It was in 1970, in Niamey, that 21 countries signed the treaty creating the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation, the first step in what was to become the OIF.
More than 50% of people who use the French language on a daily basis are Africans. Twenty-seven countries, half of the continent's states, are members of both the OIF and the African Union.
Today, there are about 275 million Francophones in the world, and demographic projections indicate this number will grow to 700 million by 2050.
French is, therefore, an "African language" and one of the official languages of the United Nations. It is also the second most widely-used language in the world, the second most common international language in the media, and, importantly, the third most important language of business. Trading and exchanging in Africa and with the world, therefore, means being multilingual. The mastery of Swahili and foreign languages, including French, opens doors to employment: in Tanzania, within the East African community, and beyond.
Tanzania also shares land borders with three member countries of the Francophonie: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda. It is also linked to the Indian Ocean, either by the coast of mainland Tanzania or by the archipelago of Zanzibar; many countries in this region are totally or partially francophone, notably Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and The Union of the Comoros, to name only the closest.
Neighboring with the Francophonie, exchanging with francophone countries -- it's already a little like being part of the family! Approximately 1.5 million Tanzanians are proficient in French, which is the only foreign language other than English to be offered as an option throughout the school curriculum. In the Kigoma region, Francophones account for about 6% of the population, while the national average is 2%. This is obviously due to cross-border exchanges with Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but also a result of the presence of refugees.
In this context, the ambassadors and consuls of the member countries or observers of La Francophonie represented in Tanzania have set up an informal group for exchanges. Initiatives in schools and cultural activities are carried out, in particular, to demonstrate the usefulness of the French language.
The "Week of La Francophonie" is the "climax" of the year. It is traditionally organized around 20 March, which corresponds to the International Day of La Francophonie. The French-speaking embassies offer a program of various activities that are widely open to the Tanzanian public and free: Shows, competitions, sports tournaments, screening of French-language films subtitled in English, proposed by Francophonie member countries.
Cultural diversity is the wealth of La Francophonie: a language shared by different peoples, who know and recognize each other through their belonging to a common Francophone space.
Please join us from March 16th to 26th! Karibuni! A bientôt !
Signatories:
H.E. M. Paul CARTIER, Ambassador of Belgium; H.E. M. Ian MYLES, High Commissioner of Canada; H.E. Dr Ahamada El Badoui MOHAMED, Ambassador of the Comoros; H.E. M. Jean-Pierre MUTAMBA, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo; H.E. M. Mohamed Yasser ELSHAWAF, Ambassador of Egypt; H.E. Mrs. Malika BERAK, Ambassador of France; H.E. M. Abid BENRYANE, Ambassador of Morocco; H.E. M. Eugène Segore KAYIHURA, High Commissioner of Rwanda; H.E. Mrs. Florence TINGUELY-MATTLI, Ambassador of Switzerland; Mrs. Rima KHALAF, Honorary Consul of Senegal; Mrs. Maryvonne POOL, Honorary Consul of the Seychelles
Wiki ya Kifaransa: Kifaransa, lango lililo wazi Bara la Afrika na Dunia (PDF, 2 Pagine, 15.2 kB)
