It’s official: the City of Carmel has snagged the Sister Cities International 2025 Annual Award for Best Overall Program, placing it in the limelight for its commitment to cross-cultural friendships and international teamwork. This accolade honors cities in the 100,001 to 300,000 population bracket, tipping its hat to those with robust programming in areas like arts and culture, business, and education.
The award, a nod to exceptional global programming, was presented during Sister Cities International’s recent get-together on Tuesday, down in Fort Worth, Texas. A gathering place for Sister Cities members, worldwide participants, and community frontrunners, the event focused on celebrating the victors, beefing up global partnerships, and discussing citizen diplomacy’s road ahead, according to the official news release from the City of Carmel.
Carmel’s win credits its impressive 2024 programming that boosted cultural awareness,, and international collaboration through a variety of initiatives. The city’s six sister city relationships with locales in Italy, Latvia, Japan, France, Germany, and India were celebrated with delegation visits, student exchanges, public exhibits, and community-wide events. These efforts symbolize Carmel’s dedication to community engagement and knowledge sharing, focusing on every member’s participation…