Africa-Press – Mauritius. The International Day of La Francophonie is celebrated every March 20 by French-speaking countries. Why March 20? This date recalls the birth of the “Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation” (ACCT) on March 20, 1970 in Niamey (Niger).
This organization evolves to become the “International Organization of La Francophonie” (OIF). A charter, the “Charte de la Francophonie”, was adopted in 1997, at the Hanoi Summit (Vietnam), and it was revised in 2005 during the Ministerial Conference in Antananarivo (Madagascar).
Thus, all member countries must observe certain rules such as Participation in the highest political decision-making body – the Summit of Heads of State and Government every two years;
Approval of a Secretary General of La Francophonie. [Louise Mushikiwabo from Rwanda was appointed to this position by the Francophonie Summit in 2018 in Yerevan, Armenia. He is the fourth person to hold this position].
Four operators support the OIF, including the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), TV5 Monde (international television channel), the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF) and Senghor University of Alexandria.
The objectives of La Francophonie are recorded in its Charter: establishment and development of democracy conflict prevention, management and resolution, and support for the rule of law and human rights
intensification of the dialogue of cultures and civilizations bringing people together through their mutual knowledge strengthening their solidarity through multilateral cooperation actions to promote the development of their economies
promotion of education and training. The missions of La Francophonie are defined in a strategic framework: Promoting the French language and cultural and linguistic diversity
Promote peace, democracy and human rights Support education, training, higher education and research Develop cooperation in the service of sustainable development Particular attention is paid to young people and women, as well as to access to ICTs. March 20, 2019
“In French… please”: This is the formula chosen by the Secretary General of La Francophonie to celebrate, on the occasion of the International Day of La Francophonie, this shared language and the diversity of La Francophonie.
As the French Ambassador to Mauritius said yesterday at the IFM, addressing particularly young people in secondary and higher establishments, French is a modern language, and Mauritians have the chance to be exposed and to speak one of the key languages of the modern world, alongside other European or ancestral languages.
Activities to mark the Francophonie Dissemination of information Every four years, the OIF (bringing together 88 states and governments, 54 members, 7 associate members and 27 observers) presents a 368-page report on “The French language in the world”, published by Gallimard.
The report (released 03/14/2019) mentions the existence of “300 million speakers in 106 countries and territories” on five continents. French is the fifth most spoken language in the world after Chinese, English, Spanish and Arabic.
Despite the competition between the languages of communication at the international level, the French-speaking linguistic space retains a certain vitality.
The French language attracts many speakers. It is the second language taught on the planet. It is also a fundamental language on the job market in French-speaking countries.
The survival of certain sectors depends entirely on mastering the French language and another European language. It is also a language of wide dissemination and popularization of information on the internet.
More and more, French is used in common with other languages in multilingual and multicultural countries, and is taking on a certain importance in the creative industries sector.
dictation Unmissable activity! Among the many activities organized to celebrate this day, dictation has become popular over the years. Some French-speaking countries participate in this exercise live while others use social networks.
The sponsor of the International Day of La Francophonie 2019 is the Burkinabe actress and comedian, Roukiata Ouédraogo. She is a committed young woman who fascinates her audience by combining sounds and languages, while promoting French.
It was she who read the text of the dictation to the participants this year. Speech contest This year, as part of the Education Reform, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Higher Education and Scientific Research in collaboration with the French Embassy in Mauritius organized for the first times the Speech Contest.
The main objective is to provide middle and high school students and students with the opportunity to develop and/or improve their oral skills, in particular the art of speaking in front of an audience.
This competition was launched on January 31, 2019. Young people from secondary and higher institutions were invited to register until February 7, 2019.
The organizers demanded parity, which was a constraint for some higher institutions, given gender inequality from the outset. Each institution had to make a first selection and choose a maximum of five candidates.
A second selection took place on March 7 and 8, 2019 by the organizers at the French Institute of Mauritius (IFM). Ten candidates were selected for the final by category – secondary institutions and higher education institutions.
The final took place on March 19 at the premises of the IFM and the award ceremony on March 20. There were 31 candidates in total for the higher level.
Among the ten finalists were three students from the University of Mauritius (UoM), two students from the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), and one student from each of the following institutions: Ecole d’Architecture de Nantes, MCCI Business School, Open University of Mauritius (OUM), Unicity Education Hub (Medine – Paris 2 Panthéon) and Université des Mascareignes (UdM).
The first prize was awarded to a student from Unicity Education Hub, the second prize to a Congolese student from UdM and the third prize to a student from UoM.
The winners benefit from a plane ticket and an educational and cultural stay on Reunion Island, graciously offered by the sister island. A cash prize “Cash Prize” was also awarded to each young person.
The term “Francophonie” first appeared at the end of the 19th century (around 1880). It is a French geographer, Onesime Reclus, who uses it to designate all people and countries speaking French.
This term is used as follows: “francophonie” with a lowercase “f” denotes French speakers; “Francophonie” with a capital “F” designates the institutional mechanism organizing relations between French-speaking countries.
Thus, French speakers have been using a common language for more than a century to exchange knowledge in a space shared on a voluntary basis. Some have come together in associations, NGOs or groups of professionals (academics and French teachers in educational circles, journalists, lawyers, entrepreneurs). Booksellers and writers are also among those men and women who communicate by means of this language.
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