The document discusses Salisbury University's involvement with Sister Cities International, a nonprofit organization that establishes sister city relationships to promote cultural understanding globally. Salisbury University has had a sister city relationship with Tartu, Estonia since 1999 through programs like study abroad. The chair of Sister Cities Wicomico County emphasizes the importance of being globally aware and notes that the sister city relationship provided Salisbury students an opportunity to meet the mayor of Salisbury, England. The organization aims to expand its connections and encourage more student and community involvement to take advantage of international experiences.

1. Salisbury Makes International Connections
BY EMILY OUTTARAC
Staff Writer
Sister Cities Association is connecting Salisbury University and community to the world.
“It’s important for us at SU to really be aware of other cultures and communities,” said Dr.
George Whitehead, chair of Sister Cities Wicomico County. “Sister Cities is one way to do that.”
Wicomico County’s Sister Cities Association was created in 2006 and linked to SU through
administrators at the time. Prior to officially joining Sister Cities International, Salisbury has had a
relationship with Tartu, Estonia since 1999.
The relationship started through the Maryland National Guard State Partnership Program in the
Republic of Estonia where the two regions strengthened their military-to-military contact.
Since then SU has established a study aboard program with the University of Tartu. Even though
the program in Estonia is offered every semester, most students don’t even know about SCI’s
existence.
“When you think Salisbury, you don’t exactly think diverse and cultural,” Sophomore Morgan
Scott said. “I had no idea we were connected to all these foreign places.”
Whitehead didn’t blame students for their unawareness of SCI but he did stress the importance of
being globally aware.
“Sister Cities can open doors with communities we have a relationship with,” Whitehead said. “It
provides opportunities you wouldn’t normally have.”
A group of visiting SU students in London had one of those opportunities. They met the mayor of
Salisbury, England, an experience that wouldn’t have happen if there was not a sister city
relationship, according to Whitehead.
President Dwight Eisenhower proposed the nonprofit, citizen diplomacy network that established
relationships between the U.S. and international communities in 1956. Originally created to repair
post-World War II tensions, the organization’s goal have not changed much. They want to create
global peace through cultural understanding, economic development, and education.
The association hoped to expand by acquiring a South American sister city and creating new
programs to connect the community with Tartu and Salisbury. Still Whitehead encouraged students
and community members to be involved with Sister Cities.
“Take advantage of international experiences tied to Sister Cities,” Whitehead said. “If you were
involved you really do have the opportunity to learn about another culture, an opportunity to visit
another country.”