Connecting Cities Through
Citizen Diplomacy
Creating permanent relationships through municipal partnerships in Russia, Israel and Palestine.
Who We Are
Citizen Diplomacy Initiatives (CDI) is dedicated to creating permanent relationships between counterparts in our sister cities. We started by pairing Gainesville, Florida, with Novorossiisk, Russia, in 1982, and then connected 300 U.S. and Soviet cities. In 1998, we created a three-way relationship among Gainesville, Kfar Saba, Israel, and Qalqilya, Palestine. Now we are working to connect every Israeli and Palestinian city with a U.S. city in a three-way relationship.
Key Initiatives
Jordan Valley Sister Cities
The Concept: We pair Israeli and Palestinian cities with U.S. cities to create trilateral relationships.
Citizen Diplomacy Tours
- The Concept: Expanding travel opportunities between the U.S. and the Middle East.
- The Goal: To give individuals the chance to participate in Citizen Diplomacy, learn about new cultures, and build life-long friendships.
Media & Education (“When the People Lead”)
- The Concept: Producing and promoting documentaries that showcase the possibilities of peace.
- The Goal: To inspire countless people by documenting real interactions between local officials, artists, and citizens across conflict zones.
Ongoing Projects & Initiatives
Building Peace Over Water in the Lower Jordan Valley: A Sister Cities Coalition
When The People Lead – Featurette Trailer
“From the height of the Cold War to the complexities of the Middle East, history has taught us that when the people lead, barriers fall. We believe that trilateral sister city programs and citizen diplomacy initiatives offer the best chance for creating genuine, trusting relationships among Israeli, Palestinian, and American communities. Where political channels may struggle, personal connection succeeds.”
— Steve Kalishman, Co-Founder, Citizen Diplomacy Initiatives
Our History & Impact
1982: The Cold War Era
Breaking the Ice: Founders Steve Kalishman and Paul S. Rothstein convinced the Gainesville City Commission to partner with the Soviet city of Novorossiysk. This sparked a movement of over 200 U.S./Soviet city pairings, contributing to the thawing of relations during the Cold War.
1997: The First Trilateral Relationship
A New Paradigm: Gainesville, FL joined with Kfar Saba (Israel) and Qalqilya (Palestine) to seek assistance for a water treatment plant. This event established the first trilateral sister city relationship, proving that municipal cooperation can succeed even when national bilateral relationships struggle.
2011: The Delegation
When the People Lead: A delegation led by Dr. Manal Fakoury, Steve Kalishman, and Paul S. Rothstein traveled to the Middle East with city officials and artists. An Israeli film crew captured over 50 hours of encounters for a feature-length documentary, demonstrating the power of human connection.
Our Partners
