2015 -- H 6291

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LC002840

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

RECOGNIZING THE PARTNERSHIP TO BUILD AN INTERNATIONAL AND LASTING

SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TOWN OF JOHNSTON, RHODE ISLAND,

AND THE TOWN OF PANNI, FOGGIA, ITALY

     Introduced By: Representatives Ucci, Carnevale, Costantino, and Fellela

     Date Introduced: June 09, 2015

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, What began as an informal exchange of cultural proclamations in April of

2013, between the Providence Pannese Society and the Italian hilltop "comune" of Panni, was

further pursued by the signing of the documents of Invitation & Agreement in September of 2014,

which made known the intent to forge a mutual sister city bond between these two towns; and

     WHEREAS, The partnership will now culminate with the official signing of sister city

documents between Johnston Mayor Joseph M. Polisena and Mayor Pasquale Ciruolo of Panni.

This historic event will take place on June 29, 2015, in the Town of Johnston with both Mayors,

town officials and other Italian dignitaries present; and

     WHEREAS, The United States sister city program began in 1956, when President

Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a people-to-people, citizen diplomacy initiative. Originally a

program of the National League of Cities, Sister Cities International became a separate, nonprofit

corporation in 1967, due to the growth and popularity of the United States program; and

     WHEREAS, Currently, more than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136

countries around the world. The organization "strives to build global cooperation at the municipal

level, promote cultural understanding, and stimulate economic development"; and

     WHEREAS, Sister City relationships begin for a variety of reasons. Generally, sister

cities share similar demographics as is the case with the Town of Panni and Rhode Island's Town

of Johnston, which according to the United States Census Bureau, claims to have one of the

highest percentage ratios of residents of Italian ethnic descent for not only the State of Rhode

Island, but also for the entire United States; and

     WHEREAS, E-mails, Skype, Facebook, and other communications between the two

towns, including a visit two years ago from the Assistant Mayor of Panni, have been ongoing

over the past several years; and

     WHEREAS, In addition, members of the Pannese Society visited Panni during which

time documents establishing ties between their local church and a local Johnston parish were

signed. Furthermore, the two towns accomplished three major goals which focused on tourism,

education and communication between both town's middle and high school students, and future

municipal and cultural exchanges, with the purpose of keeping Italian culture and this shared

heritage alive for present and future generations; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby congratulates the Mayors from the of Towns of Johnston, Rhode

Island and Panni, Foggia, for the formal signing of a partnership certifying their agreement to

enter into a sister city agreement on June 29, 2015; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Mayor Pasquale Ciruolo, Town of Panni,

Foggia, Italy, and Mayor Joseph M. Polisena, Johnston, Rhode Island.

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