Omaha takes its twinnings seriously
A visit by teachers from Shizuoka, Japan, to Omaha, under the two cities' twinning programme.
OMAHA & NAAS, 25 July 2002: by Brian Byrne. When Omaha’s Sister City Association establishes a relationship with another town or city around the world, it takes its work seriously.
Last year alone, there were no less than 34 events and occasions celebrated involving Omaha’s twinnings with Siauliai in Lithuania, Braunschweig in Germany, and Shizuoka in Japan.
Omaha has been involved in twinnings since 1965 when it set up its relationship with Shizuoka City, pop 470,000, in the Southern Japan Alps. In 1992 the city twinned with Braunschweig, population 260,000, the second largest city in Lower Saxony. The twinning with Siauliai, population 150,000, took palce in 1996. The city is an important transit and commercial hub on the Berlin-Kaliningrad-St. Petersburg highway.
Activities last year alone included the annual dinner held at the German American Society Hall, the celebration of Lithuania Independence Day, a visit by 35 members of the Studium Chorus from Siauliai University, another visit by Mayor Werner Steffens and five members of his staff and City Council from Braunschweig, and a 3-week visit by 20 Omaha high school students to Braunschweig.
Other events included a 10-day visit by a seven-member teacher delegation from Omaha to Shizouka, where they taught classes in local schools. Fifty members of the Omaha Bel Canto Choir also visited Shizouka, and a group of 50 scouts - boys and girls - from Skizouka spent a week at a camp in Omaha. Discussions between officials of zoos in Omaha and Shizouka also took place, with a view to organising animal exchanges.
Some 18 members of the Rokoko Chorus from Siauliai also visited for 10 days, and Vytautas Sliupas, President of the Auksuciai Foundation, met Omaha sister city members to discuss his research/demonstration farm project in Siauliai.
Among a wide range of student and academic exchanges between educational institutions in the various cities, four University of Omaha students attended Shizuoka University and eight students from the Technical University of Braunschweig studied at University of Omaha. UNO also hosted five students from Siauliai University.
The 18-member Omaha Boddirossi Soccer Team and four coaches spent a week playing in the Shizuoka International Soccer Tournament. The team played other 12-year old age group teams from seven different countries. Some 23 parents went as part of the delegation.
Earlier this year, in addition to hosting the St Patrick’s weekend visit from Naas Town Council, the Omaha Sister City Association had Virgis Stakenas, a country western/folk singer from Siauliai, in Omaha for four days, and a Jazz group from Braunschweig also visited. They also had 20 Braunschweig high school students for three weeks in April in Omaha where they stayed with fellow high school students and host families. In return, a 20-strong Omaha high school student delegation went to Braunschweig in June. Eight Omaha teachers also spent 10 days in Shizouka in June.
The 63-member delegation due in Naas on the first weekend in August will be the largest group ever to travel under the auspices of the OSCA. It will be led by Omaha mayor, Mike Fahey, and the current chairman of the OSCA, Lawrence Uebner, who has been a member of the association since 1973.
During their visit, the Omaha delegation will make a special presentation to the Naas Twinning Committee.
Two visitors from Japan to Omaha enjoyed a canoeing and camping break during their time in the Nebraskan city.
|
|
