Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. News, and Other Relevant Links
3. Related Organizations and Resources
4. Featured Resolutions

Saint Paul has a history of city diplomacy that demonstrates its commitment to promoting a culture of international peace.

On the east side of the Mississippi river lies Minnesota’s capital city, Saint Paul, which has a unique relationship with anti-nuclear action and peacebuilding practices. On Sept. 28, 2022, by unanimous vote, the Saint Paul City Council passed Resolution 22-1522 in support of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The resolution cites the social justice, health, and environmental harms caused by nuclear weapons, and highlights the impact of the 1958 voyage of the Golden Rule ship, a historic peace vessel sailed to protest U.S. nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, now sailed by Veterans for Peace. The Golden Rule docked in Saint Paul only three days prior to the passing of this resolution, as a part of their Great Loop Voyage.

The passing of this resolution comes following a long and strong history of city diplomacy by Saint Paul that demonstrates its commitment to promoting a culture of international peace. On Dec. 7, 1955, the 14th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Saint Paul formed a sister city relationship with Nagasaki to foster peace. This was the first sister city connection formed between an American and Japanese city, and is the longest sister city relationship between any American and Asian city. Initially, attention was placed on helping Nagasaki recover after the bombing, and the cities have since become focused on rich cultural exchanges. To mark the initiation of this relationship, Nagasaki presented Saint Paul with 20 flowering cherry trees and thousands of kokeshi dolls, which were distributed to residents who requested them by the United Nations Association of Nagasaki. Mayor Joseph E. Dillon of Saint Paul gifted small replicas of Saint Paul’s Vision of Peace statue. Throughout the subsequent decades, the sister city relationship has been maintained through numerous visits from representatives of both cities and generous exchanges of art, such as Paul Granlund’s “Constellation Earth” sculpture of seven figures representing the seven continents, given by Saint Paul to the Nagasaki Peace Park. Under the direction of Nagasaki landscape designer Masami Matsuda, a Japanese garden was created in Saint Paul’s Como Park in 1975. The Japanese Obon Festival is often held there, along with commemorative events on the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki. The Saint Paul-Nagasaki Sister City Committee (SPNSCC) also hosts both public and members-only programming. In addition to cultural programming, the sister city committee has organized meaningful youth exchange programs. In 1974, The Rotary Club International hosted its International Convention in Nagasaki, which marked the start of the relationship between the clubs of Nagasaki and Saint Paul. This relationship began as an exchange program for high school students as a part of the Rotary Club’s Youth Exchange Program, and has since grown to include the exchange of symbolic gifts. Through the passing of Resolution 22-1522 and the sister city relationship with Nagasaki, Saint Paul stands as a testament to the power of city diplomacy for promoting peace.