What is it about?
Sister city partnerships, prominent in the 20th century, are finding new relevance in today's era of rapid urbanization and global migration. This research examines the evolving role of these partnerships through case studies of US and Ecuadorian cities. Findings reveal how sister city relationships can create vital connections between fluid populations and empower displaced communities.
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Why is it important?
This research makes a significant contribution to both academic discourse on international relations and practical urban policy discussions by demonstrating how a traditional strategy—sister city relationships—can offer an innovative solution to a contemporary challenge: migration. By reimagining these partnerships in the context of global mobility, the study bridges theoretical insights with practical applications, potentially reshaping approaches to urban diplomacy and transnational cooperation.
Perspectives
My time living in Ecuador revealed deep economic and cultural links maintained by the Ecuadorian diaspora in the US and the US community in Ecuador, and I wanted to explore how the sister cities model could build upon these connections to support international partnerships that transcend municipal administrations.
Willoughby Fortunoff
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A Space for Kinship in City Diplomacy: Re-imagining Sister Cities amid Global Migration, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, January 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/1871191x-bja10199.
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