Living In Las Cruces- Spring/Summer 2008

LOCAL FLAVOR

By Jillian A. Mills

It was 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower held a White House summit pertaining to international relations and what might be accomplished by a "people-to-people" course of action. Born of this concept, was Sister Cities International, a "citizen diplomacy network" whose partial goal is to "create and strengthen partnerships between the United States and communities abroad." The launch of this effort was well received and today has grown to include more than 1,000 United States cities who are paired with more than 1,700 foreign cities; this is inclusive to all 50 states and 122 foreign countries.

On a local level, it is interesting to find Las Cruces has two sister cities: Ciudad Lerdo, Durango, Mexico and Nienburg, Germany. A local teacher with ties to Lerdo began communications with the city and in 1982 Las Cruces and Lerdo began formalizing their relationship via an agreement between the two city governments; in 1989, they officially joined Sister Cities International. Lerdo, with a population of about 100,000, is about 560 miles south of Las Cruces. Exchanges include: Student and Youth Exchanges, Artistic and Cultural Exchanges, Professional and Business Exchanges and Friendship Exchanges. Attendees of the Whole Enchilada Fiesta were entertained by the dances of La Rondallas from Lerdo while Onate High School's Mariachi de Onate performed at the Parque principal. On a business level, Las Cruces provided a seminar on developing a mequila industry; artisans from Lerdo displayed products at Mesilla Valley Mall. An annual visit to Lerdo in November enables participation in the festivities surrounding the founding of their city while delegates from Lerdo often travel to Las Cruces for the Fourth of July.

Student exchanges via the German-American Partnership Program (GAPP) began in 1987 which is what ultimately led to the discussions that resulted in the Sister City relationship between Las Cruces and Nienburg. A formal signing of agreements at Aggie Memorial Stadium on July 4, 1993 made it official. With a population of just around 33,000, Nienburg offers a rich history dating back to 1025. Professional exchanges include students from Nienburg working with a Las Cruces bank, law firm and at New Mexico State University while Las Crucens have worked for a Nienburg computer firm, the utilities company and the city library as a result of the program.

Both Lerdo and Nienburg have their own committee in Las Cruces who meets monthly. The function of each committee is to act as a liaison, arranging various exchanges and setting up programs for the respective affiliation. The Las Cruces Sister Cities Foundation endeavors to span gaps, whether religious, economic or political in order to unite people. The Foundation "facilitates opportunities for citizens to travel to our sister cities, participate in exchanges, host guests from these cities, share information, develop greater understanding of different cultures and form many special friendships." It is in this way that the organization foots back to the original intention as laid out by President Eisenhower. Eisenhower felt if people were to bridge the gaps that separate us by stepping across borders and experiencing firsthand (and thereby better understanding) the cultures that make us all uniquely different and yet so very much the same, it would "help build the road to an enduring peace." Maybe it is time we visited our sisters?