to run for the Board of Directors of the organization.