Did You Know Binghamton Has Three Sister Cities?

Did you know that Binghamton doesn't just have one sister city, but three?

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A sister city relationship is an agreed partnership between two cities (or more) that are located in completely different countries. The relationship between the cities promotes cultural, educational, and commercial ties.

When Was the Idea of Sister Cities Born?

Sister-city relationships began after World War II but it wasn't until the Cold War that the idea of sister-city relationships really took off in popularity. The reason behind developing sister cities was to promote peace and understanding between countries and just maybe balance out some of the negative effects that come with political tensions.

How Many Sister Cities Does Binghamton Have?

Binghamton has three sister city relationships. They are with Borovichi, Russia; El Charcón, El Salvadoe, and La Teste-de-Buch, France. The goal of the cities is to promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning between the cities.

Benefits of Sister City Relationships for Binghamton

A sister-city relationship is beneficial because it allows the cities to promote cultural, educational, and economic exchanges between each other which ultimately helps strengthen the city's ties with other cities around the world. For residents, the benefit is a better understanding of different cultures, customs, and languages.

The Interesting Reason La Teste-De-Buch Selected Binghamton as a Sister City

According to American City and Country, La Teste-de-Buch, France chose to match up as a sister city with Binghamton in part because the city had a baseball team but nobody to play with.

How Binghamton Has Helped a Group of Refugees in One of Its Sister Cities

For El Charcón in El Salvador, the sister-city relationship with Binghamton has been life-changing - literally. Binghamton took on the role of "big" sister in 1992 when El Charcón was simply a group of refugee families who were squatting on public land during the El Salvador civil war. Through the years, Binghamton has funded infrastructure projects and assisted with education, and today, El Charcón is a vibrant community.