USASC History

U.S. AFRICA SISTER CITIES

D.C.-Dakar Capital Cities Friendship Council, Inc. DC-Dakar of Washington, DC is the organizer of the U.S. Africa Sister Cities Foundation, Inc. DC-Dakar established an annual conference in 1991. The conference was founded because of a lack of program issues focusing on Africa. We are an advocate organization addressing issues that affect Africa and promote public awareness through our African sister cities. We help to promote friendship and better understanding, values of mutual respect, cooperation and benefit as well as encourages a better quality of life economically, technically, and environmentally.

In 1990 at the Annual Sister Cities International Conference in Chicago, IL DC-Dakar convened a meeting of all cities that had African sister cities. Twenty-one persons came to the meeting. After the meeting the DC-Dakar delegation was very energized. We presented the idea of a meeting of all U.S. African Sister Cities in Washington, D.C. The DC-Dakar Board approved hosting the meeting in D.C.

For the past fifteen (15) years, representatives from 107 United States cities and 110 African cities, towns or villages that are "Sister Cities" have met annually to exchange information and promote joint projects. In 2000 we held in Denver, CO, the first fundraiser for combating the spread for HIV AIDS in Africa. At our Tenth Annual U.S. Africa Sister Cities Conference in 2001, we pledged to initiate an extended campaign for additional contributions from each U.S. Africa Sister City, which will be channeled through the U.S. Africa Sister Cities Foundation to help the Africare program fight against the disease in Africa.

Also in 2001, we instituted our educational component. We asked each registered participant to focus on an assigned country and prepare a five minute discussion concentrating on the one of the following workshop topics: background and history (ancient, modern and present), economic resources, and/or international relations.   

Every fourth year the Conference is held in an African country.

Listed below are the year, date, city and theme of prior Conferences

1992, March 6-7, Washington, DC, Improving Communication and Awareness Among U.S. African Sister Cities

1993, March 4-6, Washington, DC, News / Networking /Information

1994, March 3-5, Mansfield, OH, Bringing it Home….through Trade-Education-Public Health

1995, June 20-27, Dakar, Senegal, Focus on Health and the Environment

1996, June 19-22, Seattle, WA, Transcending Ethnic Borders

1997, April 2-5, Washington, DC, Coming to America: Recent African Immigration to the United States

1998, June 17-20, Cincinnati, OH, Partnering through Technology and Investment

1999, June 19-30, Nairobi, Kenya, Linkages: From Grassroots to Government

2000, June 28-July 2, Denver, CO, Africa Today Meeting the Challenges of the World

2001, April 25-29, Washington, DC, Building Future Progress on a strong Tradition of caring for and Sharing with Africa: "Focus on the Millennium Generation"

2002, April 17-20, San Francisco, CA, Daring to Care-and to Share

2003, June 29-July 5, Accra, Ghana, Strengthen Sister Cities in Africa: "Focus on HIV/Aids crisis, Democratic Governance, Exploring Business, Trade and Investment."

2004, June 17-19, Richmond, VA, "US Africa Returning to the BASIC" Building A Stable Involved Committed Society

2005, May 25-28, St. Louis, Missouri - Bridging the Waters

2006, July 12-16, Washington, DC - 50th Anniversary of SCI

Proposed Conferences