3.4 Analysis
151
Twinning
City twinning is a form of international friendship that has been institutionalised by
agreements between municipalities. Cities are actors in the international relations
system who play an important part in defining foreign policies (Vion 2007). By
twinning, cities can cultivate an identity that transcends state borders and, in this way,
they can enter the arena of world politics through cooperative endeavours (Joenniemi
and Ja´ nczak 2017).
Increasing numbers of cities are pursuing policies that combine the local and
the international through twinning. Cities have freed themselves, by establishing
various ways of twinning (Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017) with other like-minded city
governance structures. City twinning is a European phenomenon that has spread to
all continents (Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017), with agreements being signed between
cities from one continent and those located on another. The twinning between Durban
and Bremen, as well as Durban and Fort Lauderdale, are typical examples of how the
partners have facilitated twinning through the River Horse project and the Climate
Adaptation Charter, respectively (p. 125). Twinning does not only occur through
charters or agreements, but also through the initiation of specific projects. This shows
that it is a global practice for eThekwini (Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017), particularly
with cities across Europe, North America and southern Africa (p. 122 and 124).
As already mentioned, city twinning, as an institutionalised practice, transcends
the local or domestic political environment, as well as the sphere of world affairs,
with cities increasingly operating as links between local politics and international
relations (Joenniemi 2017; Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017). Cities entering into twinning agreements, accompanied by structural and operational arrangements, are not
as restricted by the policies of the states (Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017) that must
keep diplomatic protocol and sovereignty in mind, when conducting international
relations. Because of this emancipatory function of twinning, cities can surpass a
variety of normative (autonomy) and geographical boundaries. It increases the regulative competency of local governments in ways of their own choosing. This makes a
difference to, and has an impact on, national sovereign boundaries (Joenniemi 2017;
Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017: 427) and national interests.
What is more, institutionalised and operational activities are fountainheads of
a variety of political, social and cultural innovations, which are less restricted by
the numerous accessories of modern politics, such as sovereignty, nationhood and
national cultures (Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017). It is in this normative notion that we
see autonomy substituting sovereignty as the settled norm (Heywood 1997) (p. 118).
City twinning adds to a transworld notion and, as an ontological concept, it contributes
to something that is akin to a civilisation of international relations (Joenniemi and
Ja´ nczak 2017). All in all, the practice plays both an affective and instrumental role
(Joenniemi 2017); it is affective, in that it brings about another view of international
relations, while it also plays the role of an instrument, to foster closer relationships
between cities on functional matters, such as climate change adaptation.
The commodification of nature
151
Twinning
City twinning is a form of international friendship that has been institutionalised by
agreements between municipalities. Cities are actors in the international relations
system who play an important part in defining foreign policies (Vion 2007). By
twinning, cities can cultivate an identity that transcends state borders and, in this way,
they can enter the arena of world politics through cooperative endeavours (Joenniemi
and Ja´ nczak 2017).
Increasing numbers of cities are pursuing policies that combine the local and
the international through twinning. Cities have freed themselves, by establishing
various ways of twinning (Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017) with other like-minded city
governance structures. City twinning is a European phenomenon that has spread to
all continents (Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017), with agreements being signed between
cities from one continent and those located on another. The twinning between Durban
and Bremen, as well as Durban and Fort Lauderdale, are typical examples of how the
partners have facilitated twinning through the River Horse project and the Climate
Adaptation Charter, respectively (p. 125). Twinning does not only occur through
charters or agreements, but also through the initiation of specific projects. This shows
that it is a global practice for eThekwini (Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017), particularly
with cities across Europe, North America and southern Africa (p. 122 and 124).
As already mentioned, city twinning, as an institutionalised practice, transcends
the local or domestic political environment, as well as the sphere of world affairs,
with cities increasingly operating as links between local politics and international
relations (Joenniemi 2017; Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017). Cities entering into twinning agreements, accompanied by structural and operational arrangements, are not
as restricted by the policies of the states (Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017) that must
keep diplomatic protocol and sovereignty in mind, when conducting international
relations. Because of this emancipatory function of twinning, cities can surpass a
variety of normative (autonomy) and geographical boundaries. It increases the regulative competency of local governments in ways of their own choosing. This makes a
difference to, and has an impact on, national sovereign boundaries (Joenniemi 2017;
Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017: 427) and national interests.
What is more, institutionalised and operational activities are fountainheads of
a variety of political, social and cultural innovations, which are less restricted by
the numerous accessories of modern politics, such as sovereignty, nationhood and
national cultures (Joenniemi and Ja´ nczak 2017). It is in this normative notion that we
see autonomy substituting sovereignty as the settled norm (Heywood 1997) (p. 118).
City twinning adds to a transworld notion and, as an ontological concept, it contributes
to something that is akin to a civilisation of international relations (Joenniemi and
Ja´ nczak 2017). All in all, the practice plays both an affective and instrumental role
(Joenniemi 2017); it is affective, in that it brings about another view of international
relations, while it also plays the role of an instrument, to foster closer relationships
between cities on functional matters, such as climate change adaptation.
The commodification of nature