Reviving the US-Malaysia Sister City Initiative (2014) through Civil Society Participation

The importance of cities as international actors is widely recognised. As cities of the developing world try to ‘internationalise’ through various projects that facilitate business and technical co-operation, it is well documented that only a certain segment of the population benefits. Hence the lack of grassroots enthusiasm for the collaboration between cities. In the wake of the 2014 visit by a US President to Malaysia and his joint agreement with the Malaysian Prime Minister to ‘establish sister city relationships,’ the Portland–Kota Kinabalu sister city initiative was born. Expecting to become sister cities by 2015, the initiative is now stalled. This event discusses the importance building Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) as part and parcel of the effort to internationalise a city. There should always be avenues for non-elites from these cities to collaborate internationally. The event will therefore provide a voice to the homeless communities in both Kota Kinabalu and Portland in an effort to instigate a grassroots initiative for the revival of the 2014 sister city initiative.