Diversity by Laura, Driss and Farah

This is an article written by Driss, Laura and Farah on diversity:

                   Diversity :

By Laura , Driss & Farah

Hello friends,

We would like to tell you about a very quintessential topic related to French culture, which is the notion of “diversity”.

First, we will give our personal definition of what diversity means in France, then we’ll look at the official way to become French, and then we’ll look into Francophone culture throughout the world.

            Diversity = diversity is the existence of different cultures within a country.

In France : to be officially French, we must have the French nationality that can be obtained through :

- the right of Jus soli (the place of birth, or right of soil)

- the right of Jus sanguinis (or the right of blood, if our parents are French)

- Marriage (if you marry a French citizen)

- An official decision of the French Ministry of Justice that decides to give the nationality to a foreigner.

Being a French citizen means you have rights and obligations (since the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen), and foreigners also have rights, such as going to the hospital for free for example.

France is a multicultural country because there is a big cultural diversity: France used to have many colonies (in North and Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Santo Domingo, Mauritius, etc.) whose inhabitants came to France to help rebuild the country after World War 2. Many of them stayed in France even after their country of origin became independent, so that France has a lot of citizens from these previous colonies. Some were given the French nationality at the time (in the 1960-70s) if they asked for it.

A few countries are still part of France, such as Martinique and Guadeloupe (in the West Indies), the Reunion Island (in the Indian Ocean), Guyana (in Latin America), New Caledonia (in the Pacific Ocean), among others, and of course they vote to elect the French President, they have the same national school curriculum, and their inhabitants can settle in Metropolitan France without a visa since they have the French nationality.

Today there are many different languages, religions, lifestyles and traditions all over France, especially in big cities like Paris, Lyon, Marseille or Montpellier.

“Francophonie” = there are several French-speaking countries in the world; among others are Quebec (in Canada), Belgium and Switzerland (in Europe), the Ivory Coast (in Africa), and even a few places in the USA like Louisiana, Missouri and New England; this is called the linguistic diversity.

Being European : it is living in one of the 27 countries of the European Union (the European nationality doesn't exist).

Why defend cultural diversity ? Civilizations are « mortal »… A language, a culture, a civilization that disappears causes the disappearance of all the values associated to it forever. Cultures are the world’s heritage; we must protect them in the same way we do for the environment or architecture.

Days for cultural diversity are organized in France (this year, it will be in Alsace on 6 December 2012) and in a lot of other countries.

Our personal opinion :

·         « I consider that I am French because I have the French nationality and I live in a country which accepts foreign cultures ».

·         « I agree because my origins are not just French and I'm still considered as French ».

·         « Me too, I have the French nationality and I think that we are lucky to live in a multicultural country ».