Organization International de la Francophonie

Organization International de la Francophonie (OIF), the "International Organization of Francophonie" in English, is a world-wide group of countries who have a French speaking population and/or French as an official language. It was created in 1970 with the enactment of the Treaty of Niamy, which created the country of Niger. There are 56 members states and governments, and 19 observers. In this community of 75 states and governments, there are 890 million people-- that's 13% of the world's population! However, not all members of the organization are French-speakers themselves. There are an estimated 220 million French-speakers world-wide, 60% of whom are under age 30. This estimated francophone population makes French the 9th most widely spoken language in the world, the 3rd most widely used language on the internet, the 2nd most widely spoken language in the European Union, as well as the 2nd most common mother tongue in the EU.

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Two areas in which the OIF has interest are the arts and youth. In the arts, the OIF helps with promoting artists and their works, overseeing the circulation of artists for various events, and the management and administration of projects in areas such as cultural events, festivals, tournaments, etc.

Below is the contact information for the Director of French Language and Cultural and Linguistic Diversity:

Organisation internationale de la Francophonie  Direction de la langue française et de la diversité culturelle et linguistique  Directeur : M. Frédéric Bouilleux  (33) 1 44 37 71 77  Spécialiste de programme : Mme Huguette Malamba  (33) 1 44 37 32 47 | huguette.malamba@francophonie.org

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The OIF is also committed to the young French-speaking population. Their focus and drive is for regrouping and initiatives for the francophone youth. To do this, the OIF looks at specialized areas in information technology, sustainable development, and democracy. Putting this mission to action, an international volunteer program was created in 2006 through the OIF. This program provides the opportunity for 21-34 year olds to spend a year to put their service ability toward a project and to live in a foreign francophone country that will integrate will into their professional aspirations. From 2007 to 2013, this program had sent over 190 youth to positions world-wide.

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As witnessed through their programs for the arts and the young population, the OIF prides itself in being a partner with civil society. In this, there are three focuses: cultural diversity, democratice governing, and education. Their goal remains to provide all to profit from an expertise and experience that exemplifies a high-quality standard in all realms of civil life.

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Comments by the blogger: The OIF is a beautiful example of the community and dialogue between francophone countries worldwide, a camaraderie that is lacking among anglophone nations. Vive les francophones!