Ashland-Sviatohirsk Aid Project Sister City Program
Categories
Community, Family and Non-Profit:
About
The mission of the Ashland-Sviatohirsk Sister City Project is to promote, foster and maintain a mutually beneficial and rewarding collegial relationship with a city in Ukraine on a long term basis. This kind of relationship traditionally includes reciprocal activities in the areas of education, the arts, and business and may include student and teacher exchange programs, scholarship funds, cultural events, language training programs via zoom, and potential business partnerships and promotions. Ashland has maintained such a relationship with Guanahuato, Mexico for over 50 years.
Ashland City Council Sister City Declaration, June 2023.
Formal signing of Sister City Memorandum of Understanding with Mayors of Ashland and Sviatohirsk, August 2025:
https://ashlandoregon.gov/
“Being able to respond to specific requests, I think, is part of the magic of this type of community-to-community program, Ashland signed on as a City of Peace years ago. We didn’t sign on and say we’re a City of Peace when it suits us or we’re a City of Peace when it’s not going to cost us anything that we feel uncomfortable with … We have said we will do what we can and that’s all we’re signing up for with this is to help the community of Ashland channel what it feels like it can contribute to this other community in the Ukraine. We’re not promising any particular material aid from the city, but we are essentially partnering with this community group to channel the compassion of our community in a direct community-to-community relationship.” — Ashland Mayor Tonya Graham |
Images
