TGA IN THE NEWS
Bynum Announces New Sister City
Tulsa to become Sister City with east African city of Mwanza
918 Day: Mayor Bynum makes stops across Tulsa, announces new Sister City
918 Day: Mayor Bynum makes stops across Tulsa, announces new Sister City
Mayor and Tulsa officials announce process of adding new Sister City
2023 Annual Meeting: TGA Annual Meeting, showing 2022-2023 Board Chair Ruby Libertus, 2023-2024 Board Chair Kaitlin Flinn, and guest speaker Anne Grimes, Director of the U.S. State Department Office of International Visitors.
Tulsa People Magazine, June 30, 2023
"Connecting the world to Tulsa: Tulsa Global Alliance on over 40 years of Sister Cities partnerships"
New Sign Celebrates Tulsa's 8 Sister Cities Around the World News On 6
Tulsa Sister Cities Directional Sign To Be Unveiled June 1
Vision Tulsa 2023
Tulsa's Sister Cities sign at Riverside Drive is featured on the Table of Contents page
Bob Lieser's annual article about TGA is found on page 8
In honor of Valentine’s Day, Oklahoma Magazine asked for TGA's assistance in creating a video of multilingual Oklahomans saying ‘I love you’ in their native languages, including include Russian, Arabic, Greek, English, American Sign Language, Hindi, French, Mvskoke, German, Mandarin, Spanish, Dutch, Farsi, Cherokee, Japanese and Turkish. Thank you to all TGA friends who assisted with this project!
Beihai Sister City Partnership Chair and Holland Hall Teacher Named Finalist For Chinese Language Teaching Award
Clark Frayser led a delegation of Tulsans to attend the Festival de Ciudades Hermanas in San Luis Potosi from November 2-6. The Festival marked the city’s 430th anniversary.
Dr. Alpha Edens participated in an interview on NPR show Focus: Black Oklahoma to introduce how different organizations like TGA work together to build multi-cultural communities in Oklahoma.
Read the latest Oklahoma Magazine article featuring Bob Lieser!
Recently, Tulsa Global Alliance announced the passing of Cathy Izzo, their beloved Sister City Coordinator and Office Administrator. Cathy passed away Sunday after a long, brave struggle with pancreatic cancer.
Cathy embodied the highest ideals of global citizen diplomacy. As a brilliant leader, IVLP programmer, and advocate for citizen diplomacy in Oklahoma, she was loved and trusted by so many people not just in Tulsa, but around the world.
We at Global Ties U.S. loved working and being with her over the years and are ever grateful for her profound contributions to not just Tulsa, but to the entire Global Ties Network. We will miss her deeply and send our deepest sympathies to Bob and the Tulsa Global Alliance community, and to her husband Joseph and her family.
The Tulsa Global Alliance participated in the Tulsa Global District's first multicultural festival on March 5, 2022 outside Nam Hai Market. The Square was open to the community with an array of vendors, musical entertainment and food trucks to highlight the experiences of the Global District. Alpha Edens, TGA's Chair of the Beihai Sister City Partnership, also performed part of the China Rose Dance Troupe
On March 3, 2022, the City of Tulsa and USCIS hosted its largest naturalization ceremony with 98 people being naturalized representing 37 countries. The City started hosting naturalization ceremonies in 2019 as part of the New Tulsans Initiative to welcome immigrants.
Take a look at VISION TULSA 2022, and the recent article on Page 7, written by Bob Lieser.
On March 3, 2022, the City of Tulsa and USCIS hosted its largest naturalization ceremony with 98 people being naturalized representing 37 countries. The City started hosting naturalization ceremonies in 2019 as part of the New Tulsans Initiative to welcome immigrants.
TGA Board member, Gitzel Puente was featured in a recent Tulsa Talks podcast, “Bridging the Bilingual Gap”
NEW Sister Cities Display at Tulsa International Airport!
If you're flying into or out of Tulsa, check out the new Sister Cities display at Tulsa International Airport! These posters honor the 40th anniversary of Tulsa's Sister Cities program and include greetings and images representing Tulsa's eight international Sister Cities.
If you have time, take your photo next to one of the posters and tag TGA! #Tulsasistercities
TGA Featured in La Semana on the Tulsa International Airport Sister Cities Display!
Chris (rear center) and Sandi (lower left) Wylie, hosting U.S. State Department International Visitor Leadership Program participants for home hospitality dinner with their friend Maggie Hoey, February of 2020.
Celebrating Citizen Diplomacy July 4
Citizen diplomacy is a fundamental value for Tulsa Global Alliance. By welcoming international visitors into our homes, our businesses and our city, we take on the responsibility of not only extending hospitality and facilitating intercultural exchange, but also representing the United States in a global community.
The thousands of people who visit Tulsa from other countries each year do so in large part because of how America embodies its founding truths – that all people are created equal and endowed with the inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Today we celebrate these truths and our nation's founding, and we are proud of America's place in the global community. Citizen diplomacy is an inherently patriotic act essential to preserving American ideals and democracy, now and for generations to come.
At the same time, Independence Day is also a reminder that “a more perfect union” is something we continuously strive for. The paradox of our nation’s ideals and the experience of so many Americans throughout our history is inescapable.
As citizen diplomats, we don’t claim to represent a perfect nation. We do, however, promise to share, teach, learn and listen, all in an effort to move us closer to the truths declared on July 4, 1776.
Tulsa Global Alliance encourages Tulsans to think globally, act globally and connect globally. In doing so, Tulsa’s citizen diplomats demonstrate the very best America has to offer our global community.
Chris Wylie, Chair
Tulsa Global Alliance Board of Directors
Missed Tulsa Global Alliance's Annual Meeting? Watch it on YouTube!
Tulsa Global Alliance held its 2021 Annual Meeting virtually on June 30, honoring outgoing board chair Eric Kunkel and welcoming incoming chair Chris Wylie.
Guest speaker Jennifer Springer, Director of Business Development at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, spoke about the Department's international activities and how Tulsa Global Alliance can work collaboratively in the year ahead. TGA is very grateful to Ms. Springer for taking the time to share the Oklahoma Department of Commerce's international vision with TGA.
Global Ties U.S. Article on TGA’s International Visitors, Tulsa Race Massacre, and Trail of Tears, "Celebrating a Culture of Diversity While Reconciling the Past" by Bob Lieser
TGA Featured in TulsaPeople Magazine