The work of the Whakatāne District Sister Cities Association has been recognised by an award for the Best Cultural, Sport, or Recreation Project at last week’s Sister City New Zealand Awards in Wellington. The award was accepted by Whakatāne District Councillor Andrew Iles, the association chairperson, at the annual awards dinner.

The award entry focused on the local group’s November 2014 visit to Shibukawa and Kamagaya in Japan, which saw 14 intermediate-aged kapa haka students participate, along with their principal, three teachers, Mayor Tony Bonne, Whakatāne District Councillor and Sister Cities Association chairperson Andrew Iles, and four members of the association. The entry highlighted the valuable learning experiences of all involved and included excerpts from essays written by the students following their time in Japan.

Councillor Iles says entries for the award came from around the country and were of a high calibre. “We were very honoured to receive this award, as it highlights the importance of our sister city relationships and the benefits that can be gained through the ongoing engagement between our communities.

“Our entry was largely based on the experiences of the students, and the understanding and respect they now have for another culture,” Councillor Iles says. “Many of them have now taken up Japanese as a subject at school.

“By exploring our similarities and differences with another culture, we can learn a lot about our own culture. The adults in our group have also returned with renewed enthusiasm and a deeper appreciation of our own culture and the role it plays in our lives.”

The awards were judged by a panel appointed by the Board of Sister Cities New Zealand, with entries covering the objectives of the project, details about the activity involved, what the project cost and how it was funded. The positive impacts of the project were also taken into account, as the judges considered how it stimulated community involvement and enhanced awareness and understanding of sister city activities, as well as the benefits the community and organisation gained from the project.

Whakatāne and Trident High School students and their families are offered the opportunity to host students from Kamagaya and Shibukawa, and a number of students also participate in annual exchanges to Japan, often reuniting with their host students.

The Whakatāne District Sister Cities Association has two Sister City relationships, one with Kamagaya in Japan and the other with Warwick in Australia. It also has a friendship agreement with Shibukawa City. The Association meets on a six-weekly basis, and members of the public are welcome to attend and contribute.