Wellington has become the first city in Aotearoa to sign a Friendly City agreement with Ramallah, Palestine; a move that Mayor Tory Whānau says leans into the values of whanaungatanga and sends a clear message of solidarity to the world.
“The friendship agreement; it’s usually the first step before we progress with a full sister city agreement,” Whānau said. “And what they do from a council perspective [is] allow us to include in the work program international relations opportunities between our two cities.”
Ramallah, located 16 kilometres north of Jerusalem in the West Bank, is a cultural, commercial, and administrative hub for the Palestinian Authority. The city has a population of around 85,000.
The agreement was formalised this week, coinciding with reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to take full control of Gaza.
“To be honest, given the horrific situation in Gaza, we’ve been a long supporter of our Palestinian people [of] which we have a strong community here in Wellington, and their right for statehood.
“So this was something we could do as a council to show our support and encourage exchanges and encourage a deeper connection between our people,” said Mayor Whānau.
Asked what she hopes the agreement will achieve, Whānau said it’s about fostering deeper ties; Indigenous to Indigenous, city to city — and encouraging others to take action.
“When I sat online with the Mayor of Ramallah, it will probably live to be one of the most meaningful moments of my life. I mean, his people are experiencing a genocide and one of the worst wars in many of our lifetimes.
“But to be able to share our life and support to him and his people and put a smile on his face and show that support through an important document — this agreement, similar to an MOU — was really quite beautiful.”
The agreement brings the number of Wellington’s international city-to-city partnerships to 14. These relationships aim to strengthen cultural, educational, and business ties and foster collaboration on global and local issues.
