The following was compiled to address questions raised by Olympia City Council members and some members of the community regarding the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project and official recognition of the work of its volunteers by the Olympia City Council. These were prepared by volunteers and board members of the sister city project in April 2007. The City Council is slated to vote on official recognition at its April 17 meeting.

A version of this FAQ can be found at the ORSCP website here: http://orscp.org/olympia/?page_id=167

You can download a printable version of this document here: orscp.org/olympia/downloads/ORSCP_FAQ.pdf

What are the City of Olympia’s guidelines for recognizing sister city relationships and conducting such relationships?

In 1987, the City of Olympia adopted Resolution M-1234 establishing a sister city affiliations policy that includes criteria for selection of such relationships. A copy of this policy is available at the City of Olympia website. According to the website, “By terms of Olympia’s sister city affiliations resolution, requests for sister city relationships in Olympia originate by the community. Before the City Council will consider the request, the requesting group must be incorporated with an established board of directors, a structure in place for the organization (not the City) to plan and carry out sister city relationship activities, and the financial means to do so without using City funds.” Council members and city officials have stated that the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project has met all of the requirements of this affiliations policy.

What is the financial impact of an official Olympia-Rafah relationship for the city?

The Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project (ORSCP) recognizes that the city budget must focus on other spending priorities. The ORSCP budget already submitted to the City Council requests no city financing. As a registered 501(c) nonprofit charitable organization and registered charitable organization in Washington State, ORSCP has and will remain a self-sufficient entity. Our support comes from members of the community who are energetic about working on our projects and seeing them continue. Relationships between any two cities can only be enhanced by that kind of actual community involvement. The project will continue to rely on that volunteer support. After a four-year history, there is no reason to expect that city funds would ever be needed to maintain ORSCP. We would hope that as the project develops that city officials will be available to welcome guests to Olympia and to participate in local ORSCP created and financed events when such guests are present.

ORSCP programs and projects actually generate revenue for Olympia by bringing customers to Olympia businesses. We have sponsored or cosponsored numerous casual and first-class events that have brought thousands of people into the downtown area. These include our Winter Celebration fundraisers and the Rachel Corrie Foundation Peace Works conference, a four-day event that highlighted Arun Gandhi appearing before a packed house at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. In years to come, we look forward to continuing this strong tradition of bringing to the community events with broad appeal.

What is the financial impact of an official Olympia-Rafah relationship for the city?

The Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project (ORSCP) recognizes that the city budget must focus on other spending priorities. The ORSCP budget already submitted to the City Council requests no city financing. As a registered 501(c) nonprofit charitable organization and registered charitable organization in Washington State, ORSCP has and will remain a self-sufficient entity. Our support comes from members of the community who are energetic about working on our projects and seeing them continue. Relationships between any two cities can only be enhanced by that kind of actual community involvement. The project will continue to rely on that volunteer support. After a four-year history, there is no reason to expect that city funds would ever be needed to maintain ORSCP. We would hope that as the project develops that city officials will be available to welcome guests to Olympia and to participate in local ORSCP created and financed events when such guests are present.

ORSCP programs and projects actually generate revenue for Olympia by bringing customers to Olympia businesses. We have sponsored or cosponsored numerous casual and first-class events that have brought thousands of people into the downtown area. These include our Winter Celebration fundraisers and the Rachel Corrie Foundation Peace Works conference, a four-day event that highlighted Arun Gandhi appearing before a packed house at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. In years to come, we look forward to continuing this strong tradition of bringing to the community events with broad appeal.

What is the mission of the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project?

ORSCP actively promotes and fosters friendships between the people of Olympia, Washington, and Rafah, Palestine, for the purpose of strengthening cross-cultural awareness and understanding, international cooperation, justice, and peace. ORSCP works with people in Rafah to create lasting friendships across borders and to bridge cultural gaps through popular education, advocacy, communication, and community exchange. These friendships help us to educate ourselves, increase awareness, and demonstrate solidarity in a common struggle for a just and prompt peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Who are the members of ORSCP?

The work of ORSCP is carried out by community volunteers who organize at monthly meetings, in smaller committees, and individually. While not an official membership organization, those who carry on the work of ORSCP and support its mission come from a broad spectrum of the community economically, racially, ethnically and religiously. Through its already four-year old history, ORSCP has welcomed support and participation from many different people, young and old, those with connections to Israelis and Palestinians, and those new to the issues faced by both peoples. A Board of Directors provides oversight and ensures that the vision and mission of ORSCP is pursued. An Advisory Committee that includes state legislators, clergy, community leaders, and specialists on Middle East affairs provides expertise to help shape ORSCP programs and policy.

Who is invited to participate in ORSCP?

Monthly ORSCP meetings are held at The Olympia Center on the first Thursday of each month, 7-9 PM, and are open to any in the community who wish to learn about, support, and contribute to this work. There are small and large ways for community members to participate. The potential for the Olympia-Rafah relationship grows as people bring their creative ideas for it to the table. ORSCP provides and supports educational and cultural events that stem from the Olympia-Rafah connection or relate to it. These events are always publicized in the community as thoroughly as possible and are open to the public.

How does ORSCP conduct community outreach?

Monthly meetings are held in a community space, The Olympia Center (meetings are on the 1st Thursday of each month at The Olympia Center, 222 Columbia Street, at 7 pm). These are regularly publicized at the ORSCP website, through the ORSCP list-serve, and in brochures and other promotional material. ORSCP events and fundraisers are frequently covered in The Olympian and other local papers, on radio stations, through TCTV programming, on event announcement calendars such as FOR and TC Pro-Net, and more.

ORSCP participants and supporters have spoken to organizations, college classes, and elsewhere in the community and are available to do so in the future. Presentations cover aspects of the sister-city experience (as in a recent presentation by Will Hewitt about the Rafah Artists’ Association), experiences of members in Rafah, and dimensions of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. After the Palestinian elections in January 2006, ORSCP sponsored a talk by Evergreen State College Professor Dr. Steve Niva who provided analysis of the recent Palestinians elections.

Has ORSCP reached out to the Olympia Jewish community?

ORSCP has since its inception had members and supporters who are part of the Olympia Jewish community. As we do our work, the religious affiliation of members is not generally uppermost in our thinking. We do, however, recognize the often strong and diverse views that Jews and many others hold about Israel and Palestine. We continuously strive to connect with all members of our community, to welcome their participation in ORSCP, to explain and discuss our work, to respond to concerns, to provide information about ORSCP events and projects, to join in bringing shared concerns to local legislators, and to participate in educational and social events provided by segments of our Jewish community.

ORSCP members have initiated conversations with Rabbi Seth Goldstein of Temple Beth Hatfiloh. We provided a liaison between ORSCP and the local chapter of Brit Tzedek v’Shalom (part of the national Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace whose mission is to educate and mobilize American Jews in support of a negotiated two-state resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict). While in Israel and Palestine, all of our delegates make connections with Israeli Jewish friends who, also, work for a just peace. The ORSCP Advisory Committee has several Jewish members, and the work of ORSCP has the support of national and international organizations whose memberships include Jewish participants.

ORSCP’s outreach has extended to many faith groups with representatives building connections with those in the Muslim and Christian communities, as well, and attending events sponsored by interfaith organizations.

Would a sister city bond with Rafah be offensive to others in the community who are pro-Israel?

If by “pro-Israel,” we mean those who are in favor of Israelis enjoying safety, security, and freedom to travel and to live their lives in peace, we believe all those involved in ORSCP are pro-Israel. We wish these things for our Israeli and Palestinian friends alike. We do not believe that wanting these things for one people negates the desire for them to be shared in equal measure by another people. We hope through continuing education and communication that those who feel any threat or fear about the prospect of a sister city relationship with Rafah, will come to see that it is in actuality a project in the interest of Palestinians, Israelis, and, also, Americans.

Isn’t ORSCP taking sides in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict?

ORSCP takes the side of equal rights, freedom, safety and security for both Palestinians and Israelis. The work that we do benefits Israelis as well as Palestinians.

The U.S. Department of State’s website says, “Israel also has a large stake in the success of a democratic Palestine. Permanent occupation threatens Israel’s identity and democracy.” We agree with the U.S. Department of State, the international community, and numerous human rights organizations that an end to the Israeli occupation is a basic requirement for a just, secure, and enduring peace for all in the region. That view is shared by Israeli groups such as Coalition of Women for Peace (nine Israeli women’s peace organizations), Gush Shalom, and the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.

The United States shares a deep friendship with Israel. ORSCP seeks friendship with Palestinians, as well. The ORSCP position is that cultural exchanges and people-to-people connections can break isolation and promote better understanding that fosters an environment more conducive to change. In the end, Palestinians and Israelis must find solutions. Through our work, we hope to support them in doing so.

Won’t granting of official status mean that the city council is taking sides in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict?

Not at all. By approving official status for ORSCP, the Olympia City Council is as Resolution M-1234 states, “providing citizens of Olympia with an opportunity to give service to and derive benefit from a community project of international scope.”

Won’t ORSCP be divisive to the community?

ORSCP has been informally working in Olympia for more than four years. We have been active and visible. Many have shared with us that our being here enriches the community in immeasurable ways. We have encountered and worked alongside those who sometimes have different views, but our relationships and exchanges have nearly always been constructive and cordial. We have had support from a broad spectrum of the Olympia community as demonstrated by attendance at our major events. While official status will afford us new opportunities and lend hope to those in both Palestine and Israel who search for solutions, we see no reason why official status will alter how we interact with the Olympia community or how it interacts with us. We hope that in time more and more people will come to see that for our own sakes and for the sake of all the world’s children, we must be globally engaged in efforts like ORSCP that encourage movement toward mutual understanding, respect, and support.

Why have a sister city with a Palestinian community?

Communities naturally want to learn about other communities. The City of Olympia is being asked to recognize this curiosity and to encourage exploration and understanding of others in the world. We must refuse the temptation to close ourselves off because of fear and distrust rooted in ethnic, racial and religious reasons. Groups in both Olympia and Rafah are working together to overcome these. That is a positive thing. It is a dangerous path, if we continue ranking people worthy of connecting with on the basis of ethnic or religious backgrounds. As ORSCP works to break down stereotypes of Palestinians, tolerance is cultivated in our own community.

In recalling its history, Sister Cities International (SCI) states, “While approaches and attitudes have changed, one underlying theme remains – the value of local citizens reaching out to each other globally. Despite the international climate, individual citizens reached out and discovered the reality behind the rhetoric. A sister city friendship ended the Cold War for many individuals in 1973, not the Soviet government’s collapse in 1991. Burlington, Vermont addressed the Palestinian and Israeli conflict by forming a tripartite city relationship. Images of African countries moved beyond stereotypes of helplessness and isolation. Instead, images developed of emerging nations undertaking municipal improvement and economic growth. Concerned international citizens included themselves in the picture of modern diplomacy. The grassroots tradition remains strong in all sister city programs – a testimony to its founders’ early vision and success.”

What about the creation of a sister-city relationship with an Israeli city?

Members of ORSCP are fully supportive of a sister city relationship between Olympia and an Israeli city or entity, providing that the Israeli counterpart is in Israel proper, within internationally recognized pre-1967 borders. We and, also, the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice, with which we are associated, are willing to provide information to help in establishing such a relationship. We believe that such an effort should be citizen driven, as is ORSCP.

Should an Olympia-Israeli sister city project develop, ORSCP would envision gradual steps to connect our two Olympia groups and those in Rafah and Israel, in a manner agreeable to all the participants.

We reject the idea that approval of ORSCP official status should be contingent on an Israeli sister city being added to the relationship. SCI lists over forty U.S. sister city partnerships with Israel. Clearly, there were no demands on those projects to add a Palestinian counterpart.

Isn’t this a politically motivated sister city project?

ORSCP is drawn to this project because of the relationships people in Olympia have developed with people in Rafah. We hope to share a side of U.S. citizens that does not get much play in Middle East media. Furthermore, we hope to introduce to more Americans the culture and lives of a people whom we read so much about in our daily newspapers and, yet, understand so little. Through the simple act of participating in sister city activities, we can get to know one another better. That is motivation enough for us to do this work.

However, we, also, can not stand by and ignore the dire situation in Israel/Palestine and the relationship of our own government and our own selves to it. That situation calls for our attention and action. Participating in a sister city effort with Rafah provides one avenue for contributing to some breakthrough, in Israel/Palestine and here in the U.S.

People-to-people relationships and human connections that are not abstract illuminate a situation and help us understand the broader political forces at play. It is well documented in history that this makes a difference. If this represents being political, then we plead guilty. Our long-term vision is of Israelis and Palestinians living in peace and cooperation to their mutual benefit. We strongly believe that a just peace that respects the human rights of all is in the interest of Israelis and Palestinians alike. We, also, strongly believe in the power of people-to-people, and community-to-community connections and friendship to advance the goal of an enduring peace.

Who will we be connecting with in Rafah?

A computer programmer, a pharmacist, an accountant, a graphic designer, a woman in charge of a local community center and after-school program for children, a group of women involved in a needle point circle, a college student, a teacher, an administrator for a mental health organization, a physician, and a group of artists. These are some that have been or are currently involved in sister city events or projects in Rafah. We hope to continue to expand the circle of participants in both our communities. Sometimes the thing we most forget when thinking of places like Rafah is just how much normal living continues in spite of the situation.

By giving approval, won’t the city be endorsing Hamas?

Sister city relationships do not endorse political parties.

ORSCP is not tied to any political or partisan organization in Rafah. Our participants in both communities understand that ORSCP is a sister city endeavor aimed at people-to-people connections.

However, it is a misconception that Rafah is controlled by Hamas. Rafah was one of only two districts in Gaza where a majority of voters chose Fatah over Hamas in the 2006 PLC election. Fatah is the representative party for that community. According to Jennifer Loewenstein, Visiting Fellow, Refugee Studies Centre at Oxford University, “Rafah is also the only area in the Gaza Strip that has been almost entirely untouched by the factional in-fighting between Hamas and Fatah. This is because of the popularity of the people in the municipality … According to the Mezan Center for Human Rights which now has a branch office in Rafah, the city is now controlled effectively by Fatah and its affiliates.”

Our connections with Rafah municipality officials are with those described as political independents with a long history in the community.

However, to re-emphasize, ORSCP is in no way connected to the ever shifting political scene in Rafah any more than it is to that in the United States. By approving official status for ORSCP, the City of Olympia would not be endorsing Fatah or Hamas, anymore than the City of Rafah would be endorsing the Bush administration, Republicans or Democrats.

Wouldn’t official status for ORSCP be an endorsement of terrorism?

In no way could the connection be made. ORSCP in numerous publications, brochures and on its website publicly states not only that violence is deplorable, but also expresses the call for a just and lasting peace for all in the region. Furthermore, we believe that such a fear comes from the general misconceptions and phobias about Arab peoples and Muslims that must be addressed in our own communities. A charge that any interaction with the civilian populace of a community such as Rafah constitutes an “endorsement of terrorism” is more of a reflection on the people making it than on the project itself. Terrorism, no matter its funding, trappings, sources or rationale is deplorable. So are blanket accusations about an entire people being untrustworthy solely because of their religious beliefs or ethnicity. Distrust, fear and misunderstandings lie at the root of hatred and violence.

In both Rafah and Olympia, we seek to introduce ourselves and our communities to one another in the hopes of bringing, in even some small way, a bit more understanding between people.

Didn’t the occupation in Gaza end with the removal of Israeli settlements there during the Disengagement in 2005?

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Certainly the lives of people in Gaza improved slightly and temporarily with the pullout of Israeli settlers and military in the summer of 2005.

Gaza is a cramped area for its 1.4 million inhabitants and one of the poorest places on earth. No matter what else can be said, “disengagement” was a positive move by the Israeli government to minimally improve safety and security for its own people and to offer some relief for Palestinians living under occupation in Gaza. ORSCP delegates and members personally witnessed some of the changes that resulted there, namely the removal of internal checkpoints and access to the seacoast and land on which approximately 8,000 settlers had lived illegally under international law. They, also, however, witnessed the continuing control that the Israeli military and government hold over Gaza which, in fact, makes it a prison. Rafah, which has a large population of refugees displaced from various locations, and the rest of the Gaza Strip still are occupied.

Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C., wrote in July 2006, “The Israeli occupation of Gaza never ended, despite the hype of last year’s ‘disengagement.’ The New York Times quoted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert saying that Israel will continue to act militarily in Gaza as it sees fit. ‘We will operate, enter and pull out as needed,’ he said. The withdrawal of soldiers and settlers from within the territory of the Gaza Strip represented a change in the form of occupation, not an end to occupation. After the “pull-out” Gaza remained besieged and surrounded, and Israel has remained in complete control of all aspects of Gazan life. Israel has continued to control the Gaza economy, withholding $50 million or so Palestinian monthly tax revenues, prohibiting Palestinian workers from entering Israel, and controlling the Israeli and Egyptian border crossings into and out of Gaza for all goods and people. Israel continues to forcibly limit the range of Gaza’s fleet of fishermen. It still controls Gaza’s airspace and coastal waters, and continues to prohibit construction of a seaport or rebuilding the airport.” In 2006, Israel continued its air strikes and ground attacks on people and infrastructure throughout Gaza. Nightly barrages of sonic booms caused by low-flying military aircraft over Gaza’s population centers caused additional terror and sleepless nights.

Gazans are still not permitted travel to the West Bank. All funds for public services, internally or internationally generated, are still not in Palestinian control and construction remains restricted by Israeli military authority. Sadly, disengagement did not bring an end to occupation of Gaza either for the Palestinians living there, or for the Israelis who have responsibility under international law for the well-being of those they occupy. Gaza is under siege and remains one of the occupied Palestinian territories.

Why does violence persist in Gaza after disengagement?

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice told reporters prior to disengagement, “…we also recognize that the economic revival of the Palestinian territories is a key element for peace. That means that when the Israelis withdraw from Gaza it cannot be a sealed or isolated area, with the Palestinian people closed in after that withdrawal. We are committed to connectivity between Gaza and the West Bank (Israel proper is in the middle), and we are committed to openness and freedom of movement for the Palestinian people.”

Instead, in the aftermath of disengagement, Gaza has absolutely remained a “sealed” and “isolated area, with the Palestinian people closed in. ORSCP delegates have witnessed this.

Furthermore, after the election of Hamas in January 2006 in what was universally praised as a free and democratic election, the international community chose to punish and isolate Palestinians even further for the result: exercising their right to elect their own government. As this situation was developing, Jaber Wishah of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights stated, “This [isolation] will hurt the goal of two states living side by side…it will increase the frustrations of the Palestinian people here in Gaza.”

According to the World Bank, Palestinians are currently experiencing the worst economic depression in modern history. Unemployment has reached 40 percent, and by April, 2006, 79 percent of Gazan households were living in poverty. Approximately 830,000 of Gaza’s 1.4 million population rely on the United Nations for food. Exacerbating Gaza’s socioeconomic decline was Israel’s attack on Gaza’s only power station last June. The plant, which was destroyed, supplied 45 percent of the electricity in the Gaza Strip.

In short, poverty, isolation, lack of import/exports, jobs, salaries, and a diminution of hope all contribute to the despair that results in violence.

What sort of delegation plans does ORSCP have?

In order to keep the relationship between our two communities strong, ORSCP intends to continue to have at least one delegation per year either from Olympia to Rafah or from Rafah to Olympia.

Past delegation efforts have been very successful in building the sister city relationship and in creating interest in the project in both communities. In August 2003, Emma Perlman went to Rafah for two months where she volunteered in a summer camp, worked with a high school girls’ class and brought back the first fair-trade embroidery to be sold in Olympia. In spring 2004, four Olympians traveled to the region. Due to the tight restriction at the border into the Gaza Strip, only one was able to reach Rafah. In June 2005, Khaled, Samah and Sama Nasrallah, came to Olympia from Rafah, spent several days in the area, and spoke at a community event at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

In late 2005 and early 2006, four delegates from ORSCP, Serena Becker, Siouxzie Morrison, Trent Lutzke and Rochelle Gause spent two months in Rafah furthering our educational and fair trade work, exploring new potential connections with organizations and gathering ideas from interested residents in Rafah. They were joined for part of that time by Will Hewitt, who worked with ORSCP counterparts in Rafah. Back in Olympia, he recently framed, displayed, and discussed art from the Rafah Artists’ Association. In June 2006, Fida Qishta, Director of the Rachel’s Way Youth Center in Rafah visited Olympia. Most recently ORSCP and the Rachel Corrie Foundation hosted Mohammed Abu Asaker, a Palestinian friend of Rachel Corrie’s from Rafah who is now doing graduate study at American University.

What about the safety of delegations?

Delegates are thoroughly oriented to the situation in Israel and Palestine. They and their support team prepare carefully for different contingencies. We consider and continually review the situation on the ground before delegates travel and when they are present in Israel and Palestine. A support system that includes a variety of contacts in the U.S. and in Israel/Palestine is developed before each trip. In times of extreme duress, we do not send delegates into Gaza. Our Palestinian hosts are extremely protective and provide regular briefings and guidance about the situation. Despite problems of access, there are internationals who continue to safely visit Gaza.

No guarantees of absolute safety can be made. Delegates sign a release, assuming responsibility for their decision to travel to Israel and Palestine.

What sort of fair-trade projects does ORSCP work on?

The goal of fair trade is to work with marginalized producers and workers in order to help them move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency. In Rafah, according to the most recent report from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), over 50% of the population is experiencing food insecurity. Even the smallest income can make a large difference to the people in Rafah.

ORSCP has worked to sell craft-work, olive oil and art made by Palestinians in Rafah in locations around Olympia. We offer items for sale at sister city events and at Traditions Café and World Folk Art. In the past, ORSCP has brought olive oil to the South Sound from Palestinian producers. We have brought needlework to sell in Olympia from the Center for Disabled Persons and women’s collectives in Rafah, such as the General Union of Palestinian Women.

In coordination with our 2006 delegation, a series of pastels were created by Rafah artists in the Palestinian Artists Association. The finished pieces were brought from Rafah ORSCP delegates, have been on display in Olympia during Arts Walk, and are currently being exhibited in Traditions Café. The works are being sold to support the Rafah Art Association. These small projects represent only a part of potential fair trade opportunities we look forward to developing.

Why Rafah?

The idea for a sister city relationship with Rafah originated with Rachel Corrie before she left Olympia for the Gaza Strip in January 2003 as she considered meaningful ways to continue the work once she returned to the U.S. In Rafah, Rachel continued to talk about the possibility of a sister city relationship and began to take small steps towards it. When she was killed in March 2003, members of both communities were moved to carry on that effort. Olympia has a unique connection with Rafah through Rachel Corrie.

Some ask why we choose to have a sister city in such a troubled place. It is because the need is acute. Rafah continues to be the poorest city in all of the West Bank and Gaza. Rachel chose to go to Rafah because she understood it was the most forsaken area of the occupied territories. Simply bearing witness to the situation there shines an international spotlight on what it means to live in Rafah. That is a powerful thing in itself. Finding solutions for Israel and Palestine can have far-reaching ramifications. That is something in which we hope to play a part.

Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice and the Department of State have been emphasizing the need for people to people projects with those in the Arab world. For example, in 2001, the U.S. government launched Friendship Through Education (FTE) to help U.S. school children network and learn from Islamic counterparts overseas. Through the YES program students from Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Syria, the West Bank, Tunisia, and Yemen have lived in the U.S. for a year with host families and attended leadership summits.

Isn’t this just about the death of Rachel Corrie?

To the contrary, ORSCP was inspired by the life of Olympia native and human-rights advocate Rachel Corrie, but continuation of the project is about the current, active participants who bring a wide array of ideas about how people in our respective communities can connect with one another.

Rachel was dedicated to social justice and acutely aware of the impact of the Israeli military occupation on Palestinians living in Rafah and of American responsibility for that occupation. She believed in the possibility of our two communities learning a great deal from each other. Rachel wrote, “I continue to believe that my home, Olympia, could gain a lot and offer a lot by deciding to make a commitment to Rafah in the form of a sister-community relationship. Some teachers and children’s groups have expressed interest in e-mail exchanges, but this is only the tip of the iceberg of solidarity work that might be done. Many people want their voices to be heard, and I think we need to use some of our privilege as internationals to get those voices heard directly in the US, rather than through the filter of well-meaning internationals such as myself.” In 2003, when Rachel was killed while attempting to protect a Palestinian family’s home from demolition, people in both Rafah and Olympia started to work towards making that vision of a sister city relationship a reality.

As Rachel would want, the focus is on the people of Rafah and Olympia.

Is this what council members were elected to do?

City Council members and the City of Olympia have many things to attend to. Reviewing and approving sister city requests is in the purview of the Council as noted at the City’s website. This is not about the Olympia City Council making foreign policy; but it is about the City Council exercising its authority to support Olympia developing essential connections to the rest of the world. Happily a project like ORSCP, which requires so little investment of time or money from the city, has the potential to make important gains toward world peace and stability.

As Sister City International states, “As the world becomes smaller, communities and individuals are facing opportunities and challenges that increasingly require a global perspective. They are realizing the importance of forming international partnerships that foster economic development, cross-cultural exchange, and global cooperation…A sister city program enables the citizens of both communities to become directly involved in international relations in unique and rewarding exchanges, which benefits all those involved.”

Won’t this create a precedent for a plethora of sister cities?

We hope so! Rather than a problem, we would view more sister-city relationships with Olympia as an opportunity for our community to grow in our understanding of and connection to the world and in our ability as a community to contribute to a better world for all. Madison, Wisconsin, a city with similarities to Olympia has, in fact, nine sister city relationships — with Ainaro, East Timor; Arcatao, El Salvador; Bac Giang, Vietnam; Camaguey, Cuba; Freiburg, Germany; Managua, Nicaragua; Mantova, Italy; Obihiro, Japan; and Vilnius, Lithuania.

Of course, any sister city group should take on the burden of the project development in full, so as to make it as trouble-free as possible for the City of Olympia.

Why is official status for ORSCP important?

Only through obtaining official status with the City of Olympia can ORSCP become a member of Sister Cities International (SCI), “the leading citizen diplomacy organization geared toward helping communities seize the opportunities and overcome the challenges of this new global era.”

Membership in SCI provides benefits that will enhance the project in numerous ways. At their website, SCI states, “Sister Cities International opens numerous doors to the world, enriching your community through educational exchanges, business development opportunities, and information sharing on issues such as healthcare and the environment…These partnerships allow your community to creatively learn, work and solve problems through cultural, educational, municipal, business, professional and technical exchanges and projects.”

Benefits of SCI membership include:

• Official listing in the Sister Cities International Directory, a subscription to all Sister Cities International publications including quarterly issues of the Sister Cities International Newsletter, and access to instructional guides covering all aspects of local program development.
• Opportunity for ORSCP programs to receive Sister Cities International-administered grants and to participate in programs such as Wheelchairs for Peace.
• Opportunity to apply to the Sister Cities International Network for Sustainable Development.
• Access to the Members Only section of the enhanced Sister Cities International Web site, www.sister-cities.org.
• Instantaneous translation for e-mails and documents.
• Opportunity to network with all members of Sister Cities International to share and access program information through a comprehensive database and search engine.
• Recognition through Sister City International’s competitive Annual Awards Program.
• Opportunities for youth to compete locally and internationally in a Young Artist Competition.
• Participation in the SCI annual conference with discounted membership rates and voting rights.
• Opportunity to participate in all Sister Cities International activities and governance processes.
• Support from a state coordinator, as well as national SCI staff.
• Private consultation services from SCI professional experts.

SCI has launched a Congressional campaign encouraging Congress to enact a five-year program that will provide seed grants to programs across the United States for exchanges with their sister cities around the globe. When funded, it will create 4,320 international citizen exchange opportunities each year, resulting in 21,600 international exchanges over five years. Additionally, it will help sister city organizations reach out to communities in Islamic countries by targeting 500 Islamic exchanges each year.

Adnan Abu Al Su’ud, ORSCP member in Rafah and Assistant Coordinator of Projects and Programs at the Palestinian Association for Development and Reconstruction wrote, “It’s really exciting to hear that we’re getting closer the Olympia city council official status. I can’t imagine that council members would vote against this. If they did so, God forbid, to us it would seem to be a vote against the great principles that the U.S. was established on: freedom and democracy.”

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