Group celebrates French language

In a celebration of French language and culture, the University's French Institute for Culture and Technology sponsored a three-day celebration, La F_te de la Francophonie, this weekend. The festival began Thursday with an official inauguration at which Provost Stanley Chodorow was scheduled to speak. Chodorow canceled at the last minute, however, but sent a letter describing the celebration as an "exciting moment in the history of our school." Barry Cooperman, director of the French Institute, emphasized that he hopes to make La F_te de la Francophonie an annual event. "Francophonie can be thought of as a metaphor for the United States," said Cooperman, who added that it emphasizes the importance of integration and multi-culturalism. Philadelphia official Diane Dolto, the city's representative for arts and culture, described the important French influence on Philadelphia and investment in the region, adding that "Philadelphia has the largest collection of public arts outside of France." At a booth on College Green Friday, members of the University community could find information on travel, and educational and cultural opportunities associated with the Francophonie countries. Other information booths featured food and music from many of the Francophonie countries. Francophonie -- an international agency -- consists of 49 French speaking and influenced countries and governments spanning five continents. Friday's events also included roundtable discussions and a lecture by Andre Ladousse, founder of Francophonie. During his lecture, Ladousse offered a brief history of the Francophonie organization. He noted that although Francophonie began in 1965 as an organization for the appreciation of French culture and language, it has developed into a significant political force over the past two decades. "We have witnessed important political changes in our African states," he said, adding that these changes resulted in many countries turning to Francophonie for direction. The organization -- together with the United Nations -- supervises more than 40 national elections each year. It also assists in arbitrating political conflicts. Ladousse stressed that the organization is not trying to replace other diplomatic institutions, adding that "Francophonie sees itself as complementary to worldwide and regional organizations." The organization attempts to use "preventive diplomacy" and "emotional diplomacy" by mediating dialogue between countries within the Francophonie "family." Ladousse also noted the ability of the French language to still attract people from varying backgrounds. "There are no frontiers to Francophonie," he said.