So here I am in the middle of a conference. The prominent theme is Interculturalism. There are experts from all around the world who have come to participate in the sessions. What sews them together is the curiosity to know about the Other's culture and eventually to present theirs.The other link can be the French language too because it is in this language that the sessions are being presented. 

When one comes across the term French, he abounds himself with the images of Eiffel tower, french wines, croissants and crepes. In other words, someone who is ignorant enough allies himself to France the moment he hears french. 

However, the language has no more remained a sole property of the land of its origin. Ever since the French set upon the task of colonising other countries, they propagated their culture and language to these newly discovered lands. While they retreated to their nation during decolonisation, some of them stayed back and they left however an indelible trace, their language. From then on, many countries of the world lay claims to the language. 

French, eventually in all the francophone countries evolved and got mixed up with the local cultures and their native languages. French in Quebec in Canada, in Belgium, in Algeria and even I can proudly say in India ( though a minuscule percentage) has its own colours added to the original langauge. One thus finds out that one cannot ignore this phenomenon of inter/ pluri or multi culturalism which manifests also in the language that we speak. 

I happen to stumble on pleasant things all the time. Today on a poem written in french which very beautifully summarizes the idea of fraternity and says that even if we belong to different countries, we have different colours, races, but above all we are human beings, that's what makes us one. Here it goes

J'ai frappé à ta porte

J'ai frappé à ton coeur 

Pour avoir un bon lit

Pour avoir un bon feu

Pourquoi me repousser?

Ouvre moi, mon frère.

Pourquoi me demander

Si je suis d'Afrique

Si je suis d'Amérique

Si je suis d'Asie

Si je suis d'Europe?

Ouvre moi, mon frère.

Pourquoi me demander

La longeueur de mon nez

L'épaisseur de mes lèvres

La couleur de ma peau

Et le nom de mes Dieux?

Ouvre moi, mon frère.

Je ne suis pas un Noir

Je ne suis pas un Rouge

Je ne suis pas un Jaune

Je ne suis pas un Blanc

Mais je ne suis qu'un homme

Ouvre moi, mon frère.

Ouvre moi ta porte

Ouvre moi ton coeur

Car je suis un homme

L'homme de tous les temps

L'homme de tous les cieux

L'homme qui te ressemble.

                             René PHILOMBE