Climate change and conflict are increasingly driving displacement and migration, mostly to urban areas. With many cities around the world experiencing migration surges, city-to-city partnerships enable the sharing of best practices and solutions to common challenges.
One example is San Antonio, Texas, United States, and Amman, Jordan, whose mayors recently signed a “Friendship City” agreement aimed at strengthening economic and cultural relations and knowledge-sharing. “I believe very strongly that peace in our world comes first from building relationships between people on the ground, people in communities, one on one,” said San Antonio’s Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who met Amman’s Mayor Yousef Al Shawarbeh through the Mayors Migration Council, a mayor-led coalition working to support refugees and migrants.
In this video, Nirenberg and Al Shawarbeh discuss the challenges their rapidly growing cities face, the importance of city-to-city partnerships, and the coordination needed at all levels to support both refugees and the cities hosting them.
Dig into Roots of Change, a series examining the push toward locally led development.
This piece is produced in partnership with Mayors Migration Council as part of our Roots of Change series. Click here to learn more.
About the author
Naomi Mihara
Naomi Mihara is an Associate Editor for Devex, working on creative and audiovisual projects. She has a background in journalism and international development, having previously served as an assistant correspondent for Japanese newspaper The Yomiuri Shimbun and as a communications officer for the International Organization for Migration in Southeast Asia. She holds a master’s degree in Multimedia Journalism from Bournemouth University.