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| Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders receives Sister Cities International's (SCI) "2016 Diplomatic Leader Award" as part of SCI's International Women's Day 2016 |
Sister Cities International (SCI), founded by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956, was created because the late president believed in the importance of citizen-diplomacy and connecting people from all around the global to better understand and work together. Every year since its founding, SCI has played a critical role in building bridges among and between people of the United States and other countries. It was a SCI program in Lincoln, Nebraska, that current Chinese President Xi Jingping, remembered fondly about his time in the U.S. as a young student. So much so that it was back to Lincoln he went for a short visit to spend time with his former "host family," after his State Visit to the United States with President Obama in September 2015.
In addition every year SCI recognizes leaders and activists on key issues from around the world. This year it presented its "2016 Diplomatic Leader Award," to Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders for her past public policy work as a career United States Diplomat, and her current work with African communities, advocacy efforts on such global issues as human rights, women empowerment, support for Africa Diaspora small and medium size enterprises, and global sustainable development issues under her FEEEDS Advocacy Initiative.
The award was presented to Dr. Sanders, by SCI President Mary D. Kane, and SCI Board member Dr. Christine Warnke at SCI's 2016 International Women's Day event March 8, 2016.
In her remarks upon receiving the award, Ambassador Sanders noted how much she admired the strategic-thoughtfulness of the late President Eisenhower as he is responsible for many of the U.S. organizations and U.S. Government structures, particularly those within the U.S. Defense Industrial Complex today, as well as being a leading force behind the creation of the previously called Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), which was renamed after the late president in 2011.
Dr. Sanders added that she served, while a career U.S. Diplomat, as the Deputy Commander of ICAF as well as taught national security and African studies and that Eisenhower's foresight in understanding the importance of the U.S. matching resources-with capability-with strategic thinking is something she gleaned from her time at ICAF, along with from reading many of his papers. In addition, Sanders added, Eisenhower creating a wonderful institution such as SCI further demonstrates how remarkable his vision for the future was and how important it was to him that all of us do whatever was necessary to ensure that the world remained peaceful. Organization like SCI has really lived up to his vision and his expectation, the Ambassador noted in closing.
