For the latest information on our projects with our sister city of San Cristóbal de las Casas, visit the Projects page.
San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, in 1994 became the second city to sign the Sister City declaration with Asheville. Want to get involved with the San Cristóbal committee? We meet the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Board Room at the Asheville Parks and Recreation Admin Building at 72 Gashes Creek Road (at the Recreation Park) Asheville, NC., and all are welcome! For more information on this Sister City or if you would like to get involved, please email Committee Chair Greg Clemmons at contact@ashevillesistercities.
Fast Facts
- Population 121,100
- Well known for its beautiful colonial era architecture
- In 1994, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation used San Cristóbal as one of the four cities where it began its revolution.
Past Projects (For information on current projects, visit our Projects page.)
- Six wheel chairs donated for a physically handicapped basketball team in San Cristóbal.
- Trudy Blom photographic exhibit of indigenous Mayan people living near San Cristóbal held at Asheville Art Museum.
- 2000 Environment-Culture project with San Cristóbal.
- At the invitation of Kiki Saurez, a well known artist in San Cristóbal, students in six elementary schools in Asheville produced paintings for an international art show entitled “Me and My Family.” Paintings were exhibited in the UN Building in NYC, as well as Mexico and Russia.
- Over $10,000 raised for the Mayan Midwife project in San Cristóbal, led by ASCI delegate Alicia Butron. Part of the money purchased a truck for transporting midwives to those in need.
- 2007, successful completion of water project, a collaborative project of ASCI, Asheville & SCdlC Rotary Clubs and Rotary International, providing year round clean water to over 50,000 San Cristóbal inhabitants.
- 2008, donation to Hogar Comunitario Yach’il Anzetic, a shelter for pregnant women and their families, allowed the building and completion of a greenhouse to grow and market a mushroom business that gives women work and skills to be self sufficient and support their families.
- Successful San Cristóbal delegation visit in summer of 2010 . Delegates included the SCdlC Sister City chair, the Rector & Dean of Universidad Intercultural de Chiapas, a Mayorial Representative and the Producer of Palenque Rojo, a multi media performance producution. Delegates met with local businesses, non profits and several univeristies and colleges.