By Roy Lie A Tjam.For the ninth consecutive year, the Residentie Orkest organized the Hofvijverconcert – Festival Classique. The objective of the Festival Classique is to present classical music on a mayor scale in The Hague. The performances were on a floating stage and the program was a mélange of classical music, dance and theatre.
For a photo-album of the Festival Classique, please click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/72157654652627558
On Saturday June 20, 2015, the climax of the four day long programme of music and dance took place on the Hofvijver, adjacent to the Binnenhof Parliament complex. Approximately, 2,700 individuals attended the event, with the show broadcasted live on TV channel NPO 3.
The title for the 2015 edition of the Festival Classique was ‘Sparks, the inspiration being that classical music will hopefully spark an interest and touch the hearts of those yet not familiar with it. The festival was a complete musical and theatrical experience with romantic music performed by the Residentie Orkest, conducted by Joshua Weilerstein
The concert featured a dance from Igor Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’, the Overture-Fantasy from Tchaikovsky’s ‘ Romeo and Juliet’, and ‘Dances from Galanta’ by Zoltan Kadaly, all performed by the renowned international dance company Club Guy & Roni.
Henceforth, the Residentie Orkest has a new home on the beach of Scheveningen. It is said to be the best auditorium in the country.
As Mayor Jozias van Aarten of Den Haag observed, Den Haag is bubbling with activities. Hosting Vlaggetjesdag, Festival Classique, the Volvo Ocean Race, Veteranenegad and the World Volleyball tournament, Parkpop. Den Haag is truly a city bustling with life. Coming soon is the anniversary and celebration of the arrival of Mozart in Den Haag some 200 years ago.
Opening tomorrow 25 June2015 at 19.00 hrs. until 1 July Open every day (see schedule) Address: 1646, Boekhorststraat 125, Den Haag. www.1646.nl1646 is happy to announce An Awkward Game by Anna Moreno. An Awkward Game is a one week performance on the intersection between table tennis and politics.
An Awkward Game consists of a series of public events and an installation on the political origins of the game. From 25 June until 1 July everyday they will present a different event.
The origins of table tennis are aligned with geopolitics: British aristocrat Ivor Montagu set the rules of the game in the 30s, as he believed it could help spread Communism over the world. He became a Soviet spy, befriending Trotsky, Chaplin and producing Hitchcock’s early films. When Mao established the game as China’s national sport it became a vital cog in his foreign policy, reaching its peak with the reestablishment of US-China relations through the exchange of table tennis players in 1971.
In this project, Anna Moreno parallels diplomacy to dialogism, a term coined by Bakhtin also in the 30s meant to note how readers become engaged in a story by non-linear processes, and that is currently used in social sciences, stressing how dialogue itself enables the existence of ‘the other’.
The one week performance is scheduled as follows:
25th June: SHAKEHANDS (Workshop) 19:00 – 21:00 A workshop on art, sports and diplomacy in collaboration with Bob van den Bos, a Dutch politician and expert in diplomacy and international relations. RSVP required!
26th June: PENHOLD (Special evening) 19:00 – 21:00 An evening with a demonstration on table tennis by the players Ossie Almak and Kento Nomura and a lecture performance by Anna Moreno
For more information and the rest of the program please open here: site!
Photography, courtesy of L’Academie francaise.L’Académie française has welcomed its newest “immortal” member, the Quebecer Dany Laferrière.By Roy Lie A Tjam.
On Thursday 28th May 2015, the novelist Dany Laferrière was received in a solemn ceremony under the Dome of L’Académie française by Mr. Amin Maalouf, becoming the first Canadian of Haitian origin to be admitted to the prestigious hemicycle of L’Academie française.
It was a great personal honour to have attended the session under the Dome of L’Académie française, an exclusive gathering in the presence of many international dignitaries. As one of Caribbean origin, it was indeed momentous to witness a son of the Caribbean with the calibre of Dany Laferrière being inducted into such a prestigious institution.
For a full photo-album on this memorable occasion, please click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/72157652673829803
L’Académie Française was established by Cardinal Richelieu in 1635 during the reign of Louis XIII. The mandate of this exclusive institution is to maintain the purity and integrity of the French language. The members of L’Académie française are known as the Immortals, referring to the immortality of the language rather than the individual. Laferrière will occupy chair no. F2 in the 40-seat body.
L’Académie française is an institution which holds true to its customs. Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Dany Laferrière delivered his oration of acceptance and subsequently paid homage to his predecessor of chair F2, Mr. Hector Bianciotti. In line with tradition, Mr. Amin Maalouf who presided over the ceremony then responded to Dany Laferrière’s acceptance speech.
Sublimely outfitted, Dany sported a magnificent green coat created by Quebec designer Jean-Claude Poitras which required 650 hours of work to complete – including 500hrs dedicated solely to embroidery. At his side hung a sword fashioned in Haiti by sculptor Patrick Vilaire, Dany the man: Dany Laferrière, né Windsor Klébert Laferrière after his father, was born in Port-au-Prince in Haïti 62 years ago.
His father was the mayor of Port au-Prince and a staunch opponent of President Duvalier. Laferrière Sr. eventually fled into exile, an act which adversely affected his family. Upon his father’s departure, the then-five year old Dany and his siblings grew up under the care of their grandmother in the southern city of Petit-Goâve.
It was his grandmother Da, a well-educated woman, who inculcated in Dany his love of literature and poetry. In L’Odeur du café (1991) he pays a fond tribute to her. Seven of his books have been translated into English, and some also have been translated into Spanish, Korean, and Swedish. He is one of the few writers of his generation to be as well known in English as he is in French.
What more could be said of Dany Laferrière? He is elegant, reserved, approachable and courteous. Always himself and always modest, he is thoughtful, sincere and playful. He will be comfortable among his peers at the Academy where he occupies the second seat, that of the illustrious Montesquieu but also that of the giant, the mulatto from Haiti: Alexandre Dumas (son) grandson of a black slave woman, Dumas.
In 1976, after the assassination of his journalist friend Gasner Raymond, Dany Laferrière did as his father did before him and went into exile. For almost a decade he did odd jobs and worked as a journalist in Montreal, while writing at night to exorcise his pain. In 1985, Dany published his first novel: “How to make love to a Negro without getting tired.” It was an immediate success, translated into eleven languages. To date, Dany has written 23 books, the first of which will be made into a film. Another, “The Enigma of the Return” (2009), received the Prix Médicis.
Membership of L’Académie française is considered the highest honour in French literature, as it is the oldest institution to bring French writers together to support and preserve the French language.
Dany Laferrière joins the ranks of literary greats such Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Montesquieu, Dumas and Lafontaine. Dany Laferrièe is also the second black person to be admitted to L’Académie française, the first being Senegalese President and writer Mr. Leopold Sédar Senghor.
The following French distinctions have been bestowed upon Dany Laferrière:
Commandeur de la Légion d’honneur
Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
Commandeur de l’ordre de la Pléiade
Various dignitaries attended Dany Laferriere’s induction, including French President François Hollande, Fleur Pellerin, Ministre de la Culture, and Annick Girardin, Secrétaire d’état à la Francophonie & Développement. They were joined by Philippe Couillard, Premier Ministre of Québec, Hélène David, Ministre de la Culture Québec, H.E. Dithny Joan Raton, Ministre de Culture République d’Haïti, and Madame Joëlle Milquet, Ministre de la Culture de la Confédération Francophone de Belgique.
Also in attendance were Monsieur Pierre KarlPélandeau, Chef de l’opposition du Québec, H. E. Ambassador Lawrence Canonn of Canada to France, S.E Madame Vanessa Matignon, Ambassadeur de la République d’Haïti to France,
Madame Michaèle Jean, Secrétaire Générale de L’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, Françoise David, Michèle Pierre-Louis, Lorraine Mangonès, The Minister of Patrimoine Canadien et des Langues officielles, Shelly Glover. Moreover, many distinguished writers from Haiti, Québec, Guadeloupe, France and Africa were present for the ceremony.
Haiti and Canada are rightly proud of Dany, a Canadian citizen born in Haiti in 1953 whose achievements were so aptly celebrated on 28th May. His induction into French literature’s greatest institution is a reason to rejoice. “I was born in Haïti but born a writer in Québec,” declared Dany Laferrière.
The Malaysian Embassy to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU hosted the first “Food Bazaar 2015” in Brussels on Saturday, 30 May 2015.
Head of Missions, HE Ambassador Dato’ Nafisah binti Mohamed, expressed her joy in the fact that the bazaar themed “The Flavours of Malaysia”, showcased the true essence of each ethnic group from the Federation of Malaysia.
For a photo-album on this event, please click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/7215765555099092610 stalls serving a wide variety of Malaysia’s culinary-style food cooked by Malaysians, made the fair in the vicinity of the Malaysian Embassy in Brussels. It was akin to tasters visiting Malaysia, without leaving Belgium. The bazaar was organised by the Malaysian Embassy in Belgium together with the Malaysian community through the Malaysian Association in Belgium and Luxembourg (MABL) as well as the Ladies Association of the Embassy of Malaysia (Perwakilan). The MABL’s liaison officer at the Malaysian embassy is Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister Zainal Izran Zahari. Dedicated to a taste of explosions from food representing the multicultural mix, the spread ranged from intricate roti jala and delicious popiah to the everpopular nasi lemak, satay, vindaloo biryani and Chinese noodles.For more information:Mission/Embassy of Malaysia to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg:http://www.kln.gov.my/web/bel_brussels/homeMalaysian food:http://travel.cnn.com/malaysian-food-334106Malaysian Association of Belgium and Luxembourg (MABL):http://www.mymabl.com/
In the framework of celebrations of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the European Union and the People’s Republic of China, Ambassador Yang Yanyi, Head of Mission of the PRC Representation to the EU, hosted an Open House Day on 6 June 2015 at his mission located on Boulevard de la Woluwe 100, 1200 Brussels.
The embassy building was thus open to the public between 10am and 16pm. Entertainment for the guests included tenis table tournaments, a musical, Chinese calligraphy, tasting of Chinese food and wine, a health workshop and counselling thereto specialised in traditional Chinese medicine, lucky draws, Health Qigong performances and workshops for it, . One highlight that livened up the morning was the dance performed by Ambassador Yang Yanyi together with some of her diplomats after her inaugural allocution.
By Baron Henri Estramant.
His Batavian Majesty’s bilateral ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Mr Henne Schuwer, is due to leave behind his ambassadorship in August 2015 to move on to the prestigious ambassadorial post in Washington D.C. covering the USA.
Ambassador Schuwer has been stationed in Brussels for about 13 years with an interruption for service between 2009 and 2010 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Director to the Directorate for North Africa and the Middle East. He took up his ambassadorship in Belgium in 2010; the one in the United States is to be his second ambassadorial post.
Between 2006-2009, he served as Chief of Cabinet for the 11th NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, previous to that position he was deputy permanent representative at the Permanent Representation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the EU between 2002-2006.
Recently TV Brussels dedicated an entire segment to the diplomatic work carried out by Ambassador Schuwer in Belgium (see link below).
Diplomatic relations between The Netherlands and the USA are outstanding. Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima paid an official visit to that republic between 1 and 3 June 2015.
For more information:
Farewell to Dutch Ambassador Schuwer on TV Brussels:
http://www.brusselnieuws.be/nl/video/tvbrussel/afscheid-nederlandse-ambassadeur-pas-nu-begin-ik-dit-land-te-begrijpenAmbassador Schuwer: http://belgie.nlambassade.org/organization/de-ambassadeur
By Baron Henri Estramant.His Majesty Sultan Hamengkubuwono X of Yogyakarta (b. 2 April 1946) appointed his eldest child out of five daughters, Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Pembayun, as heir apparent to the throne of Yogyakarta at the beginning of May 2015. The 69-year old 10th Sultan, who ascended the throne in March 1989, issued a sabdaraja (Sultan’s proclamation) making Pembayun crown princess and giving her the title “Gusti Kanjen Ratu Mangkubumi”. The sabdaraja was issued during a closed procession at the keraton (Sultan’s Palace), attended by just a few members of the Sultanic House and some abdi dalem (royal servants). Crown Princess PembayunThe decree itself was issued in response to deliberations by the Yogyakarta Legislative Council (DPRD I) on a special draft bylaw regarding the posts of governor and deputy governor in Yogyakarta province. Deliberations have continued since early February, and councillors had not agreed on whether the governor and deputy governor ought to be males as implied in Article 18 of Law No. 13/2012 on Yogyakarta’s special status. Article 18 (c) of the same law also states the governor and deputy governor are automatically the ruling Sultan of Yogyakarta and the Duke of Pakualaman respectively.Sultan Hamengkubuwono X discontinued polygamy for Yogyakarta’s Ruling House, and is married thus only to Queen Hemas. They have five daughters, of whom the eldest is now heiress apparent. Crown Princess Pembayun is a graduate from the University of Brisbane in Australia, is married to Kanjeng Pangeran Haryo Prince Wironegoro, and is mother to one son and a daughter. She has served as president director and president commissioner of PT Madu Baru, PT Mataram Mitra Manunggal, PT Yogyakarta Tembakau Indonesia and PT Yarsilk Gora Mahottama. The Kartasura Dynasty rules over Yogyakarta since 1755. Should Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Pembayun one day ascend the throne, she would become the very first queen regnant in Yogyakarta and only of one few women rulers in a Muslim state. Yogyakarta enjoys the status of “Special Administrative Region” (Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta); headed by a hereditary monarch, and making it the only surviving realm within the Republic of Indonesia. The Sultan likewise serves as 3rd Governor of Yogyakarta. For more information Palace of Yogyakarta (keraton): http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/yogyakarta/keraton.html
ByMete Erdurcan.
In the second part of its ‘Premier Perspectives’ series, The Hague institute for Global Justice hosted Dr. H.C. Ruud Lubbers, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, on Thursday the 4th of June for a Q&A session. Dr. Lubbers remains the longest serving Prime Minister of the Netherlands, having held office from the 4th of November 1982 to the 22nd of August 1994, a momentous period which witnessed the fall of the Soviet Union and the re-unification of Germany. In recognition of his services to the Netherlands he was granted the honorary title of ‘Minister of State’ on the 31st of January 1995. Following his term as Prime Minister, Dr. Lubbers was appointed UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) by then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Dr. Abiodun Williams, president of The Hague institute for Global Justice.
The former Prime Minister chose the topic ‘Global Justice in 2015’ for his Premier Perspectives appearance, making reference to his time in the 1960s as chair of what would later become ‘Young Management’. When asked by current chair Ms. Marijke van Kan as to his views on the social role of young employers, his answer was straightforward: “to deal with our common future”. According to the former Prime Minister, the role of (young) employers is paramount to achieving successful and sustainable development worldwide, an important objective which may be strived for in part by bearing social responsibility for a large number of employees. He formulated this as “Corporate Social Responsibility”, and indicated that it is a “generous force for change”.
Throughout his long and distinguished career, Dr. Lubbers has been a powerful advocate for sustainable growth and a united (saving) energy policy. Amongst his many achievements in this realm, the instigation of the Earth Charter (2000) and the Energy Charter Treaty (1990-4) stand out in particular. When asked what his views were on the potential outcome of the Paris UN Climate Change Conference, he replied that he hoped that an agreement would be reached. On the issue of recent political events, his response was measured and balanced, contending that we should “confront (President) Putin by being strong and united” but nonetheless “offer full partnership in transition to full sustainable economy”.
Under the supervision of the President of The Hague Institute Dr. Abiodun Williams a Q&A session was held, in which the former Prime Minister offered his thoughts on a wide variety of questions ranging from energy issues to international development.
To listen to the session, please click on the link below: https://soundcloud.com/hagueinstitute/premier-perspectives-ruud-lubbers
The title for the 2015 edition of the Festival Classique was ‘Sparks, the inspiration being that classical music will hopefully spark an interest and touch the hearts of those yet not familiar with it. The festival was a complete musical and theatrical experience with romantic music performed by the Residentie Orkest, conducted by Joshua Weilerstein
The concert featured a dance from Igor Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’, the Overture-Fantasy from Tchaikovsky’s ‘ Romeo and Juliet’, and ‘Dances from Galanta’ by Zoltan Kadaly, all performed by the renowned international dance company Club Guy & Roni.
Henceforth, the Residentie Orkest has a new home on the beach of Scheveningen. It is said to be the best auditorium in the country.
The title for the 2015 edition of the Festival Classique was ‘Sparks, the inspiration being that classical music will hopefully spark an interest and touch the hearts of those yet not familiar with it. The festival was a complete musical and theatrical experience with romantic music performed by the Residentie Orkest, conducted by Joshua Weilerstein
The concert featured a dance from Igor Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’, the Overture-Fantasy from Tchaikovsky’s ‘ Romeo and Juliet’, and ‘Dances from Galanta’ by Zoltan Kadaly, all performed by the renowned international dance company Club Guy & Roni.
Henceforth, the Residentie Orkest has a new home on the beach of Scheveningen. It is said to be the best auditorium in the country.
L’Académie Française was established by Cardinal Richelieu in 1635 during the reign of Louis XIII. The mandate of this exclusive institution is to maintain the purity and integrity of the French language. The members of L’Académie française are known as the Immortals, referring to the immortality of the language rather than the individual. Laferrière will occupy chair no. F2 in the 40-seat body.
L’Académie française is an institution which holds true to its customs. Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Dany Laferrière delivered his oration of acceptance and subsequently paid homage to his predecessor of chair F2, Mr. Hector Bianciotti. In line with tradition, Mr. Amin Maalouf who presided over the ceremony then responded to Dany Laferrière’s acceptance speech.
Sublimely outfitted, Dany sported a magnificent green coat created by Quebec designer Jean-Claude Poitras which required 650 hours of work to complete – including 500hrs dedicated solely to embroidery. At his side hung a sword fashioned in Haiti by sculptor Patrick Vilaire, Dany the man: Dany Laferrière, né Windsor Klébert Laferrière after his father, was born in Port-au-Prince in Haïti 62 years ago.
His father was the mayor of Port au-Prince and a staunch opponent of President Duvalier. Laferrière Sr. eventually fled into exile, an act which adversely affected his family. Upon his father’s departure, the then-five year old Dany and his siblings grew up under the care of their grandmother in the southern city of Petit-Goâve.
It was his grandmother Da, a well-educated woman, who inculcated in Dany his love of literature and poetry. In L’Odeur du café (1991) he pays a fond tribute to her. Seven of his books have been translated into English, and some also have been translated into Spanish, Korean, and Swedish. He is one of the few writers of his generation to be as well known in English as he is in French.
What more could be said of Dany Laferrière? He is elegant, reserved, approachable and courteous. Always himself and always modest, he is thoughtful, sincere and playful. He will be comfortable among his peers at the Academy where he occupies the second seat, that of the illustrious Montesquieu but also that of the giant, the mulatto from Haiti: Alexandre Dumas (son) grandson of a black slave woman, Dumas.
In 1976, after the assassination of his journalist friend Gasner Raymond, Dany Laferrière did as his father did before him and went into exile. For almost a decade he did odd jobs and worked as a journalist in Montreal, while writing at night to exorcise his pain. In 1985, Dany published his first novel: “How to make love to a Negro without getting tired.” It was an immediate success, translated into eleven languages. To date, Dany has written 23 books, the first of which will be made into a film. Another, “The Enigma of the Return” (2009), received the Prix Médicis.
Membership of L’Académie française is considered the highest honour in French literature, as it is the oldest institution to bring French writers together to support and preserve the French language.
Dany Laferrière joins the ranks of literary greats such Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Montesquieu, Dumas and Lafontaine. Dany Laferrièe is also the second black person to be admitted to L’Académie française, the first being Senegalese President and writer Mr. Leopold Sédar Senghor.
The following French distinctions have been bestowed upon Dany Laferrière:
Commandeur de la Légion d’honneur
Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
Commandeur de l’ordre de la Pléiade
Various dignitaries attended Dany Laferriere’s induction, including French President François Hollande, Fleur Pellerin, Ministre de la Culture, and Annick Girardin, Secrétaire d’état à la Francophonie & Développement. They were joined by Philippe Couillard, Premier Ministre of Québec, Hélène David, Ministre de la Culture Québec, H.E. Dithny Joan Raton, Ministre de Culture République d’Haïti, and Madame Joëlle Milquet, Ministre de la Culture de la Confédération Francophone de Belgique.
Also in attendance were Monsieur Pierre Karl Pélandeau, Chef de l’opposition du Québec, H. E. Ambassador Lawrence Canonn of Canada to France, S.E Madame Vanessa Matignon, Ambassadeur de la République d’Haïti to France,
Madame Michaèle Jean, Secrétaire Générale de L’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, Françoise David, Michèle Pierre-Louis, Lorraine Mangonès, The Minister of Patrimoine Canadien et des Langues officielles, Shelly Glover. Moreover, many distinguished writers from Haiti, Québec, Guadeloupe, France and Africa were present for the ceremony.
Haiti and Canada are rightly proud of Dany, a Canadian citizen born in Haiti in 1953 whose achievements were so aptly celebrated on 28th May. His induction into French literature’s greatest institution is a reason to rejoice. “I was born in Haïti but born a writer in Québec,” declared Dany Laferrière.
L’Académie Française was established by Cardinal Richelieu in 1635 during the reign of Louis XIII. The mandate of this exclusive institution is to maintain the purity and integrity of the French language. The members of L’Académie française are known as the Immortals, referring to the immortality of the language rather than the individual. Laferrière will occupy chair no. F2 in the 40-seat body.
L’Académie française is an institution which holds true to its customs. Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Dany Laferrière delivered his oration of acceptance and subsequently paid homage to his predecessor of chair F2, Mr. Hector Bianciotti. In line with tradition, Mr. Amin Maalouf who presided over the ceremony then responded to Dany Laferrière’s acceptance speech.
Sublimely outfitted, Dany sported a magnificent green coat created by Quebec designer Jean-Claude Poitras which required 650 hours of work to complete – including 500hrs dedicated solely to embroidery. At his side hung a sword fashioned in Haiti by sculptor Patrick Vilaire, Dany the man: Dany Laferrière, né Windsor Klébert Laferrière after his father, was born in Port-au-Prince in Haïti 62 years ago.
His father was the mayor of Port au-Prince and a staunch opponent of President Duvalier. Laferrière Sr. eventually fled into exile, an act which adversely affected his family. Upon his father’s departure, the then-five year old Dany and his siblings grew up under the care of their grandmother in the southern city of Petit-Goâve.
It was his grandmother Da, a well-educated woman, who inculcated in Dany his love of literature and poetry. In L’Odeur du café (1991) he pays a fond tribute to her. Seven of his books have been translated into English, and some also have been translated into Spanish, Korean, and Swedish. He is one of the few writers of his generation to be as well known in English as he is in French.
What more could be said of Dany Laferrière? He is elegant, reserved, approachable and courteous. Always himself and always modest, he is thoughtful, sincere and playful. He will be comfortable among his peers at the Academy where he occupies the second seat, that of the illustrious Montesquieu but also that of the giant, the mulatto from Haiti: Alexandre Dumas (son) grandson of a black slave woman, Dumas.
In 1976, after the assassination of his journalist friend Gasner Raymond, Dany Laferrière did as his father did before him and went into exile. For almost a decade he did odd jobs and worked as a journalist in Montreal, while writing at night to exorcise his pain. In 1985, Dany published his first novel: “How to make love to a Negro without getting tired.” It was an immediate success, translated into eleven languages. To date, Dany has written 23 books, the first of which will be made into a film. Another, “The Enigma of the Return” (2009), received the Prix Médicis.
Membership of L’Académie française is considered the highest honour in French literature, as it is the oldest institution to bring French writers together to support and preserve the French language.
Dany Laferrière joins the ranks of literary greats such Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Montesquieu, Dumas and Lafontaine. Dany Laferrièe is also the second black person to be admitted to L’Académie française, the first being Senegalese President and writer Mr. Leopold Sédar Senghor.
The following French distinctions have been bestowed upon Dany Laferrière:
Commandeur de la Légion d’honneur
Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
Commandeur de l’ordre de la Pléiade
Various dignitaries attended Dany Laferriere’s induction, including French President François Hollande, Fleur Pellerin, Ministre de la Culture, and Annick Girardin, Secrétaire d’état à la Francophonie & Développement. They were joined by Philippe Couillard, Premier Ministre of Québec, Hélène David, Ministre de la Culture Québec, H.E. Dithny Joan Raton, Ministre de Culture République d’Haïti, and Madame Joëlle Milquet, Ministre de la Culture de la Confédération Francophone de Belgique.
Also in attendance were Monsieur Pierre Karl Pélandeau, Chef de l’opposition du Québec, H. E. Ambassador Lawrence Canonn of Canada to France, S.E Madame Vanessa Matignon, Ambassadeur de la République d’Haïti to France,
Madame Michaèle Jean, Secrétaire Générale de L’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, Françoise David, Michèle Pierre-Louis, Lorraine Mangonès, The Minister of Patrimoine Canadien et des Langues officielles, Shelly Glover. Moreover, many distinguished writers from Haiti, Québec, Guadeloupe, France and Africa were present for the ceremony.
Haiti and Canada are rightly proud of Dany, a Canadian citizen born in Haiti in 1953 whose achievements were so aptly celebrated on 28th May. His induction into French literature’s greatest institution is a reason to rejoice. “I was born in Haïti but born a writer in Québec,” declared Dany Laferrière.
10 stalls serving a wide variety of Malaysia’s culinary-style food cooked by Malaysians, made the fair in the vicinity of the Malaysian Embassy in Brussels. It was akin to tasters visiting Malaysia, without leaving Belgium.
The bazaar was organised by the Malaysian Embassy in Belgium together with the Malaysian community through the Malaysian Association in Belgium and Luxembourg (MABL) as well as the Ladies Association of the Embassy of Malaysia (Perwakilan). The MABL’s liaison officer at the Malaysian embassy is Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister Zainal Izran Zahari.
Dedicated to a taste of explosions from food representing the multicultural mix, the spread ranged from intricate roti jala and delicious popiah to the everpopular nasi lemak, satay, vindaloo biryani and Chinese noodles.
For more information:
Mission/Embassy of Malaysia to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg: http://www.kln.
10 stalls serving a wide variety of Malaysia’s culinary-style food cooked by Malaysians, made the fair in the vicinity of the Malaysian Embassy in Brussels. It was akin to tasters visiting Malaysia, without leaving Belgium.
The bazaar was organised by the Malaysian Embassy in Belgium together with the Malaysian community through the Malaysian Association in Belgium and Luxembourg (MABL) as well as the Ladies Association of the Embassy of Malaysia (Perwakilan). The MABL’s liaison officer at the Malaysian embassy is Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister Zainal Izran Zahari.
For more information:
Mission/Embassy of Malaysia to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg: http://www.kln.
