Bastille Day fêtes unite the French

Jul 13, 2013

:On May 21, 1880, under the Third Republic, Benjamin Raspail, a famous member of the French parliament put forward a billthat, “The Republic should adopt July 14 as an annual national holiday” in memory of the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789.

Sunday July 14 is French Bastille Day. Laurent Favier, Chargé d’A_ aires, Embassy of France, Kampala told Joyce Nyakato the importance of the day to the French people and France relations with Uganda
Q:What is the importance of the Bastille Day?
A:On May 21, 1880, under the Third Republic, Benjamin Raspail, a famous member of the French parliament put forward a bill that, “The Republic should adopt July 14 as an annual national holiday” in memory of the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. The primary role of this national holiday, which established allegiance to the Marianne as a personification of the Republic, was to ensure national unity and loyalty of the French to their country.

It was also meant to re-establish France’s military power by calling on the collective memory. Indeed, Bastille Day, a national holiday combined with a festival of sheer pleasure, has been an expression of the commemoration of collective memories and shared hopes. Legendary and transcendent historical events are celebrated in the pure joy of a summer’s evening, where the brilliance of the fi reworks gives citizens the opportunity to unite around the motto of the French republic: “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.”

For the French, celebrating Bastille Day is an occasion to meet one another. It reminds them of their history. But more than that, it is also the time when the French express pride over the formation of a nation where everyone has his/her place whatever the differences of opinions, religions or race.
The day is celebrated in Uganda every year. Anything new we should expect this year?
This year, there will be a reception to celebrate our National Day .

France is known for its good wine.  What are the other things that set France apart from the rest of the world?
One can define France as an attractive destination. Most people appreciate the quality of life in France, a country renowned for its culinary tradition, diverse landscapes, fascination with culture and century-old history. France is the number one country in Europe for foreign direct investment industry. On average, 13 foreign firms set up a business in France every week.


France is considered as a country of love, with French being a romantic language.
How did this come about?
Romanticism was a European artistic movement which had developed in France at the beginning of the 19th Century. It was a literary and cultural movement that included all forms of art. This movement opposed the tradition of the classics and rationalism from the enlightenment and aimed at liberating imagination and language. Romanticism prevailed over the expression of themes linked to nature and love.


How many Ugandans travel to France in a given year and what is the main reason for travel?
In 2012, 1,200 Ugandans visited France. The majority of them travelled to France for business, but 30% of them went for tourism.


What is the number of French in Uganda?
I will only mention here two relevant figures. In July, 2010, there were 270 French residents. Three years later, our community counts 420 French residents in Uganda. The arrival of Total Exploration and Production in 2010 triggered this flow of incoming French people – contractors included, which was followed by the settlement of French companies or subsidiaries from other sectors.


The francophonie (French speaking) days are exciting. Where do you think this inspiration is drawn from?
People are increasingly learning that speaking French represents a dual asset. On the international scene, it is a major diplomatic, economic and political language, used as a mother tongue on five continents and is compulsory in many  international organisations.

It has also come to stand as a conveyor of humanitarian and cultural values. On the local scene and throughout Africa, it is a lingua franca that brings people together and allows communication between different nations and ethnic groups. In Uganda, there is eagerness for French, notably due to the country’s geographical and political stability in the region and its numerous and active francophone residents.


From the work of Alliance Francaise in Uganda, it is clear that the French appreciate arts. How can Uganda borrow a leaf from such an initiative?
There may be a need to embrace artistic culture, not as an impediment to development or a simple reminiscence of the past, but as a pillar for creativity. On the other hand, Uganda’s urban art is rich, but still suffers from a negative image. Art may hold different forms, yet it plays a crucial role in a civil society’s expression, whether traditional or modern.


The French government has taken an interest in developing Uganda’s oil industry. What’s your say on the progress?
As many other partners, France is committed to helping Uganda make the most out of its oil reserves. The French company, Total, has, for instance demonstrated its willingness to support initiatives aimed at protecting the environment. These initiatives also foster local development of capacities and expertise. It is in that framework that three Ugandan civil servants were awarded a scholarship under the joint programme run by Total and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We are pleased with the outcome of the first year: all students, sent to top French schools, performed well. They are now in their holidays, waiting to go back to France for the last year of their studies. We are also delighted to announce that they will be joined by three new colleagues, who will start their respective masters in France in September.


How many French-owned companies are operating in Uganda?
There are about 28 to 30 French companies currently operating in Uganda. Few of them do it from Paris or Nairobi, but the majority chose to settle in Kampala. These companies cover a wide spectrum of goods and services and an extended geographical field. They create jobs, pay taxes and provide capacity-building to bring their local staff up to international standards. Their presence is an opportunity for Uganda.

Part of the Bastille Day celebrations in France

 

 

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By Joyce Nyakato
Uganda benefits from French training


French o cials at one of the child conferences


There is a strong commitment of the French Institute of Research for Development (IRD) to expand and strengthen co-operation and knowledge sharing between French and Ugandan researchers. This commitment manifests itself in the organisation of an annual regional conference, since 2011, in partnership with Makerere University. Last year, the conference brought more than 150 participants together to discuss the issue of child vulnerability in East Africa.

This year’s conference will take place in Gulu in November and will focus on the topic of post-conflict governance. Following a request from the Ministry of Health, three experts from the Paris Metropolitan University Medical Centre (UMC) came to Uganda in March 2013 to assess the mechanisms. These include pre-hospital and hospital care - to manage road traffic accident cases along the Nairobi-Kampala corridor.

UMC has a well-known experience in emergency medicine and can mobilise a wide range of expertise through its extended network. This fact-finding mission was supported by the French Embassy and Total. In 1987, doctors from Médecins sans Frontières (MSFDoctors without Borders) started the Epicentre, a nonprofit t association. In close connection with the Mbarara University of Sciences and Technology (MUST) and Mbarara Regional Hospital, it has been conducting research on malaria, TB and central nervous system infections for the last 10 years.

In the long-term as a prospect of pushing for an entomology discipline at MUST, the Embassy has awarded a scholarship to the entomologist of Epicentre at the Pasteur Institute of Madagascar. This year, the Embassy of France renewed its smallgrants programme – the Social Development Fund. It is aimed at stimulating local development initiatives, strengthening civil society and contributing to poverty alleviation.

Since its inception in 2001, the fund has awarded nearly 2m Euros to 78 grant recipients. New projects with a focus on environment and gender issues will be selected in September.

Through its cultural affairs department and the Alliance Française, Kampala, the French government has been facilitating the training of 20 police officers, in the French language. This training programme targets officers in charge of taking calls at the National Call Centre for Emergency (NCCE) as well as others who hold different positions within the force.

The programme was born out of the need to address the language barrier at the NCCE, following a request from the centre. The centre often faced with communication challenges while answering callers who may speak only French, especially those from the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi.

Military co-operation between the UPDF and the French army has continued to grow this year. Two joint training sessions were organised during six weeks for more than 5,000 UPDF soldiers. A total of more than 18,000 soldiers have been trained since 2006, in collaboration with the French forces from Djibouti, before their departure to Somalia under the AMISOM.

The programme is designed according to UPDF requirements and based on their own experience in Somalia. In addition to these sessions, training courses in France or in African schools run with the support of the French co-operation, at all ranks and in diverse branches are proposed to UPDF.

At last, the French language is taught by a French teacher at Jinja Junior Staff College. French facilitates UPDF in its involvement in operations that may require knowledge of French, like AMISOM, where they are working with colleagues from Burundi and Djibouti. The French army was also one of the main contributors of troops during three years for the European Union Training Mission (EUTM), which trains the Somali security forces in Bihanga.

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