Sister-city pact shows world the way

About the Authors

Matthew Dunlap is Maine's secretary of state. Rep. John Brautigam, a Democrat, represents parts of Portland and Falmouth.

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In 1982, a 10-year old girl from Manchester asked her mother one day if America was going to have a war with the Soviet Union. That question led a conversation, which led to another question: Why does it have to be this way?

When we were young, schoolchildren still did emergency drills to prepare them for an imminent nuclear attack. To us, Russians were portrayed as grim people bent on imposing totalitarianism on the world.

In a very special way, Samantha Smith helped change that. Agents of change were already hard at work, and Maine citizens were - and still are - leaders in gaining better understanding of our neighbors who live in the ancient culture that is now known as the Russian Federation.

In 1988, Greater Portland established a sister city relationship with Archangel in northern Russia. Since that time, 14 other communities have joined in the relationship and delegations of doctors, lawyers, students, legislators, judges and librarians have shared their experiences in working on common problems.

While the quantifiable results have been gratifying, the original vision of Samantha Smith measures the true, intrinsic value of these exchanges.

Recently, we ventured to Archangel on the latest edition of this exchange program. We were joined by attorney Ray Pelletier, as well as the co-chairs of the Greater Portland Sister City Committee Neale Duffett and Carol Lestock Lord.

Formal discussion points were based on the special problems of municipal government, intergovernmental relations, and parliamentary procedures.

But our informal discussions were just as important; how non-profits support public purposes; advancing awareness of the importance of the creative economy; the problems of promoting tourism for remote areas - all issues that are not peculiar to Russia, but that we share in common.

It was enlightening to see how similar problems are approached differently by the best and brightest of a different culture.

Local government in Russia is changing - rapidly. Federal Law 131, passed in 2003, mandates that every citizen in Russia be represented by a local, elected municipal government. The Archangel Oblast is a state about the size of the northeast United States with a population slightly larger than Maine; in three years, Archangel has created 272 new towns and elected thousands of town councilors.

They were anxious to learn of our experiences with town governance over 350 years, and we learned much of their opportunities and challenges.

As two communities with strong bonds, we care about each other. When a tragic apartment explosion claimed the lives of dozens in Archangel, the Maine Legislature adopted a special resolution expressing condolences. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, our friends there expressed grief, shock and solidarity.

Personally, we have come to see each other's children grow, shared the many joys of career advancements and weddings, and we sincerely inquire after each other's health and families. And we talk earnestly about future shared endeavors.

One of the stops during our recent visit was to the Solovestky Islands, a thriving community of fewer than a thousand people who live 45 minutes by plane from the mainland. It is home to a 16th century monastery and massive fortress, and was the home of the first of the gulags made famous by Alexander Solzhenitzyn.

Much of this is now maintained as a museum and natural reserve area. Completely self-contained, the islanders have many assets and challenges - as do Maine island communities.

Like Maine's island residents, the residents of Solovetsky Islands are resourceful and fiercely independent. Our talks about the opportunities and drawbacks of being a world-class tourist and research destination teach us much about not only their work, but gives us pause to consider our own past works and future goals.

Our ongoing exchange in legal affairs, a centerpiece of our program since 1997, has proven extraordinarily fruitful. The cause of justice knows no boundaries on a map, and the legal professionals that have visited Maine and who have hosted our delegations possess a deep commitment to the rule of law and the common availability of justice to every citizen.

The structures are different and the legal codes are dissimilar, but the spirit is the same. We share, teach, learn and experience a lot.

And we are all better for it, which is the best answer we could have ever come up with for Samantha Smith's question.

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