About Us

Raleigh Sister Cities (RSC) seeks to promote friendship and understanding between the people of Raleigh and its Sister Cities. RSC is a cooperating member of Sister Cities International, whose mission is:

“To promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation - one individual, one community at a time.”

The RSC goal is to enable the citizens of Raleigh and the residents of its Sister Cities to exchange ideas and experiences in the areas of education, culture, sports, the arts, business, and economic development, and to promote exchanges between the cities and their citizens. 

Raleigh became associated with the Sister Cities program in 1986 and now has partnerships with five cities: Kingston Upon Hull, England; Compiegne, France; Rostock, Germany; Xiangyang, China and Nairobi, Kenya. Current projects include cultural, sporting, and student exchanges, economic and community health projects as well as other events in Raleigh and its Sister Cities. The programs, which are organized by Raleigh Sister Cities’ members, seek to broaden understanding and friendship between Sister City communities and their citizens. Raleigh Sister Cities was instrumental in establishing the International Festival held annually in Downtown Raleigh.