Yesterday, the Villa Masséna was the venue for the Conference on the upcoming Francophonie Games, which will be held from September 6 to 15, around Valérie Fourneyron, Christian Estrosi, Éric Ciotti, Patrick Allemand, and Clément Duhaime. It was another opportunity to reaffirm the importance of the Francophonie for the 53 participating nations. An important announcement came from this meeting: François Hollande will be present on September 7 for the opening ceremony.
Today, the world counts nearly 220 million French speakers, with 96.2 million in Africa alone. French is the 9th most spoken language in the world. Therefore, it is fitting that athletes and artists are honored in these Francophonie Games.
Everyone agrees, the Francophonie Games should be a grand celebration of the French language this coming September. And the first to say so is Clément Duhaime, representative of the OIF (International Organization of the Francophonie). He believes that Nice will become the “World Capital of the Francophonie.” He reflects on the young history of these Games and the first edition in 1987. He recalls that these nine days of competition will be “a blend of sport, culture, and arts.” A major event for the Francophonie. For the next games in 2017, the City of Nice will pass on a legacy to the next organizers, either Côte d’Ivoire or Chad, whose bids were reviewed before the conference.
These Games aim to be popular and will try to bring together the populations and the youth of the city, the department, and the PACA region. Patrick Allemand reflects on the commitment of the region, as a worthy representative of its President, Michel Vauzelle. The event “will take on special significance because it is a celebration of youth, of the future.” With the tremendous message to the whole world, the left-wing elected official considers that this mission today encompasses the entire Mediterranean basin. This assessment is also supported by Eric Ciotti, President of the General Council of Alpes-Maritimes: “The Mediterranean is a territory open to the world.” But also to show the values surrounding the French language: “This conference is an important stage in the advancement of the Games, which constitute a privileged moment around the French language.” For the official, Nice will be a crossroads of exchange between people and countries: “To meet, to gather, to come together.”
In his speech, Christian Estrosi first mentions the fact that this is the first time in France that the orientation council of the Francophonie Games is not held in Paris: “Two entry points from now on: Paris and Nice.”
A small historical moment in his speech. The Deputy Mayor reflects on the origins of this sense of belonging to the same language. To that end, he quotes General de Gaulle, who, in his famous speech and his legendary “Vive le Québec libre,” laid the foundations of the Francophonie. A quote from Albert Camus, “My homeland is the French language,” also supports his words: “It is no longer just about making French a reserved language. It is about sharing it as widely as possible.” As for the event, the City presents all the conditions to host the athletes, whether in terms of accommodation or sports and cultural facilities.
Like Christian Estrosi, Valérie Fourneyron recalls the political, geopolitical, and human issues in Mali with a warm thought for the soldiers deployed in Africa. Coming to the Côte d’Azur, the Minister of Sports, Youth, presents the testimony of the Republic, of the Nation: “Testimony of the gathering of an entire country.” For the member of the Ayrault Government, “it is necessary to be able to mobilize with the state services.” Like her predecessors at the podium, she returns to “the importance of bringing the values of Francophone countries to life.”
Conclusion? Francophonie in our time means “Universality, diversity, equality, fraternity. Freedom, too.”
So mark your calendars, the Francophonie Games will take place from September 6 to 15.
