The Centre de la Francophonie des Amériques organized its 7th Forum of Young Ambassadors of the Francophonie of the Americas from August 9 to 15, 2024, in Halifax and Pointe-de-l’Église, in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Out of more than six hundred candidates from all over the Americas, fifty were selected, including five Haitians.
Ritzamarum Zétrenne, Laura Louis, Marc Sony Ricot, Judith Cénot, and Weldy Saint-Fleur are the five young Haitians who participated in this forum. This event took place in the cities of Halifax and Pointe-de-l’Église, in Nova Scotia, Canada, and brought together 50 young people from various backgrounds in the Americas.
This forum offers high-level training on leadership, civic engagement and Francophone identity, leading to the title of Young Ambassador of the Francophonie of the Americas. Between the satisfaction of having participated and the responsibilities associated with this title, the young ambassadors did not hide their pride.
“It is an honor for me to bear this title, especially since I was selected from among nearly 600 young people across the American continent. It is a source of motivation for me to continue to commit myself to the progress of my community,” says Ritzamarum Zétrenne, journalist and host of “Koze Kilti” on RFI.
“It is with immense pride that I take on the role of ambassador of the Francophonie. During the commitment ceremony, I understood that the Francophonie is not limited to a nation or a people, but that it is a living and diverse community,” says Marc Sony Ricot, journalist and literary columnist at Le Nouvelliste.
Weldy Saint-Fleur, a doctoral student in human and climate geography at Université Laval, emphasizes: “For me, being named Young Ambassador of the Francophonie of the Americas is an honour filled with responsibility and pride. This title not only symbolizes recognition of my commitment to promoting the French language and Francophone values, but it also invests me with a mission that goes beyond my person.”
The young ambassadors also say that they are now better equipped to strengthen their community involvement and promote the French-speaking world.
“This moment of sharing not only allowed me to strengthen my ties with other French speakers in the Americas, but it also gave me the tools necessary to become an influential player in the promotion and dissemination of the French language and its cultures throughout the world,” says Judith Cénot, head of ecotourism activities at TODE Consulting, a tourism development agency based in Cap-Haïtien.
“I acquired a huge amount of theoretical and practical knowledge in a very short time. I met young leaders from several countries in the Americas who have the same fears and aspirations as me, with whom I felt comfortable, without fear of speaking French with my Haitian accent. The most important thing is that I returned to my country with new tools allowing me to become more involved in my community,” adds Laura Louis, winner of the 2021 Philippe Chaffanjon Prize.
Haiti cannot renounce its Francophonie
The coexistence of Creole and French in Haiti, particularly in education and administration, often arouses controversy. However, to quote Roody Edmé in an article published by AlterPresse on February 13, 2022, entitled “Haitian Bilingualism: Getting Out of the Gray Zone”, we cannot irresponsibly allow these two languages to coexist in an anarchic and devoid of substance manner, like our ghostly institutions. Hence the need to promote Haitian bilingualism, insist the young ambassadors.
“In Haiti, because of our history, French is often frowned upon. However, I believe that there can be cohabitation between the two languages of the country. Haiti cannot renounce its Francophonie. I think it is a mistake to believe that we are less Haitian if we speak French. We simply have to think carefully about the cohabitation between the two languages. We have two centuries of history and thought in French that we do not have the right to renounce as a people. We can assume our Francophonie without abandoning our Creole,” argues Zétrenne.
“It is imperative that Haiti fully embraces its Francophonie and recognizes French not only as a heritage, but as an essential tool for development and connection to the world. French should not be seen as a barrier or a language imposed by the colonial past, but rather as a gateway to a prosperous and open future,” Saint-Fleur reinforces.
About the Young Ambassadors
Ritzamarum Zétrenne is a seasoned journalist with nearly 15 years of experience. He hosts the show Koze Kilti on RFI and is Cultural Project Manager at the French Institute in Haiti. He co-founded the Port-au-Prince Podcast Festival, the first podcast festival in Haiti, and is a member of the Haitian Podcasters Collective. Holder of a Master 2 in Media Management from the University of Lille in France, he is currently pursuing a Master 2 in Communication and Marketing at the Mohammed Premier University in Morocco.
Laura Louis works in communication and information. In 2019, she won the Young Journalist Award in Haiti from the International Organization of La Francophonie. She is also the winner of the 2021 Philippe Chaffanjon Prize in France. Holder of a Master 2 in journalism from Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 University, she is now a Young Ambassador of the Francophonie of the Americas.
Weldy Saint-Fleur is a university professor, researcher at Agriculture Agri-Food Canada-AAFC, and a doctoral student in geography at Université Laval. His work focuses on environmental preservation, particularly in the Amazon, and the promotion of French languages and cultures. He advocates for a better understanding of the ecological and cultural dimensions in education.
Marc Sony Ricot is a journalist and literary columnist for the daily newspaper Le Nouvelliste. He hosts the podcast “Des fous et des dieux” on Palmes Magazine and is a blogger at RFI’s Mondoblog. Passionate about jazz and literature, he has also worked as a librarian and will soon publish a book on literature with C3 éditions.
Judith Cenot is originally from Cap-Haïtien and has a background in Geography and Land Use Planning. In 2022, she participated in COP15 on biodiversity in Montreal. She is currently developing an eco-tourism project within TODE-CONSULTING, a tourism development agency in Haiti.
