Message from the Chair
Hanna Eun is the North American SAP Insights and Data Practice Leader, Capgemini
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Dear Friends of ASCA:
Today, we are all reading the heartbreaking stories of what is happening in Ukraine. Through our sister city relationship, the Arlington community has been connected to Ivano-Frankivsk and Ukraine over the years through student exchanges, firefighter exchanges, visits abroad, film festivals, musical performance and many other events. Members of our Ivano-Frankivsk Sister City Committee have personal ties to the region with relatives, coworkers, and friends living in Ukraine. ASCA fully supports the resolution passed last night by the Arlington County Board, which reads, in part, that the Arlington County Board, “Stands in support and solidarity with the people of Ivano-Frankivsk and all of Ukraine in their defense of sovereignty and democracy.” (Full article on resolution)
Sister Cities International was created at President Eisenhower’s 1956 White House summit on citizen diplomacy, where he envisioned a network that would be a champion for peace and prosperity by fostering bonds between people from different communities around the world. President Eisenhower reasoned that people from different cultures could understand, appreciate, and celebrate their differences while building partnerships that would lessen the chance of new conflicts.
Eisenhower’s vision was also the dream of Arlington Ivano-Frankivsk Committee Founding President, Chrystia Sonevytsky. In a fascinating article by Carl Lankowski, Ms. Sonevytsky talks about her life, her interest in having a Ukraine sister city, and her journey to make it a reality. Thinking about establishing a sister city relationship, Chrystia recalled, “I wanted it very much because I was aware that Ukraine had been living under the heavy foot of the Soviet Union. Here was an opportunity for the country to open another window to the west.” She remembered the signing of the agreement between the cities, “March 4, 2011. To me, it was an absolutely wonderful event. Not only were we signing an agreement, but the “whole world” was able to witness us, as it was done at the annual convention of Sister Cities International, held here in Arlington. So, something we were working so hard on for so many years all of a sudden was coming to fruition.”
-Hanna
Please see the information below about how you can help Ukraine. Also, follow us on social media to get the latest updates.
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In this issue:
Message from the Chair
Sister City / Committee News
Get Involved
Who We Are
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Follow ASCA on Social Media for the latest news! |
Upcoming Events:
March 2022
9-Finance Committee Meeting
10-Ivano-Frankivsk Committee Meeting
23-San Miguel Committee Meeting
27-Aachen Committee Meeting
April 2022
2-Reims Committee Meeting
5-Development Committee
6-Governance Committee
7-Ivano-Frankivsk Committee
8-French Election Event Library
11-San Miguel Committee Meeting
25-ASCA Board Meeting
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Sister City / Committee News & Events |
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Aachen Sister City Committee |
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Introducing New APS German Teacher |
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Maria Kehr was born in Dresden, Germany, before the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the 90s, her family moved to the southern state of Baden-Württemberg, where she grew up in the beautiful rural region of Hohenlohe, right in the middle between Stuttgart and Nürnberg.
She pursued her "passion" for working in education by serving as a German teacher at an international high school in the city of Ootacamund in Tamil Nadu, India. She went on to study in the UK where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English Language (linguistics) and French. She worked for several years as a special education assistant at an inner-city high school in Coventry, UK, whilst also privately teaching German to elementary and high school students for many years. Maria taught German adult courses at the University of Warwick. Before moving to the US, she led an educational outreach program which supported young people, aged 12-14, who were highly gifted, came from under-represented communities and who would be the first generation in their family to go to university. According to Ms. Kehr, "languages take you places and are crucial for building intercultural relationships".
In 2020, she moved to the area to get married and join her husband here. Ms. Kehr joined Arlington Public Schools in January 2022 as World Languages teacher for German.
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Reims Sister City Committee |
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20 years of French Student Exchanges
By Elizabeth Schollaert
President of the Reims Committee of ASCA
As a French teacher at Yorktown, I had long wanted to offer my students the opportunity to travel to France to hear the language spoken by real French people and to see France.
Working with a contact at the French Embassy, a group of volunteers were able to start the French student exchange in 2001. The ASCA board had been trying to establish a sister city relationship with Reims, so we focused on finding a high school in Reims and eventually established an agreement with Kristine Vial at Lycée Marc Chagall. She and I did our first exchanges, outbound and inbound, in 2001. Sure enough, in 2003 the accords were signed in Reims and in 2004 in Arlington. I’m sure there were many reasons for Reims finally agreeing to the “jumelage” with Arlington, but I do believe the exchange with Chagall played a role. The trip offered to students in all four high schools making organizing more difficult.
Fortunately, Margarita Cruz, assistant principal at Washington-Lee High School ("W-L"), became involved in 2003. That summer, we organized and accompanied a small group of students to visit Reims and Paris with Ali Akash, French teacher at W-L joining us. The W-L administration supported us for a number of very good years. In 2013, at the request of Dr. Murphy, Superintendent of APS, I began working with Dr. Brenda Wilks, assistant superintendent, to develop a Memo of Understanding between APS and ASCA. The MOU was signed by Dr. Murphy and ASCA chair Tom Skladony in 2016. The APS-Lycée Chagall exchange has been interrupted several times by terrorist attacks, the Iraq war, and now the pandemic, but it has endured and will endure. Our last exchange groups in 2015 and 2017 were led by Katy Wheelock, Wakefield French teacher. We hope our exchanges will happen again in 2023!
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The French Presidential Election
April 8, 2022, 3:00 pm
Arlington Central Library
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On the eve of the French presidential elections, the Arlington Sister City Association, in partnership with the Arlington Central Library, will present a free program open to the public, on the French electoral system, and provide an update on the current candidates.
The speakers will be Patrick Chamorel, Ph.D., Senior Fellow and Lecturer at Stanford Washington, and Brinton Rowdybush, Ph.D., former France political analyst at the State Department and Arlington-Reims Sister City Committee member.
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San Miguel Sister City Committee |
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Highlights of Recent Trip to San Miguel, El Salvador
By Orlando Gamarra
President of the San Miguel Committee of ASCA
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On January 12, President of the San Miguel Committee, Mr. Gamarra arrived in San Miguel to hold meetings with the supporting group Amigos de San Miguel and the Mayor Jose Will Salgado. The group, integrated for 16 members, elected Santiago Marquez as President, Salvadoran Attorney Maria Noemy Sorto as Secretary and Teacher Merlen Rodriguez as Treasurer.
Mr. Gamarra remarked to the members the importance of working together to develop the educational, cultural, student and sports exchange programs in San Miguel and in Arlington. Mayor Salgado also expressed his commitment to keep working with ASCA and his desire to come to visit Arlington as soon as possible. The Mayor supports the student exchange program and all the activities developed for over ten years.
Mr. Gamarra had a meeting with Mr. Edwin O. Flores Lazo, General Manager of the Centro Cultural Salvadoreno Americano who reiterated his willingness to grant discounts and waive the registration fees to our students participating in English classes.
In another meeting with the Directors of the Liceo San Miguel, Lic. Martha Zelayandia, Cesar Mendez and Oswaldo Alvarado, it was proposed to initiate a virtual exchange between students from San Miguel and Arlington. The goal will be to have a full exchange as soon as possible. To start the virtual exchange, the Arlington-San Miguel Committee will get 10 students to meet their friends in San Miguel.
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Ivano-Frankivsk Sister City Committee
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Help for Ukraine
The Ivano-Frankivsk Committee held an emergency meeting Sunday night to discuss ways we all can help the people of Ukraine.
Below is a list of trusted organizations who are providing a variety of services to the Ukrainian people:
1.Razom-Organization providing assistance in a variety of forms for a long time. Humanitarian Aid for Ukraine.
2.Nova Ukraina-Includes medical supplies for soldiers and essential supplies from food to diapers for civilians
5. World Central Kitchen-Chef Jose Andres non-profit dedicated to feeding people during crises. WCK is in Poland and other border nations feeding fleeing Ukrainians.
Local Activities in the DC Area:
1. Dacha Beer Garden – Enjoy a beer or cocktail at your local Dacha Beer Garden (locations in Shaw and Navy Yard). It is owned and employed by a number of Ukrainians, and they are having fundraisers every day to support various charities. Just ask your bartender how to donate.
Ukrainian-owned bakery and coffee shop in Adams Morgan.
4. Il Canale - 1065 31st St., NW
From March 1-3, the Georgetown pizza restaurant will donate 10 percent of all checks (before tax and tip) to Ukrainian war efforts.
5. Ivy and Coney - 1537 7th St., NW
This Chicago bar in Shaw is hosting its annual Pączki Day on March 1 and will donate 100 percent of proceeds from pierogi sales to HIAS (Jewish-American nonprofit) refugee relief efforts. All customers also get a free pączki (Polish doughnut) with the purchase of a beer.
6. Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls – Dupont Circle 1303 19th St., NW
Owner Rusty Kurtov, an immigrant from Ukraine, is hosting a fundraiser on Thursday, March 3, where 100 percent of store sales will be donated to support Ukrainian efforts.
7. Spacycloud Tea & Cocktail Lounge - 2309 18th St., NW
Owner, artist, and skateboard femme Tatiana Kolina is part Ukrainian, and is showing solidarity through a Maslenitsa party and fundraiser on Wednesday, March 2. The folk holiday, celebrated throughout Ukraine, will be commemorated at the new Adams Morgan lounge with traditional Ukrainian pierogi and vareniki, Uzvar punch, crepes, and live music.
THANK YOU!
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ASCA is recruiting volunteers to:
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The Aachen Committee is in need of a Arlington-Aachen High School Outbound / Inbound exchange coordinator. No experience necessary! Need is not immediate until program resumes, however, we would like to train now!
- New committee members and board members always wanted! You do not need to have a relationship to the city or country, just a love for culture, travel and history of our sister cities!
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Arlington Sister City Association (ASCA) is a nonprofit organization affiliated with Arlington County, Virginia. Established in 1993, ASCA supports and coordinates the activities of Arlington County’s five Sister Cities: Aachen, Germany; Coyoacán, Mexico (emeritus); Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. Reims, France; San Miguel, El Salvador (emeritus).
ASCA works to enhance and promote Arlington’s international profile and
to foster productive exchanges through arts and cultural partnerships,
business development, educational and professional exchanges, and
government relationships. ASCA helps the people of Arlington form long-lasting
partnerships and friendships with the people of its Sister Cities and
beyond through its many activities and programs.
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We need your continued support.
Please consider joining or making a donation today!
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