FRENCH CULTURE IN TODAY’S WORLD

*Franca Colozzo

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During the two Zoom sessions on February 22 and 23, 2025 for the French-speaking area ?? ?led by Prof. George Onsy (Cairo, Egypt), as founder and President of the cultural association RRM3, RINASCIMENTO RENAISSANCE MILLENNIUM III, in harmony with the NGO GPLT - Global Peace Let’s Talk (UK) ?? ?important topics related to French culture and its connections with today’s world were discussed.

As CEO/Executive Director of the International Movement RRM3, the undersigned Dr. Arch. Franca Colozzo, after the welcome address, introduced the meeting, broadly illustrating the Francophone Forum of the ETERNORAMA Academy, with over 13 languages on Facebook, created by the brilliant mind of Prof. George Onsy (Cairo, EGYPT).

The ETERNORAMA Academy was born in collaboration with the cultural magazine "Millennium Renaissance - The Awated Mindshift", which has reached the threshold of its third publication, online and in print, and which has already achieved enormous public success, debuting in the thirteen ETERNORAMA language groups present on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=122216790638037134&id=61551114037674&rdid=hXcojiP0KaoxVCio#

In short, RINASCIMENTO RENAISSANCE - Millennium III works above all for the future of Europe, also concerned with its rapid demographic transformation, which will radically change its identity, and with the management of present and future conflicts born from the inevitable gap between the secularity of European governments and the different levels of understanding and practice of religions.

I'd like to share with you my presentation at RRM3-ETERNORAMA ACADEMY's International Zoom on "THE FRENCH CULTURE & TODAY'S WORLD" to which only the French-speaking came headed by the Italians after we had invited hundreds of French individuals and groups who publish about their culture. How we wished to see the French people talking about their own culture!

?CEO of RRM3 then passed the word to the President Prof. George Onsy:

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“Dear French friends, Francophones, and all those who appreciate French culture that has given a lot to our world. Yes our very dear France ... we will never forget THE SPIRIT OF THE LAWS of Montes; impressionism and surrealism nor Descartes, nor Molière, nor Chateaubrian, nor Joan of Arc; the century of Enlightenment and others who have made remarkable steps on the long path of human history. But above all; your sublime motto: LIBERTY FRATERNITY EQUALITY while realizing that freedom does not exclude respect. It is also the freedom not to follow the great powers that dominate our world today. Fraternity is not possible without Equality. Yes, it is a Fraternity that welcomes everyone for a balanced exchange of cultures while always keeping the identity of the homeland whose national anthem resounds eternally in our ears, at a time when demographic change could be tragic in the future for countries that ignore or at least forget their roots.

Dear friends ...

I have just mentioned: INDEPENDENCE ... THE HOMELAND or THE COUNTRY ... THE ROOTS ... and ... THE FUTURE, let us now see how The faithful son of France, Victor Hugo will speak about it in his own words during a short dialogue with me, similar to those I had done with several heroes of European and world culture in my writings and my book DIALOGUES ACROSS THE CENTURIES or DIALOGUES ACROSS THE CENTURIES:

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A DIALOGUE WITH VICTOR HUGO

G. Onsy- Dear Victor, I would like to know how you see the glory of France during your time.

V. HUGO- We will have these great United States of Europe, which will crown the old world as the United States of America crowns the new.

G- But to get there we must have the freedom to choose independence from the empire of our world today.

V- We are a people proud of its motto: FREEDOM.

G- Let me then complete your quote that you once said: “Whoever has freedom must also have the will”.

V- Yes, let us save freedom, freedom saves the rest.

G- But do you believe that with this legendary freedom France will truly be the leader of Europe?

V- Europe cannot be at peace as long as France is not happy. I always say:

Saving Paris is more than saving France, it is saving the world. What Paris advises, Europe meditates; what Paris begins, Europe continues.

G- You speak very well of Paris

V- Yes; Breathing Paris preserves the soul.

G- So, speaking like that of Paris, you remind all French people of their roots.

V- Yes, I always repeat:

Change your opinions, keep your principles; change your leaves, keep your roots intact.

G- Roots, the rich heritage of the past?

V- Yes, I believe in unity, persistence, logic, the adhesion of yesterday with tomorrow. what I was yesterday, I will be tomorrow. Man today sows the cause, Tomorrow God ripens the effect.

G- Oh, you speak of God, but will those who are proud of freedom of thought agree with you when it comes to the future?

V- The future belongs to no one! The future belongs to God! Every time the hour strikes, Everything here below bids us farewell.

G- However, many who go so far as to mock everything do not believe in the existence of God.

V- God is behind everything, but everything hides God. God is the invisible obvious.

G- Dear Victor Hugo; you are preaching to us, aren't you?

V- No; but I simply say that by God, - let us fix the meaning of this word again, - we mean the living infinite.

G- It is Hugo the poet who speaks then.

V- Aren't you a poet, poetry is the star that leads kings and shepherds to God.

G- Perhaps we need to find this star, but where?

When we seek God, love says: this way!

G- Really?

V- Yes, yes… God is the boundless and endless day that says: I love.

G- To love… to love oneself, to love others, to love one’s homeland, to love life.

V- Certainly, to love is to savor, in the arms of a loved one, The amount of heaven that God put in the flesh.

GeorgeOnsy-Egypt

Founder-President RRM”

?The beautiful dialogue with Victor Hugo concludes his discussion by transporting us into a metaphysical atmosphere in which he questions, through dialogue with the writer, the future of France. A wonderful journey back in time as in

?https://www.amazon.com/DIALOGUES-ACROSS-CENTURIES-Messaging-Whisper/dp/B0BVFCQ87M?

·???????? Cinzia Rota (Italy), writer, poet, graphic designer and media expert, as a professional mediator and commentator in French language introduced in a very professional way the two Zoom meeting sessions, summarized below:

“I spent 10 years of my life in France working in the development of artistic, cultural and territorial heritage through the first web platforms of the French National Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. I like to think that global communication can help human relationships. Art and Culture are a powerful medium that, combined with an empathetic approach, becomes an essential resource for the survival of the soul and an important symbol of peace and connection between people.”

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·???????? Cao Shui (China), poet and Festival organizer – “Paris is in decline: the glory and challenges of French culture” - Excerpt: "When I look back at the development of human thought, many of its origins can be traced there, but we also see that today's France is slowly sinking. The United States, China, Russia and India have become important centers of influence. The Chinese always hope that the Chinese Renaissance will influence the world, as the Great Poetry Movement that I initiated did."

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·???????? Gordana Saric (Montenegro), poet, writer, artist – She illustrated in great detail ?? ?during the two Zoom sessions, enchanting the participants with her poems in French and her songs ?? the richness of the French language from a cultural and pacifist perspective and as a former French teacher. For her, cultural integration is affirmed in the name of peace and tolerance between peoples. She concluded her speech by reciting some poems and singing in French.

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·???????? Orlando Simiele (France) – As a poet and writer, an Ambassador of Peace through his published books, poems and writings, he lives and works in the French municipality of Haute-Savoie, near Geneva. According to him, the feelings of humanity, peace and unity should march together and the acme is represented by this important meeting. Will and freedom go hand in hand, France and its capital Paris must therefore represent the so-called peace for all those who seek a priority at European level.

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·???????? Isabella Sordi (Italy), poet and writer - Her speech is mainly based on the need to arouse the ability to be moved and to feel through art. She mentions, in this regard, French culture. This ability is lacking in today's world and must be transmitted in particular to young people, the men of tomorrow, to spread the concept of Human Rights and the primary good of humanity which is Peace. At the end of her speech, Isabella reads a poem on the topic. At the end of her speech, she recites a poem in French.

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·???????? Abu Zubier (France): “The contribution of French culture in today’s world” – “French culture has always been a guide for art, philosophy and social change. Even today, in a world facing crisis and transformation, the influence of France is omnipresent. Take literature for example. Victor Hugo, one of the greatest French writers, did not just write stories: he spoke on behalf of humanity. His novel “Les Misérables” is more than a book, it is a powerful voice for justice, compassion and the struggles of ordinary people. His words continue to inspire movements for human rights and equality around the world. In philosophy, thinkers such as Voltaire, Rousseau and Sartre have shaped ideas of democracy, freedom and existentialism, ideas that still influence the way we see society and ourselves today. The same is true in the fields of art, cinema, cuisine, debates on climate change, the ethics of artificial intelligence and human rights. The country played a key role in the Paris Agreement on the fight against climate change and continues to promote ethical debates on artificial intelligence and French cinema continue to push the boundaries of creativity.”

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·???????? Saint Gabriel /France) – In short, after a deep sociological and political reflection, the university professor outlines the dichotomies of the current French political system and the recurring inability to dialogue with immigrant populations. He then focuses on the purely linguistic aspect, that is, a story that meets a language. The principle of writing is, in his opinion, to make a language a practice of language.

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·???????? Ada Rizzo (Italy/Kenya), writer and poet, founder of an NGO in Kenya. Through her literary activity of prose, poetry and cultural promotion volunteering in Africa she supports peace, human rights, and especially women victims of violence. In her speech she highlighted the evolution of literature and the current synergies between France and Italy.

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·???????? Letizia Caiazzo (Italy), from the height of her eclectic experience as an artist, poet and writer, underlined how French culture is not disappearing, but how it has adapted and transformed, gaining new influence through soft power and maintaining its relevance in the contemporary world.

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·???????? Mirela Leka-Xhava (France), author of five books in Albanian and French, with a literary background also as a former librarian, made a quick overview of the current situation of French culture, mentioning, in particular, poets and philosophers of the 18th century such as Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu (a name that inspired her collection of poems: “Les Fleurs de la rue Montesquieu”, through the philosophy of the Enlightenment and humanism up to the Renaissance. Furthermore, according to her, at the end of her exhaustive speech, it is appropriate to educate children to peace. In conclusion, the world needs a change and words have the power to change it.

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·???????? Hamid Med Boumlik (Morocco). French culture in Morocco has undergone a slight decline in recent years compared to previous years, when access to French culture, through its institutes and cultural centers, was almost free. French culture and the French language are closely linked to the policy managed by the French Ministry of Culture. French culture should face and resist the change and mutation that the world of today and tomorrow is going through, especially the digital wave and artificial intelligence in particular.

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·???????? Tina Ferreri (Italy) spoke at the end of the meeting with her poetic intervention.

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·???????? Frederique Racibor (France), speaking via Messenger, raised an essential question: the place and perception of French culture in today's world. She expressed concern about a possible erasure or the growing indifference towards a heritage that is nevertheless rich and influential. The appeal of this text is an invitation to reflection: “Does the culture of a people need to be actively defended or does it shape itself, depending on developments and influences?”

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CONCLUSION

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To conclude, the two-session Zoom meeting was an important springboard for further meetings regarding other linguistic areas with personalities and members belonging to other geographical areas. The aim of these forums is to connect different cultures and civilizations in a single large melting pot capable of reflecting a multi-ethnic society capable of operating a fusion between cultures and specific identities of migrants, destined to harmonize with those of the natives. On the sidelines of this global discourse, the aim is to pursue ideals of peace, religious harmony, environmental protection and attention to the waste of resources.

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? Dr. Arch. FRANCA COLOZZO - Member UIA- UNION OF THE INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTS | writer! Poet | Freelance |? author of about 21 books in multilingual languages | Peace Ambassador at GPLT –GLOBAL PEACE LET’S TALK (UK) | CEO of RRM3 – RINASCIMENTO RENAISSANCE – Millennium III, founded and chaired by Prof. George Onsy (Cairo, Egypt).

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