Civil Society programming has long been the cornerstone of the Fox Cities-Kurgan Sister Cities Program. Throughout much of our 20-year history, our programming focused on improving conditions in the Kurgan Region. Through partnerships with local and international organizations, we have made amazing strides in developing opportunities for improvement in health care, domestic violence, weapons reduction, child protection, environmental issues, and more. We are proud to have seen unprecedented changes and successes in our communities, and today continue Civil Society programming as equal partners in development and exchange of information on all these topics and others.
The Open World Leadership Center | civil society partner
Our organization has a long history with the Open World Leadership Center, an independent legislative unit that operates between the US and Russia. The center funds and supports programming for exchanges on a variety of topics, and the Fox Cities-Kurgan Sister Cities Program, along with our local grantee organization, World Services of LaCrosse, has been a long-time partner and local host for Open World exchanges. Open World programs change regularly, so please contact us to get more information and to find out when our next exchange is. If you are interested in hosting professionals traveling on the Open World Leadership Center exchange programs, please click here to learn how to sign up as a host family.
Domestic Violence Programs | improving women’s issues
The Domestic Violence program began in 1999, and throughout the past decade has logged some great successes. Funded by the US State Department and cooperating with partners including the Kurgan and Appleton police departments and social service agencies, the past decade has included some incredible successes.
Health Care | advancing the quality of life
ThedaCare, one of the leading health care organizations in the Fox Cities, has been a long-time partner of our organization, with a number of doctors, nurses, and specialists taking part in training programs and delivering equipment and technologies to the hospitals and clinics in the Kurgan Region.
Security Through Stability | weapon deconstruction
A driving force behind the growth of the Fox Cities-Kurgan Sister Cities Program in the early 2000′s was an effort to eliminate the chemical weapon stockpiles in Russia, which are threating local and global safety every day. Our organization played a significant role in the creation of a safer world by playing a part in the construction of a chemical weapon deconstruction facility near Kurgan, Russia, which opened in June 2009.
In 2003, the Sister Cities Program, along with Communities for International Development, held a global security summit, Security Through Stability, in Appleton, WI. The conference brought together leaders from the key nuclear cities in the US and Russia, as well as their partners, members of government, Green Cross International, and concerened citizens to discuss the security issues facing our world and to lay groundwork for solutions. Keynoted by former Soviet President the Honorable Mikhail Gorbachev, the event was a culmination of years of work toward a safer world.
