A partnership between the citizens of
Cambridge, Massachusetts and Yerevan, the capital of the Republic of Armenia

Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association, Inc. (CYSCA) was the brainchild of a group of concerned citizens of Cambridge, MA, who believed they could help promote world peace by organizing a grass roots movement through a partnership with a city in a Soviet republic.

In May 1986,former Mayor and then City Councillor Frank Duehay led a mission of eleven Cambridge citizens to Yerevan, the capital of the Republic of Armenia, to present a formal proposal to the Mayor of Yerevan expressing the desire of the city of Cambridge to become a sister city with Yerevan.

Following an exchange of official delegations and signing of protocols, a formal agreement was executed between the two sister cities in 1987, during an official visit by a Yerevan delegation to Cambridge.

Soon thereafter, CYSCA joined Sister Cities International (SCI), an umbrella organization that supports over 1000 U.S. sister cities and their foreign partners. Through its association with SCI, CYSCA has obtained funding support for many of its important projects.

PROJECTS

Since the inception of CYSCA, many projects have been undertaken, including numerous exchanges in the fields of:

• The environment
• Business
• Economics
• Education
• Culture and the arts
• Medicine
• Tourism education
• Theater management
• Aviation mangement
• Public Health

CYSCA launched a major fund raising drive for humanitarian aid following the massive earthquake that struck Armenia on December 7, 1988.

Since 1994, CYSCA has been successful in obtaining major grants to provide funding support for exchange programs under competitive solicitations from the Bureau of Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department.

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

"If there is one thing I learned from my trip to Armenia is that we must have strong love and caring for each other-and that is something the local kids taught us. Armenia is a small country that does not have a lot, but what it does have is a big heart."

"We've discovered that the US is truly a democratic country."

"When I visited Armenia, I saw Anna Hovanessian and met her family. Anna said CYSCA really helped her a lot with her business-learning how to run a business and learn English ... She was very positive About CYSCA."

"We were able to solve a very important problem with your financial support. We furnished our assembly hall with 150 chairs. Now the situation has changed greatly. School life has become lively. We even have concerts and professional puppet shows in our assembly hall. Our teachers, pupils, and parents are all grateful to you for your kindness. They do much of the repair work themselves."

CYSCA'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1986

• Official Cambridge delegation to Yerevan led by former Mayor Frank Duehay.
• Cambridge educators visit Yerevan.

1987

• Mayor Avakian of Yerevan leads delegation of officials and musicians to Cambridge.\0xA5
• Cambridge musicians perform in Yerevan, initiate Longy-Komitas Conservatory link.

1988

• Offical delegation to Yerevan led by Rep. Alice Wolf, includes student jazz group.
• "Cambridge Week" designated in Yerevan.
• Telethon fundraiser in Cambridge for earthquake relief.

1989

• Yerevan business people attend conference in Cambridge.
• Cambridge environmental delegation visits Yerevan for conference.

1990

• Yerevan environmental delegation visits Cambridge and attends Tufts conference.
• Boston Mayor Ray Flynn visits Yerevan.
• Yerevan Mayor Artashes Geghamian visits Cambridge.
• CYSCA receives Readers' Digest award.
• "Jazz of a Nation in Diaspora"- Armenians from US and Armenia perform.

1991

• Exhibit of Yerevan artist's works.
• Cambridge team presents workshops on decision-making in a market economy for Armenian parliament.
• Yerevan Mayor Galstian visits Cambridge.
• Gabrielian Quartet spends year at Longy School of Music.

1992

• Cambridge team teaches negotiation in a market economy in Yerevan.
• Armenia Cultural Project begins with delegation of folk artists to Armenia.
• Yerevan educators visit and initiate partnership with Lexington Christian Academy.
• CYSCA environmentalists visit Yerevan.

1993

• "Winter Rescue" aid to Armenia.
• Power transformers donated to Yerevan.
• Yerevan tennis team tours US.
• Sister school linked with Yerevan school.
• "Walk for Armenia" aids TB hospital.
• Conflict resolution taught in Yerevan.
• Yerevan poets give reading in Cambridge.
• Banquet in Cambridge for Ambassador Shugarian of Armenia.
• CYSCA produces video "Bridge to Armenia" for Cambridge "Cablevision."

1994

• Young Yerevan violinist tours US.
• Municipal training in Yerevan.
• First Youth Exchange.
• Armenia School Aid Project (ASAP) begun.

1995

• Second Youth Exchange.

1996

• Third Youth Exchange.

1997

• Fourth Youth Exchange.

1998

• Community Connections project begins:
  • Educators from Gyumri visit Cambridge.
  • Gyumri educational seminar sponsored.
  • Teacher-training in Gyumri area: 980 teachers in 56 villages.
  • Entrepreneurs from Hrazdan have internship program in Cambridge.
  • Hrazdan Business Assocation formed.
  • Business conference in Hrazdan: 131 attendees, 31 presenters.
• Yerevan environmental management report.
• Internet training for Cambridge/Yerevan high school students.
• 2 tons of school supplies delivered to Armenia
• Hearing aids for children delivered to Armenia

1999

• ASAP sponsors fund 60 schools to date.
• Community Connections
• Fifth youth exchange.

2000

• Community Connections:
  • 2 groups of entrepreneurs, and one groups of environmental specialists visit from Yerevan.
  • Teacher training in 25 villages, 750 teachers trained in Armenia.
  • 5-day business training workshops in Sisian and Meghri, 25 participants in each.

• Secondary School Partnership.

2001

• Community Connections:
  • Education administrators visit from Syunik.
  • Export marketing workshops in Yerevan and Jermuk, 25 participants each.
  • Workshop on environmental educaion for preschool and elementary students.

• Secondary School Partnership.

2002

• Community Connections:
  • Entrepreneurs from Yerevan visit for internships.
  • Tourism specialists visit for training.

• ASAP:
  • ASAP has assisted over 100 schools in Armenia since 1994

2003

• Community Connections:
  • Business Professionals from Yerevan visit and follow up with business training programs in Yerevan
  • Historic and Cultural Preservation group visits from several different regions

2004

• Business Professionals from Yerevan visit and follow up with business training programs in Yerevan, and & teacher training in Shirak
• Secondary School partnership outbound summer trip to Yerevan with students from Belmont, Arlington and Cambridge
• Energy saving project links schools in Yerevan and Cambridge

• ASAP Armenia School Aid Project

2005

• Follow-up publications and projects in Yerevan
• Youth summer trip to Yerevan
• ASAP school renovations

2006

• Youth global leadership project on Nile River Basin
• Community Connections: aviation groups visits for training.
• ASAP school renovations

2007

• Training Community Connections group of museum managers
• Museum mangers' conference in Yerevan
• ASAP Armenia School Aid Project

2008

• Training of theater mangers from Armenia under Community Connections program
• Performance by Theater Managers in Cambridge
• Training of Tourism Educators from Yerevan under Community Connections program
• ASAP Armenia School Aid Project

2009

• Training of Social Work Professionals from Yerevan under Community Connections program
• ASAP Armenia School Aid Project

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Contact Us

Suzanne Pearce at 617-354-7648 or spearce@igc.org
Jack Medzorian at 781-729-6457 or Jmedzorian@AOL.COM
CYSCA Treasurer PO Box 382591 Cambridge MA 02238-2591
CYSCA was incorporated in 1987 as a non-profit organization and given 501(c)(3) status by the IRS. Donations to this organization are deductiblefor Federal Income Tax Purposes.

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