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11/1/2006 - The Republic by Kay Dilday

ICWA KAD FRANCE Kay Dilday Institute Fellow studying relationships French North African immigrants France North Africa letters Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided termfellowships enable outstandingyoung professionals outsidethe United States write about international areas issues An operating foundation endowedby Charles R Crane theInstitute supported contri butions minded individuals foundations TRUSTEES Bryn Barnard Joseph Battat Carole Beaulieu Mary Lynne Bird Steven Butler Peter Geithner Gary Hartshorn Pramila Jayapal Cheng Li Dasa Obereigner David Z Robinson Carol Rose John Spencer Edmund Sutton HONORARY TRUSTEES David Elliot David Hapgood Pat M Holt Edwin S Munger Richard H Nolte Albert Ravenholt Phillips Talbot The Republic By K A Dilday November PARIS France legendary tradition debate philosophical scussion bloom during rentr entry early season every returned summer vacation academic cultural begins I advantage myriad offerings understand concept republic French lawmakers philosophers ordinary citizens believe strongly defend fiercely France years fifth republic The characteristics republic constantly referred sociopolitical discourse casual governmen Phrases republican ideal republican values classic French politician speech Vive Republique ubiquitous Note Long France Long Republic The republic inseparable concept France Political philosophy prominent France public forum contrast republic democracy topic But examines basic definition politic systems seems neither excludes other Ademocracy state majority republic state without While definitions republic stipulate state directly elect people France since Yet French speak republican ideals casually established concepts But searching several political dictionaries I found little agreement republic apart democracy Faced loose concept political system fierce belief built republican identity French political theorists devoted miles words creating their definition repub defining France La Republique France France La Republique refer republican ideals lower misleading The Republican values French constantly refer entirely French creation grafted thinnest technical definitions Thus writing about French public refer republican ideals appropriate capital R since unique derived subjective decisions rather standardized Most people France agree Republic characterized represen tative government elected nation equals pursue public accord established principles Although liberal democracies among United States French consider countries U S Britain ruined chronic inequality prevalence furcated identities causing schizophrenic civic responsibility In public French period But Arab American Caribbean Brit would likely counter hyphenated identity pursuit elusive ideal equal among countrymen This difference perspective apparent several conferences I attend during rentr among Anniversary Conference Black Writers Artists The conference joint project Pr sence Africaine publishing house France W E B Du Bois Center Harvard University UNESCO African Franco African American academics interested public three UNESCO Paris based scientific cultural educational United Nations At point Howard Dodson director Schomburg Center Research Black Culture branch New York Public Library rousing presenta closing And I yourself every What I black people today It measure I absorbed French statement style speech regularly booms pulpits black churches social forums United States jarring Oh I thought looked around nervously His comment classic example communi tarianism France In French political discourse commu nautarisme almost always It antithetical beliefs heart Republic French citizens couraged press issues through discourse engages entire populace They discouraged creating associations based shared beliefs identities having traits religion ethnic national heritage Any allegiance other intellectual discouraged In philosopher Regis Debray wrote cited essay Are ocrat republican He differ between among nerve centers republic school while nerve centers mocracy temple drugstore cathedral stock market He wrote republic doesn black mayors yellow senators Jewish ministers atheist headmas It democracy black governors white mayors Mormon senators Well conference history migration colonial question Na tional Library Paris about white presenters handful people color I attended immigration conference sponsored national museum history immigration after Black Writers Artists Panel Af break following opening presentations I chatting Jean Emmanuel Kamtchueng French academic Cameroonian heritage representing Africa House organization Toulouse He present discussions What think I asked I think there Africans Perhaps I because planning focus Saharan Afri He right Of names listed presenting I I could identify Saharan African origin I spoke Mr Kamtchueng final there surprises I asked another woman Chinese ancestry whose family southern France Madagascar thought events She thing Not diverse They these comments quietly To things France draws accusa communautarisme There black white Muslim Christian academics Republic At conference panelists invited visit national museum immigration Cit nationale histoire immigration former southeast France I allowed along Jacques Toubon member center right party France resentatives European Parliament actively involved development museum He explaining because structure building foyer museum second floor But grand rooms first floor first rooms visitors These rooms which insubstantial replicas colonial administrator When Mr Toubon I initially lieved I misunderstood because reality shocking In United States would punch It having museum black American history United States making first replica slave owner house It museum colonialism migration But lately there France revisit prevailing colonialism acknowledge The poster positive contributions Cecil Rhodes anniversary insistence colonialism philanthropy conference Black percent Last passed Writers Artists requiring French history books present Picasso positive colonialism The first conference supposedly slipped noticed another It lasted approximately before Internet petition compelled President Chirac national constitutional council overturn which January This theme about representation visibility minorities France constant newsletters because constant French culture In dividual instances dismissed coincidence happenstance recurrence indicates French concept Republic The traditional belief Republic society equals correcting meritocracy Like Plato Guardians Republic those power trusted provide greater But while France preserve these Republican principles politically socially democracy where majority holds positions power allies another hires another votes another office The Republic defenders KAD loathe acknowledge reality The Republic begun point syndrome calling pervasive communitarianism turning staunch Republican favorite insult around During riots Jack Lang former minis culture socialist government accused right white communitarianism privilege class against During crisis Tariq Ramadan controversial Swiss Muslim scholar lectures frequently France Agence France Press We obsessed religious communi tarianism socio economic commu nitarianism gangrene France ghettoized banlieues residential spaces wealthi another middle class France fears becoming Britain French politicians often U K example worst communitarianism society where members ethnic groups associate another But realit parts France already While communitarian neighborhoods small cities Britain those along ethnic racial lines often include people different socio economic France immigrants Africa cramped conditions neigh borhoods I northern Paris minutes metro I emerge Africa As Fort Aubervillers banlieue Aubervilliers lange people dressed continent native speaking their native tongue greets I first visited Aubervilliers I walked through Af theater inside I turned central Paris Everyone seemed arrondissements heart I Parisian where I lived Paris pleas neighborhood looked moment Why One people I meeting mentioned gotten asked different people where None heard despite middle their community This prime example Ramadan Lang characterize INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS existing ignored French communitarianism But opinion split merits communitari anisme immigrant community I specifically looked differences opinion among Saharan North Africans Perhaps interesting example illustrated prominent comedians Rachida Khalil Morocco Dieudonne white Frenchwoman Cameroonian immigrant While their ethnic groups treated France Dieudonn embraces communitarian while Ms Khalil actively against Although speak about woman I attended invitation friend website lists things doesn right after George Bush Osama Laden Dieudonne wildly popular comedian whose comedy recently reputedly taken disturbing Semitic actually launched president based communitarian ideas He pulled after failing receive enough signatures I suspect North Africans favor communitarianism because various groups divided questions ethnicity arise If France communitarian society North Africans Sa haran Africans people Antilles would likely lumped together But I mentioned KAD North African community France longer history large numbers France developed called beurgoisie combination describe Maghrebians France bourgeoisie North Africans Arab Berber Kabyl adamantly cling their difference But American these distinctions I recently memoir family rience Abd Samad Moussaoui brother Zacarias Mouss called hijacker The Moussaouis French family Moroccan heritage Two siblings Morocco Abd Samad Zacarias after family moved France I Za carias Moussaoui television times always considered black In America automati cally thought But memoir brother recounts their childhood school Mul house Alsace section France called dirty niggers aboriginal French students They distinction between Arabs Blacks simply Not White He later repeats being called insult again disturbing because weren One could terpret rejection negativity insult plies becomes obvious means weren black Arab Throughout which written Frenc journalist Abd Samad Moussaoui teacher Montpelier bizarrely vacillates between accepting assessment black firming brother difference In United States would confused The Moussaouis would black would treated welcomed black people concordant benefits drawbacks particularities This better worse simply different In black French I living United States because people always reminding black Yes I black remind In United States particularly minorities identity often matter expedi directly related practical concerns Therefore equally important yourself which scientific evidence refut existence doesn impact United States Most people interes little This reflected antitheti French concept internally derived In French culture vidual through intellectual reason takes identity This thinking prioritizes philosophical practical creation reflected identities It essential difference between communitarian Republican ideals On crisp Saturday Senat building houses France legislative bodies Employment Housing Minister Jean Louis Borloo hosted conference Living Together Better The centerpiece awarding prizes Talent Cites program recognizes banlieuesards usuallypoorer people color creation enterprise profit organization The closing debate titled The republic tested regard other The subject bedevils France ardent Republicans matter employment living conditions education immigrants particularly those North Africa Saharan Af living conditions worse other French people They others their country The title session represented departure traditional wisdom technically there others among citizens Republic Senators indirectly elected unlike members other parliamentary house National Assembly directly elected speak agreed there problem inequality country reached little consensus address One member socialist party conceded perhaps positive discrimination basis ethnicity might theoretically sible within bounds Republic basis religion Mr Borloo shook spoke It curious twist centre right party seems willing adapt Republic soften stance separat religion To Muslims Jews second third largest religious affiliations France after Ca tholicism insistence secularism particularly hypocritical Christian obviously permeates public Of national jours fetes celebration rather France rived Christian religion Assumption Day Easter Monday Christmas And French refuses alter mandating nesses close Sundays worship Christians So Republic allows majority religion penetrate public frowns other practices social communitarianism benefiting jority demonizes politics among minorities It sounds majority characterizes democracy But I stated earlier thing defines republican quality France other monarch reams paper countless words untry politicians philosophers spent La rentree fascinating showing Paris light myriad intellectual cultural offerings With current socio political situa spent esoteric debate avowed egalitarians feels surreal Cocooned Parisian halls trading lofty words mandarins comprehend bleak outer suburbs there going Institute Fellows chosen basis character previous experience promise They young professionals funded spend minimum years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows required report their findings experiences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis assessment international events issues ICWA Letters ISSN blished Institute Current World Affairs Inc exempt operating dation incorporated New York State offices located West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 Phone Fax E Mail valley Web address Executive Director Steven Butler Program Assistant Publications Manager Ellen Kozak Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foundation The Information contained publication reprinted republished without express written consent Institute Current World Affairs