Lewiston Mayor Larry Gilbert at the recommendation of the Quebec Government Delegate to New England, France Dionne--will join an international gathering of French-speaking mayors on October 1, 2009, in Paris, France, focusing on "Cities and the Dialogue of Cultures."
The gathering will mark the 30th anniversary of the Association Internationale Des Maires Francophones (AIMF), a branch of the Organization Internationale De La Francophonie (OIF). Gilbert will be attending at no cost to the City of Lewiston.
Started as a small club of northern French-speaking countries in 1970, the Francophonie has since evolved into a global organization whose numerous branches cooperate with its member states in the fields of culture, science, economy, justice, and peace. The Francophonie has been considered a French version of the Commonwealth of Nations and strives to promote cultural diversity and the use of the French language amongst member countries and throughout the world. It also aims to stimulate education at all levels, economies, and lasting development, as well as impact major global debates.
Officially invited by Pierre Baillet, of the AIMF, French-speaking Gilbert noted, "It was an honor to be recommended by the Quebec Government Delegate to New England. As I have now received the actual invitation to participate, I am looking forward to meeting mayors from around the world and exchanging thoughts and ideas with them."
Gilbert will indeed be interacting with mayors from numerous countries to include Egypt, Canada, Morocco, Togo, Madagascar, France, Romania, to name but a few. At current time, there is only one other confirmed United States mayor attending, that of Mayor Joey Durel, Jr., of Lafayette, Louisiana, who is also the President of the Lafayette Parish Consolidation Government.
Specifically, the conference will focus on a new strategy to achieve inclusive societies. The strategy is based upon inter-cultural dialogue applied to the workplace, to neighborhood life, to youth, to the media, and to the arts. The strategy is touted as one that leads to harmonious interaction between persons and groups with different identities, as well as favoring social cohesion and economic development.
Attending mayors will consider what tools they can use; what the impact is of inter-cultural dialogue on economic and social development; and what might be the role of networks in developing such an approach to dialogue.
In addition, Gilbert will also attend workshops entitled Entrepreneurship and Health, Including Children's Healthcare; Neighborhood Schools and Other Neighborhood Spaces Where Dialogue Can be Useful; and The Roles of Networks and Networking in Pluralism. Gilbert will also participate in a "Nuit Blanche," a 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. focus on contemporary arts. The purpose of the event is to make art accessible to everyone, giving value to a shared heritage through contemporary artworks via a festive atmosphere.
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