We the Italians March 22, 2015 - 56 | Page 6

nd # 56 • MARCH 22 , 2015 # 56 • MARCH 8 we had to have more than just the official relations between federal governments: we really needed individuals and local communities to form relationships one to another, to build understandings, cooperation and basically to promote cultural peace. He once said "If we are going to take advantage of the assumption that all people want peace, then the problem is for people to get together and to leap governments - if necessary to evade governments - to work I think the Sister Cities concept out not one method but thouis something very appealing to sands of methods by which Italians, who are very proud of people can gradually learn a their culture, their food, their little bit more of each other". found useful in helping Sister history and many other things So, he recognized that peace but at the same time also very begins with individual citizens, Cities welcoming and enjoyable pe- and thus established the Sister I moved to Florence after col- ople. That’s exactly the type of Cities Programs to foster relalege: my sister had married an things we look for Sister Cities. tionships between individual cities. Italian and have been living in Italy for some years and their children were growing up in Please tell us something about Our mission is to promote peFlorence. So I had family there the Sister Cities International ace for mutual respect, cooand I wanted to live and work Program: how an