About

Organized in 1988, Asheville Sister Cities, Inc. (ASCI) is an independent 501(c)3 that is a people-oriented, community organization affiliated with the City of Asheville and Sister Cities International. In conjunction with local governments, it serves to promote international awareness and maintain relations with the sister cities linked to Asheville:

Our Sister Cities

Membership in the Sister Cities program is open to all individuals and organizations in the Asheville community. With so much going on – including trips, events, entertainment, language classes, food and wine tastings, school exchange programs, and much, much more – there couldn’t be a better time to get involved. Join us as we promote promote peace through global friendship.  Please visit the membership page and become a part of Asheville Sister Cities today! Also, check out our Facebook page and click “like” to be kept up-to-date on the latest news.

Named Sister Cities International Best Overall Program for a city with a population of 50,000–100,000 in 2019, ASCI continues to blaze a path forward for citizen diplomacy and friendships worldwide! Read more about the award here.

Mission Statement

Asheville Sister Cities, Inc. promotes peace, understanding, cooperation and sustainable partnerships through formalized agreements between international cities and the City of Asheville, North Carolina.

Founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Sister Cities International serves as the national membership organization for individual sister cities, counties and states across the United States. This network unites tens of thousands of citizen diplomats and volunteers in 570 member communities with over 2,300 partnerships in 150 countries on six continents.

Sister Cities International helps advance peace and prosperity through cultural, educational, humanitarian and economic development efforts, and serves as a hub for institutional knowledge and best practices to benefit citizen diplomats. Sister Cities International empowers individual citizens to become diplomats and represent their community and their country in new and meaningful ways.

We also strive to strengthen the sister cities network through strategic institutional partnerships, grants, programs and support for our members. We motivate and empower private citizens, municipal officials and business leaders to conduct long-term, mutually beneficial, sister city, county or state relationships.

To learn more about Sister Cities International please visit sistercities.org