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Viewing cable 06PARIS7623, IVLP ALUMNI BREAKFAST DISCUSSES DIVERSITY IN FRANCE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06PARIS7623 2006-12-01 11:04 2011-08-24 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Paris
null
Lucia A Keegan  12/01/2006 05:52:49 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Lucia A Keegan

Cable 
Text:                                                                      
                                                                           
      
UNCLAS        PARIS 07623

SIPDIS
cxparis:
    ACTION: PAO
    INFO:   CONS AMB ARS DCM POL

DISSEMINATION: PAOX
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: PA:BULLOCK
DRAFTED: PA:RPECCOUD
CLEARED: PA:CBARROSSE; PA:HMARGIOU

VZCZCFRI484
RR RUEHC RUEHMRE RUEHSR
DE RUEHFR #7623/01 3351104
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011104Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3493
INFO RUEHMRE/AMCONSUL MARSEILLE 1455
RUEHSR/AMCONSUL STRASBOURG 0257
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 007623 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/PPD, EUR/WEA, ECA, and ECA/P 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC PGOV KPAO FR
 
SUBJECT: IVLP ALUMNI BREAKFAST DISCUSSES DIVERSITY IN FRANCE 
 
REF: NONE 
 
1. SUMMARY: The Ambassador recently hosted a breakfast discussion 
for IVLP returnees, the eighth in a series that has now become an 
established routine here.  This latest event brought together eight 
recent IVLP and VolVis alumni - including government officials, 
researchers, entrepreneurs, and NGO representatives - for a 
discussion of "Diversity and Pluralism in the U.S." and how it 
compares to the integration experience in France.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  On October 31, Ambassador Stapleton hosted the seventh in a 
series of alumni breakfast discussions that have now become routine 
at this post.  This breakfast brought together eight IVLP/VolVis 
alumni, who are government officials, researchers, entrepreneurs, 
and NGO representatives in France, to discuss their exchange 
experiences, in general, and to compare, more specifically, U.S. and 
French perspectives on diversity and tolerance as they relate to 
their particular fields.  A major theme of the discussion was the 
difficulty that even well educated French minorities have in access 
to employment and political power as well as the challenges first 
and second generation immigrant youth face in their integration into 
mainstream society. 
 
 
 
3.  The participants were: 
 
- Christophe (Adji) AHOUDIAN, Ali BAKRI and Sidibe BALLA, members of 
a youth association, VolVis 2006 
 
- Carole DA SILVA, director of an NGO to assist youth for jobs, IVLP 
2006 
 
- Manuel MARTINEZ, local elected official and HR director, IVLP 
2006 
 
- Sophie NERBONNE, from CNIL (French Data Protection Authority), 
IVLP 2003 
 
- Aziz SENNI, entrepreneur and author, IVLP 2006 
 
- Mouna VIPREY, researcher, author, IVLP 2004 
 
4.  Welcoming the guests along with the Ambassador and participating 
in the discussion were the DCM, POL Min-Counselor, ECON 
Min-Counselor, PA Min-Counselor and ACAO Exchanges Officer. 
 
5.  All of the guests had an opportunity to speak, and each 
explained how important his or her trip to the U.S. was for 
understanding how Americans address the issues of diversity and 
integration.  This led to a discussion of the continuing debates in 
France over who is a minority; how/whether they should be 
identified; and whether affirmative action is an appropriate remedy 
to address problems of discrimination. 
 
6.  With French presidential elections only months away, the 
suburban riots of 2005 still a recent memory, and the underlying 
causes of those riots still present, integration remains a 
controversial topic in France.  The breakfast discussion became 
somewhat heated when the issue of monitoring the success (or lack 
thereof) of minorities within French corporations was raised. Some 
stressed privacy issues, concerned that any identification of 
minority status could be used for discriminatory purposes and/or 
place too heavy a burden on businesses. Others expressed concern 
that "privacy protection" might be used to avoid addressing racial 
problems.  The latter cited the so-called "French model of 
integration" as only serving to preserve the (unequal) status quo. 
 
7.  The representative of the French Data Protection Authority 
(CNIL), an independent institution that makes recommendations to the 
French government on these issues, asked the other IVLP alums 
present to participate in a series of hearings CNIL will soon hold 
on diversity and integration. She expressed hope that they would be 
able to make useful suggestions and recommendations based on the new 
perspectives gained from their IVLP experiences in the U.S. 
 
8.  The breakfast concluded with a lively exchange of business cards 
and contact information.  One attendee, just back from her IVLP 
trip, said the visit was energizing: "far from calming me down, it 
gave me even more energy and reasons to fight for diversity and 
integration in France, reaffirming my conviction that there are 
models that can work for us in France." 
 
9.  Lessons learned: The experience of these breakfast encounters 
reaffirms for us the continuing relevance of the IVLP and VolVis 
exchange programs to Mission efforts to influence public debate in 
France.  On the subject of diversity, the exchange experience in the 
U.S. gave these individuals new tools with which to participate in 
and advance the democratic process here.  Post will continue follow 
up with these USG exchange alumni and continue to involve them in 
our public diplomacy program activities. 
 
STAPLETON