Get government out of sisterhood
9:39 PM 5/19/04

It's time to orphan Madison's sister city projects. That's not to say these feel-good exercises to promote international friendship shouldn't exist - they just shouldn't be financially supported by the city or carry the official imprint of local government. <

You'll see why soon. Madison's latest sister city proposal, to forge ties with Rafah in the Gaza Strip, has already devolved into a pointlessly bitter debate of Mideast politics. Claim: Rafah leaders are in league with terrorists who attack Israeli settlers! Counterclaim: No, they and their people are the targets of bulldozing Israelis! <

Perhaps the wildest claim will be this one: Fostering ties with peaceable Madison will somehow help reduce violence in Rafah. That's right, Palestinians, put down those explosive-laden vests. And Ariel Sharon, put the brakes on your bulldozers. Madison is keeping an eye on you all. <

Fantasies aside, this rancorous debate hardly makes a foundation for international goodwill. The sister city movement is meant to increase understanding and appreciation across cultures. This politically divisive proposal does not seem likely to accomplish that goal. <

More broadly, the personal diplomacy of sister city projects has always worked best as practiced by city residents operating apart from government. It's true that the sister city movement, as currently organized and promoted, seeks legitimacy through ceremonial links between the local governments of two communities. But this need not be the norm: Usually, a group such as a service club or ethnic association takes the lead to coordinate a sister city relationship anyway. So if a groundswell of local folks want to try to do some good in Rafah on their own, more power to them. No one should stand in their way. <

The harshest critics of Madison's existing sister-city relationships dismiss the efforts as excuses for jet-setting travel. But that's not always the case: Some longstanding relationships have fostered business ties and given internationally minded volunteers some worthwhile opportunities to help build up communities through economic development, cross-cultural exchange and other cooperation. <

So all this isn't meant to diminish the idea of international partnerships, nor is it a call to dissolve established relationships. In Madison at least, the well-intended sister city movement has been hijacked to provide yet another soapbox for political activists who distract our part-time policymakers from more important issues facing the city. <

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz has risen above the current fray. But his opposition to enmeshing Madison in a complex dispute between Israelis and Palestinians doesn't go quite far enough. Let's extract government and the taxpayers from all sister city ventures, which are best left to dedicated volunteers and community groups. <

Do something: To contact the mayor: 266-4611. E-mail: mayor@cityofmadison.com. Leave a message for your City Council member - or find out who your representative is - by calling 266-4071. Fax: 267-8669. TDD: 267-8670. E-mail: council@cityofmadison.com.