which communities will creatively learn, work, and solve problems together through reciprocal cultural, educational, municipal, business, professional and technical exchanges and projects. Collaborate with organizations in the United States and other countries which share similar goals. Programs Sister Cities International advances their goals by approaching from four broad-based areas: cultural exchange, humanitarian assistance, youth and educational programs, and economic and sustainable development. Arts and cultural exchange Cultural exchanges occur on an individual level from city to city. Sister Cities International facilitates these exchanges by providing support and funding. According to the Sister Cities International website, these exchanges occur in various ways including: "musical performances, art exhibits, construction of peace parks or tea gardens, international cultural festivals, and teacher exchanges". Well known demonstrations of sister city cultural events include the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. honoring the sister city relationship between Tokyo City and Washington, D.C. Humanitarian assistance Sino-African Initiative: Beginning in February 2012, Sister Cities International launched a 2-year program addressing urban poverty in African cities. SAI is a tri-lateral initiative bringing together U.S., African, and Chinese sister cities, and will be implemented through 3 pilot projects. Safe Drinking Water Initiative: In 2008, Sister Cities International engaged member cities to pilot the Safe Drinking Water Initiative (SDWI). SDWI was created with the goal of distributing approximately 250,000 packets of Procter & Gamble's PUR through sister city networks in Ethiopia and Nigeria, purifying more than 2.5 million liters of water. September Concert: Sister Cities International partners with The September Concert to sponsor a series of free musical performances held in sister cities around the world on September 11 of every year. The concerts help to bring people of all nations together—reaffirming our hopes for world peace and celebrating our lives and universal humanity. Africa Urban Poverty Alleviation Program: In 2009, Sister Cities International launched the Africa Urban Poverty Alleviation Program, a three-year project to alleviate poverty in 25 African cities through water, sanitation and health initiatives led by U.S. and African sister city programs. U.S. sister cities collaborate with their African counterparts to identify and address the most critical problems in these sectors, which form barriers to sustained development in urban areas. In 2021, they are estimating that 9.1 million people are working on projects with drinking water. Youth and education programs Youth Ambassador Program: The youth ambassador program supports the exchange of high school students between Mexico,