Mountain Legacy International, a nonprofit organization incorporated in New York State, has taken the lead in initiating Mountain Sisters, a network of communities united in grassroots collaborations to address the challenges and opportunities facing our mountainous regions. (Read our rationale for the Mountain Sisters project.) .)

As part of this effort, we have initiated a pilot project linking Pokhara and Ithaca NY as Sister Cities. The Three Sisters Partnership is the next phase of the Mountain Sisters initiative: a three-way linkage connecting Kathmandu, Istanbul, and New York City

David Caprara, Sister City International Representative for Nepal, met with us in Ithaca recently and expressed strong support for the potential of Mountain Sisters to connect with an overall municipal and civic engagement strategy, given the high priority Nepal (and the region) places on mountain conservation, heritage and tourism.

Looking Forward

While the Three Sisters Partnership has not yet gotten underway, the basis for international collaboration is clear: in the Tri-State Area, there are about 40,000 people of Turkish origin, and 30,000 of Nepali.

Due in great part to the energetic leadership of former Acting Nepali Consul General to NYC Bishnu Prasad Gautam, there is a substantial network of individuals and entities in New York and the Tri-State area who are committed to expanded relations with Nepal. In Kathmandu and Nepal in general, there are also many prospective partners, and we expect to work with Turkish Airlines and our montology affiliates in Türkiye (formerly Turkey) to shape a useful partnership.

Whether your interest is education, tourism, culture, environmental stewardship, entrepreneurship, or another area entirely, we invite you to explore the Partnership and consider whether you might want to collaborate with this initiative.