International
Francophonie Day (French: Journée internationale de la Francophonie) is observed within the International Organization of La
Francophonie’s 77 member states every March 20 to celebrate the French
language and Francophone culture. There are over 369 million French
speakers on Earth.
Created in 1988, the
date celebrates the signing of the Niamey Convention in Niger on 20
March 1970. The convention established the Agence de
Coopération Culturelle et Technique, the precursor to the International
Organization of La Francophonie.
Just like the British colonies, the French established French
colonies. This led to the cultural and lingual spread in the regions which they
established the colonies.
According to the Canadian then-minister for La Francophonie Steven
Blaney’s speech in 2013, the International Francophonie Day is to
"celebrate our commitment to not only the French language and the rich and diverse francophone
culture but also the values of peace, democracy and respect for human
rights that unite all members of the International Organization of La
Francophonie".
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