City Welcomes Student Delegations from Santarcangelo Friendship City and Nichinan Sister City

Over the past two weeks, Portsmouth High School welcomed students from schools in the Friendship and Sister Cities of Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy, (October 4 to October 12) and Nichinan, Japan (October 10 to October 16). The students stayed with Portsmouth host families, attending classes with their exchange “sisters and brothers,” and enjoying a taste of autumn in New Hampshire. The City also welcomed the son of the man who signed the 1994 Sister City Agreement between Portsmouth and Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland for a short visit on October 10.

Mayor Deaglan McEachern welcomed both groups with Portsmouth mementos. The Sister Cities Committee and host families honored the Italian students and their teachers with a special reception Thursday, October 9 at the Portsmouth Public Library. On Tuesday, October 14, Portsmouth High School hosted the Japanese students and their two teachers at an all-school assembly where hundreds of high school students provide a joyous greeting as they enter the auditorium and enjoy a program of traditional arts and sports.

In 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower hosted a White House summit on citizen diplomacy. As a result, he envisioned a network that would be a champion for peace and prosperity by fostering bonds between people from different communities around the world. Sister Cities International is that network.

In 1985, Portsmouth signed its first Sister City Agreement, with Nichinan, birthplace of Baron Komura the lead Japanese diplomat for the 1905 Portsmouth Peace Treaty negotiations. In 2019, Portsmouth signed another distinctive Friendship Agreement with Santarcangelo di Romagna, birthplace of dozens of families who emigrated to Portsmouth. Both agreements are reflections of Portsmouth’s motto, “The City of the Open Door.”

“It took the experience of war for Eisenhower to dream of a Sister City world of peace and prosperity,” said Mayor McEachern. “Now, it takes all of us, and the strength and resilience of our Santarcangelo roots and Nichinan history – to help the City of the Open Door live up to our promises.”

CAPTION: Portsmouth welcomed students from Friendship City Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy and Sister City Nichinan Japan for home stay visits.