N E W S L E T T E R
Special Edition - September 2021

Members’ Update from the 40th
Anniversary Conference and AGM
By Ray Wallace, SCNZ Vice-President
40th Anniversary
The 40th Anniversary Conference held earlier this year
in Wellington was a great opportunity to celebrate thesuccess of Sister Cities New Zealand.
As delegates we were able to hear from members about
many of their successful relationships and how they haveachieved that success. We were given the backgroundto many successful stories of our members who arecelebrating 40 years or more of Sister City Relationship.

The Success to Date
The common theme coming through from the conference
was it expanded people’s understanding and knowledgeof other cultures.
It revealed to us the many differences and the many
similarities we all have as global citizens. Many of theyoung people who have been on successful sister city
exchanges have said it has been “life changing” andopened their eyes to worldwide possibilities of work andstudy.
Clearly our 40th Year Anniversary Conference showcased
how much has been achieved and to be proud of. It was alsoa special conference to acknowledge the many volunteerhours put into the success of these programmes. Local
Government partners are extremely important; however,
we should never underestimate the value of the work ofvolunteers in the success of these programmes.

Another key area for discussion at theConference and AGM was taking Sister
Cities New Zealand forward into the future and how weachieve that. The Board and members went through andconfirmed a new Strategic Plan and Strategic direction
spearheaded by Board member Toni Grace.

The Strategy Going Forward
The draft new strategic plan and direction was sent toall members for consideration and a special meeting
held in Wellington at the end of last year to finalise theplans for consideration at the AGM.
That plan and direction built on the success of the pastand recognized that with a fast-changing world that SCNZ
had to adapt to those changes to stay at the forefront ofInternational Relations and connections as well as staying
relevant as an organisation.
At the Annual General Meeting there was a lot of open,
frank, and honest discussion by members around how
we stay true to our vision “Globally connected cities
and communities for a more peaceful, sustainable
and prosperous future”. There was also a good deal ofdiscussion how we stay a strong organisation and how to
attract new and younger members.

Operating Name
It was agreed by majority vote that our organization
going forward will trade as Global Cities New Zealand to
give a more of a global perspective and as many young
people identify as global citizens, the name Global Cities
New Zealand would be a new, and dynamic name thatwould more likely attract new members, particularly
young members.
While the concerns of those opposed to the trading namechange were acknowledged it was agreed we would all
move forward together, and a report would come back in
12-18 months on the success of such a change.
There is no expectation that any current local sister citygroup would need to change their name. They will now
simply be members of Global Cities New Zealand.
The Board has agreed to have all branding, stationery

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Special Edition - September 2021

and printed material be transitioned over to Global Cities
New Zealand with a small reference to it being the trading
name of SCNZ.
Using technology and in this Covid-19 environment itis the right time to be reaching out to your Global City
partners to show support and solidarity as we, as ahuman race, fight together to get on top of this worldwide
pandemic.
Now is a good opportunity to strengthen global relations,it’s a good time to reach out to those partners whererelationships may have dwindled. Communication andstaying in touch just to say “we care about” goes a very
long way.
Hiromi, myself, and your Board look forward to hearing
and seeing more of the amazing success stories in ourupcoming newsletters, as we all rise to the challenge.
Kia KahaLooking to the future of Global Cities New Zealand
By Toni Grace, SCNZ Director
The new operating name, Global Cities New Zealand,is part of a wider refreshed strategic direction for ourorganisation. This was adopted by the AGM in May 2021,
summing up months of consultative engagement withmembers.
With the 40th anniversary of SCNZ and a challenging global
environment, the Board recognised in 2020 that it wastimely to review the strategic direction of Sister Cities
New Zealand.
To ensure that this was an informed and collaborative
exercise, the Board held a series of information gatheringand consultation exercises from June 2020-March 2021,
including:•a two-part member survey from June-July 2020•

a free strategic forum for members in November 2020,
with options for in-person and virtual participation,
and•a final draft strategy consultation review during
February-March 2021.

It was an engaging and thought-provoking process.
Throughout the November forum in particular, members
and stakeholders were able to join discussions on a revisedorganisational direction and strategy including our vision,
mission, value proposition, key objectives, indicators,capabilities and stakeholders.
The strategic review helped to clarify core principles andobjectives, so that the Board and membership can alignfuture business plans and activities with agreed priorities.
The conversations revealed a desire to modernise andadapt the organisation’s direction and priorities, especiallyin the context of Covid-19. We also identified that SCNZ
needed to be clearer on its core mission and value

GCNZ Vision:
Globally connected cities andcommunities for a more peaceful,sustainable and prosperous future

proposition in an increasingly crowded field of globallyfocussed organisations, so that we can continue to provide
value to members and attract external funding.
While our core principles remain the same, some of ourobjectives have shifted to reflect the broader ways thatcities, regions and communities connect around the world.
Members emphasised that Sister City connections remain
an essential pillar of our work, but that these are not the
only way that cities, regions and districts are now engaging
across the world and with their own communities. These
include city forums, strategic partnerships, businessalliances and global citizenship initiatives, especially foryouth. Challenges around sustainability and inclusivity
were a common theme. We also need to be able tosupport more creative ways of online engagement and theopportunities and challenges that this presents.

Four key objectives and work streams of GlobalCities New Zealand:
1.

Strong global partnerships – including Sister Cities
and other global/digital partnerships

2.

Active citizen diplomacy – including community-led
and youth activities

3.

Enhanced capability and exchange – including
conferences, forums and member resources

4.

Organisational performance – including strategy
implementation, fundraising and advocacy

The Board is now focussed on bringing this new vision
and activity plan into effect, and we welcome ongoingviews and ideas from members about how continue withthe fundamental mission and work of our organisation tobring cities, communities and citizens together.

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Special Edition - September 2021

Members ask for more reflection of Māori and Iwi in
name and promotions
By Ray Wallace, SCNZ Vice-President
There was a good deal of positive discussion at the AGM
about the need as an organisation to reflect the cultureof New Zealand with changes of the trading name.
Requests that there also be a reflection of Aotearoa's
Māori culture in the name and promotion.
Members were supportive of a Māori translation toaccompany Global Cities New Zealand and wording thatreflects the organization’s aims and objectives.
The board are working on this with a small groupof members and if you wish to be involved pleasecontact Vice President Ray Wallace by emailingraywallace2020@gmail.com.

N E W S L E T T E RSpecial Edition - September 2021