The 2008 Chicago/Hamburg/Birmingham Social Work Exchange Program delegation was in Chicago from July 26 – August 2 to celebrate the tenth exchange between these cities. The three sister cities learned from cultural dialogue to improve social services in the global community.

Since 1999, annual exchanges alternating between cities have bridged cultural and national boundaries to address common social challenges and “best practices”. Hundreds of social service professionals in these cities from two continents have participated to make sustainable changes such as: redesigning Birmingham’s Juvenile Offender Program; incorporating Hamburg’s ‘harm-reduction’ model into Chicago’s work with homeless; and exploring Chicago Court mediation strategies to involve children and cultural diversity techniques into Hamburg’s Family Court.

While in Chicago, delegates spent time visiting social service agencies including discussing with Chicago Department of Human Services’ Alisa Rodriguez the top social challenges in each sister city and attending a dinner in the spirit of regionalism co-hosted by Hamburg and Birmingham Sister City Committees.