The City of Richmond has six sister cities: Richmond upon Thames ENGLAND, Saitama JAPAN, Zhengzhou CHINA, Windhoek NAMIBIA, Olsztyn POLAND, and Segou MALI. We stand together in agreement with the following Sister Cities International statement, in solidarity against hatred: Sister Cities International Members and Friends, We are saddened to hear about the continued abuse and violence toward the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Heightened by the pandemic, violence towards the AAPI community has been increasing at a frightening rate. While we acknowledge that anti-Asian rhetoric is unfortunately not a new phenomenon, it is discouraging and disheartening to see its terrible effects in our communities. Sister Cities International is an organization that values the building of cultural bridges, and the acts that we are witnessing in this time are much too reminiscent of past mistakes that have hurt communities immensely. The profound harm caused by racism, hate, an
VIRGINIA FRIENDS OF MALI creates and promotes educational and cultural pathways to understanding and cooperation between the peoples of the West African nation of Mali and the state of Virginia, USA. LES AMIS DU MALI EN VIRGINIE crée et promeut des voies éducatives et culturelles favorisant la compréhension et la coopération entre les peuples du Mali, pays d'Afrique de l'Ouest, et de l'État de Virginie, USA.