2013 CLAIR Forum – Report
Held on Monday 5 August 2013, this year’s CLAIR forum celebrated 50 years of Australia-Japan Sister City relationships.
Location: The Westin Sydney, Heritage Ballroom
Organiser: Japan Local Government Centre (CLAIR Sydney), Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO)
Sponsors: Consulate-General of Japan in Sydney, Australian Centre of Excellence in Local Government, Sister Cities Australia
Half a century has passed since the first Australia-Japan Sister City agreement was signed in 1963 between the cities of Yamatotakada in Nara Prefecture and Lismore in New South Wales. In celebrating this milestone, the forum revisited the last 50 years all the while discussing the future of Sister City relationships. Furthermore, given that 2013 has been named the Australia-Japan Tourism Exchange Year, with the help of JNTO, the forum also promoted Japanese regional tourism.
1 – Presenting Father Paul with a Certificate of Appreciation
50 years ago Father Paul Glynn exerted himself to make the Lismore-Yamatotakada Sister City agreement a reality. When the memories of the war were still fresh, resentment towards Japan remained strong throughout Australia, yet in the midst of it all, Father Paul went to work in a church in Yamatotakada. He built a kindergarten there using donations he received both in Japan and Australia, creating a tie between the two nations. Once the kindergarten was built, Father Glynn expended all his efforts on establishing a Sister City agreement, eventually resulting in the Lismore-Yamatotakada Sister City relationship.
Recognising his efforts, CLAIR presented him with a certificate of appreciation. Father Glynn shared his good wishes, hoping that “the Sister City link between Lismore and Yamatotakada strengthens the sisterhood, brotherhood, and the cooperation between our two motherlands.”
2 – Congratulatory Addresses
To celebrate this 50th anniversary, guests from a wide range of organisations addressed the audience. NSW Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner and Consul-General of Japan in Sydney Dr. Masahiro Kohara each gave a congratulatory address.
Chairperson of CLAIR Ms. Yoko Kimura shared a story of a high school student who recommitted herself to her dreams by taking part in the Sister City exchange program. She added that she hoped the forum would act as a means to interact and exchange ideas as well as an opportunity for people to support each other.
3 – Looking back on the last 50 years
Looking back on 50 years of sisterhood, mayors from both cities addressed the audience. As well as praising the efforts of Father Paul, they discussed the cross-border relations the Sister City relationship offered both cities’ residents.
① Yamatotakada – Mayor Masakatsu Yoshida
Yamatotakada’s Mayor Yoshida told the crowd that he believed Father Paul and the then Mayor of Yamatotakada faced many challenges when gaining the approval of both cities’ members, as they also had to overcome cultural and language barriers. He added that after the tie was established, much exchange took place between the two cities. He spoke of the Lismore Garden – a park that can be found in Yamatotakada – and how strongly the Gum tree Lismore offered grew to this day.
He wished that good friendships such as their Sister City relationship should not stop at the local level, but go beyond and contribute to world peace. He told the audience that for that to happen, both cities should exchange further in various fields such as education, welfare, investment and trade.
② Lismore – Mayor Jenny Dowell 【Lismore Presentation Data】
Lismore’s Mayor Dowell told the audience that the Sister City relationship was a direct result of personal relationships. She also commented about the great deal of exchanges that took place, which ranged from letters, gifts and visits, adding that recently communication has become very easy thanks to e-mail and Skype. Amid all the changes, she concluded, one thing that remained constant was the value they placed on their relationship with Yamatotakada.
Following the mayoral speeches, President of Sister City Australia Alderman William Wilson presented a certificate of appreciation to the JET program – in recognition of their reconstruction assistance after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
CLAIR Sydney’s Director Mr. Yasuhiko Tanabe has stated that with 108 Sister City and State relationships, Japan is Australia’s biggest Sister City partner. He also added that 60% of Australia-Japan Sister City exchange activity consists of youth exchange, which is a unique feature of this binational relation. 【CLAIR Presentation Data】
4 – The future of Sister Relationships
The second half of the forum consisted of a panel discussion on future developments of Australia-Japan Sister City relationships. Three cities that actively take part in the Sister City program – Sydney, Manly and Perth – each delegated an official who told of their international programs.
Councillor Robert Kok represented the City of Sydney, which has a Sister City agreement with Nagoya. He discussed a new initiative his city has, which consists of leasing out council buildings to young and enthusiastic entrepreneurs at an affordable rate. Mr. Kok noted that these small to medium sized businesses are what give cities their distinctive appeals and suggested that these initiatives may lead to new areas of cooperation given Japan’s creative culture.
The City of Manly delegated its Deputy Mayor Alan Le Surf to talk about their exchange activities. He talked about the Manly-Taitōku Sister City agreement that recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and how Manly’s friendship agreement with Odawara has also led to the exchange of some 6,000 students. Mr. Le Surf noted that these exchanges have given Manly the opportunity to borrow ideas from its partners, successfully improving their exchange programs. 【Manly Presentation Data】
On behalf of the City of Perth the audience was addressed by Ms. Chris Hughes – the city’s International Relations Coordinator. She said that Perth’s Mayor and Council are dedicated to global commitment, with educational and youth exchange being an important aspect of it. Ms. Hughes also informed the audience that she is working on a better way to measure the effectiveness of Perth’s exchange programs. 【Perth Presentation Data】
Director Roberta Ryan from the Australian Centre of Excellence in Local Government, who facilitated the panel discussion explained that, with well over 3,000 links, Sister City relationships form the largest voluntary movement in the world. Ms. Ryan also stated that she will continue to research the significance of Sister City relationships.
5 – Promoting Tourism to Japan
Given that 2013 has been named the Australia-Japan Tourism Exchange Year, Deputy Director of JNTO Sydney Ms. Maiko Zenki gave a presentation about Japanese tourism. Her presentation was followed by a concert of Koto – a traditional Japanese string instrument – led by musician Satsuki Odamura, which gave the audience a taste of Japanese music culture. Located in the foyer, booths promoting tourism to Japan were visited by many of the attendees, some enquiring about their Sister City or asking for recommendations on destinations.
Some participants wished to learn about other cities’ Sister City activities and incorporate them into their own. This forum has highlighted the important role the Sister City program plays in the development of international relations, as well as in the deepening of the Australia-Japan understanding. We hope that this year’s forum marked a further step in the development of Sister City relationships.