San Francisco-Bangalore Sister City Initiative
Engaging Individuals and Institutions in Bangalore and San Francisco in creating sustainable 21st century cities through an exchange of environmental, economic, cultural and research ideas, expertise and resource.
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News
Signing Ceremony
Bangalore sister city celebrated
November 19, 2009 (by Tamara Straus) - Interested in tabla lessons or perhaps some instruction in Indian classical music? The Asian Art Museum is hosting an afternoon of music and art Saturday in celebration of the San Francisco-Bangalore sister city relationship, which became official last month. The event, which starts at 11:15 a.m. and runs until 4:15 p.m., includes tabla lessons led by drumming phenomenon Robin Sukhadia, Indian stories for families, a docent tour of the museum's South Asian galleries, a Karnatic musical concert led by Mohan Rangan Govindaraj and an Indian classical singing lesson led by Gautam Tejas Ganeshan.
Ganeshan, who organized the music for the event, has become a magnet for local Indian classical musicians through his Mission-based Sangati Center. "When I started the center in 2006, I wasn't sure if there would be enough performers," said Ganeshan. "But people came out of the woodwork." Every musician performing Saturday at the Asian Art Museum except the flutist and Ganeshan works at Google.
Jay Xu, director of museum, will be part of the San Francisco delegation that leaves for Bangalore on Nov. 27. His mission: to further cement cultural ties between the two cities. "Our museum has an outstanding Indian art collection, and I am eager to further develop and enhance our Indian art programs," said Xu. "As I like to say, 'When people meet, ideas will be born.' "
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/sister-city-celebration
Bangalore Trip Send-Off Reception
San Francisco, November 10, 2009 -- More than 50 people gathered at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco Tuesday evening for a kick off reception for the inaugural trade and friendship mission of the San Francisco Bangalore Sister Cities Initiative.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is leading a delegation of civic, business and cultural leaders on November 27 to Bangalore, India. He joined the delegates to share his vision for the trip. "I have the same hopes and plans that this sister cities relationship can excel as the sister cities relationships with Shanghai and Osaka," he said and added that he would stay a day or two longer in Bangalore than he had initially expected to. This is Mayor Newsom's first visit to India. He is expected to sign at least four Memoranda of Understanding in Bangalore.
The evening began with welcome remarks by Madhav Misra and Jim Herlihy, co-chairs of the San Francisco Bangalore Sister Cities Initiative. Mr. Misra said "a thousand flowers had bloomed"" ever since Mayor Newsom and the Chief Minister of Karnataka, B.S. Yeddyurappa, had signed a memorandum of understanding a year ago that had established Bangalore, the capital of the state of Karnataka, and San Francisco would be sister cities.
Mr. Herlihy recalled that Mr. Newsom had come up with the idea for the initiative during their trip to Shanghai in 2005 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the San Francisco Shanghai Sister Cities relationship. "It's taken us a little bit of time, but we've done it right," said Mr. Herlihy.
The primary goal of the visit to Bangalore is to deepen ties between the two regions so that residents of both these areas can benefit in tangible ways from this relationship. The members of the committee are working on establishing agreements between groups on both sides in the areas of trade, technical co-operation, investment, health, culture, education and philanthropy.
George Shultz, former U.S. Secretary of State, attended the event to wish the delegates bon voyage. He shared his memories of India with the delegates. "The Taj Mahal is the most beautiful building human beings have ever produced," he said. He warmly recalled Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's state visit to the U.S. and his subsequent journey to India. His wife, Charlotte Shultz, the ceremonial Chief of Protocol and Director of Special Events for the City and County of San Francisco, gave the delegates protocol tips to remember while traveling in India.
The evening also featured guided tours of the Indian galleries in the museum. The reception was hosted by Asian Art Foundation trustee Judy Wilbur.
The San Francisco-Bangalore Sister City Initiative is a volunteer-driven, not-for profit-organization that aims to engage individuals and institutions in Bangalore and San Francisco in creating sustainable 21st century cities through an exchange of environmental, economic, technological, and cultural ideas, expertise and resources.
For more information on Sister Cities, first envisioned by President Eisenhower as the main cog for citizen diplomacy, go to http://www.sister-cities.org/
Bangalore Trip Send-Off Reception
On November 10th, the Asian Art Musuem held a reception for the San Francisco - Bangalore Trip kick-off where Mayor Newsom raised the excitement level of delegates in preparation for the trip
Click for larger view:
(Photo by Samir Yagnik)
Click here to view more photos from the event...
"------Guess who showed up at Tuesday night's Asian Art Museum reception for the San Francisco delegation's forthcoming business trip to Bangalore? Mayor Gavin Newsom, that's who.
Appearing rested and ready (though not notably tanned), Newsom told the assembled, including George and Charlotte Shultz, how much he was looking forward to the trip. So much so, he'll probably stay longer than the two days originally advertised.
"I think this trip is really going to recharge him," one of delegates said quietly. --" (Andrew Ross, The San Francisco Chronicle)
SF Bangalore in the news
Indus International School of Bangalore and French American International School of San Francisco Sign Historic Memorandum of Understanding
On Wednesday, May 27, 2009, at 11:00 a.m., Pacific, an historic Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Indus International School of Bangalore and the French American International School of San Francisco. This Memorandum represents the first project in the area of Education under the San Francisco-Bangalore Sister City Initiative, which is the brain child of the honorable Mayor and is expected to bring the two great cities closer together. The purpose of the Memorandum is to create a platform for the schools to share and gain from their respective competencies and experiences in the areas of education, research, infrastructure development, community service and learning methodology. To meet this goal, the schools have reached agreement to pursue collaboration in the areas of student exchange programs, faculty exchange, exchange of best practices, joint research and development initiatives, seminars and conferences and Joint community service initiatives.
Indus International School is a full spectrum IB school, whose strengths are whole education, leadership, entrepreneurship, community services and world citizenship. It is in its sixth year of operation and has students from twenty-nine countries. Its principal, Ms. Sarojini Rao, is a university Gold medalist with a double post-graduate degree in Education and Economics. She is trained in all three IB programs and is a graduate of the Principal's Training Center for International School Leadership located in the U.S. In addition to coordinating the implementation of IB and IGCSE in Indus' curriculum while in her role as Curriculum Director, Ms. Rao recently played a pivotal role in formulating the Entrepreneurship Curriculum and Instructional Supervision and Evaluation Model for the School.
The French American International School is the only independent IB and French Bac School in San Francisco. It is a co-ed college preparatory school whose mission is guided by the "principles of academic rigor and diversity" and endeavors to prepare its graduates to think critically and to communicate across multiple cultures. It is a forty-six year old school with students from forty-two nationalities. Ms. Jane Camblin, principal of the French American International School has been Head of the school since 1992. She holds honors degrees in Russian Language, Literature and Soviet Politics from Bristol University, UK, a master's degree in teaching English as a Second Language from Sydney University, Australia and a joint Master's degree in Educational Administration and Bilingualism from Stanford University. Ms. Camblin is a two-term elected Board member of the Council of International Schools (CIS) representing the interests of hundreds of International Schools around the world, and is the founding Chair of the Board of the Council of International Schools in the Americas (CIStA).
The signing event was held in City Hall and was attended by the Mayor, who also signed the Memorandum, the principals of each school, the San Francisco-based San Francisco-Bangalore Sister City Board of Directors and 2020 Subcommittee members as well as notable individuals representing both cities.
Information
News you can use...
In our increasingly globalized society wherein geographic borders are becoming increasingly meaningless, San Francisco and Bangalore have seized upon the opportunity to strengthen bonds of friendship and understanding between their respective people, thereby exemplifying global relationships and cooperation. Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka state, brings its recent emergence as a major technological hub hosting more than a thousand IT and Biotechnology companies, including many Fortune 500 companies as well as a history rich in arts, science and culture. San Francisco brings its own rich history as a Spanish mission propelled into huge growth as a culturally diverse and thriving metropolis home to established financial institutions, large infrastructure of professional services and technology, and art of all kinds. In partnering as sister cities, San Francisco and Bangalore will be able to realize unimaginable potential for joint innovation and social improvement while establishing lasting friendship and understanding between the peoples of both cities.
The goals of our partnership are to achieve growth and development in the following areas:
- Promotion of Economy and Trade
- Social and Cultural
- Education
- Tourism
- Environmental knowledge exchange
In order to build the solid foundation of cooperation needed to achieve these goals, our cities' representatives will engage in the open exchange of ideas through frequent communication and friendly visits as well as promote visits between government agencies, Legislatures, industry and trade officials and non-governmental organizations. We hope to use these interactions at various structural levels to develop a better understanding of common issues relating to good governance. In addition, the cities will respect each other's legal systems, enhance their judicial exchanges and cooperate to protect Intellectual Proprety Rights and promote healthy trade relations. Relevant subcommittees have been established to accomplish our goals in various areas of interaction.
By forging a strong partnership, the two cities and our people will reap enormous benefits including:
- New business opportunities
- Economic and social benefits
- Collaboration and transfer of cutting-edge Technology
- Good governance and better service delivery
- Transfer of cross-cultural understanding
- Exchange of language development
- Broadening of skills and knowledge
- Greater level of satisfaction and motivation for City employees who become involved as mentors and trainers; and
- Measurable outcomes that will sustain the economic and social development of the sister city relationship.
The introduction of telegraph connections and a rail connection to Madras brought rapid growth to Bangalore, and about 100 years later, the Gold Rush brought rapid growth and the now-famous sourdough bread to San Francisco.
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