About SISCA
Mission
Empowering Connections Between the People of Seattle and the People of Iran
Who We Are
SISCA is a resilient volunteer-led organization of Iranian-Americans and allies who seek to empower connections between the people of Seattle and the people of Iran by uplifting the traditions, artistry, and humanity of Persian-heritage peoples and cultures.
Through free public events, such as our annual Nowruz, Persian New Year, celebration, SISCA uses dance, music, visual, literary, and culinary arts to lift up Persianate communities in the greater Seattle area. We believe that sharing our cultural celebrations and encouraging participation from the broader, non-Persian community cultivates peace and humanizes Persian-heritage people. We seek to counter the persistent negative images of Persianate countries that frequently appear in U.S. media.
Our long-term goal is to establish an official sister-city relationship with the beautiful city of Isfahan, Iran, following the Sister Cities International model that empowers people-to-people connections and volunteers who work to promote peace and understanding through programs and projects.
Our History
In June 2015, the Seattle Times published an Op-Ed by Fred Noland, who had served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Iran in the 1960s and was the driving force behind the Seattle-Tashkent Sister City formation and projects. Noland proposed a sister city relationship between Seattle and Isfahan. That Op-Ed led to an outpouring of expressions of support and offers of help. Supporters of the idea initially formed a “Seattle-Isfahan Sister City Organizing Committee,” which was open to anyone willing to work toward the goals described above. We formed a Board in 2016 and became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Our Action Model
SISCA thrives on robust and enthusiastic volunteer initiative and participation. Anyone interested in supporting SISCA will be able to find a way to participate through the Join Us, How You Can Help, and Donate pages of this website. Visit and like us on Facebook. Follow us on Instagram.
