According to the French Embassy in Vietnam, this year's celebration of the  International Francophonie Day will feature a rich cultural programme under the theme "Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in French".

Logo of the International Francophonie Day 2024

This is also the theme of the Francophone Summit, which will highlight the diversity and vitality of the Francophone community worldwide, showcase the opportunities and dynamism of French-speaking regions, and encourage creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship among young people.

To launch the month-long celebrations, an official ceremony will be held tonight (March 20) at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology with the participation of Vietnamese leaders, representatives of embassies, representatives of the Group of French-speaking delegations, organisations and institutions in Hanoi (GADIF) and others.

On this occasion, the GADIF Prize of Honour will be awarded to Hoang Nu Ngoc Tim or Tim Aline Rebeaud. She has Swiss and Vietnamese citizenship and is known for her charity work and the creation of the NGO Maison Chance, a social structure that helps street children, orphans, disadvantaged and disabled people in Vietnam. The award recognizes her contribution to promoting solidarity within the French-speaking community.

The "Couleurs Culturelles 2024" event was organised by the University of Languages and International Studies, Hanoi, on  March 17. Photo: ULIS

A program to celebrate International Francophone Day will be organized by universities and francophone schools in Ho Chi Minh City on March 23. It will include art performances, a French rhetoric contest, a documentary screening, and a lecture on the French language in Vietnam.

Race Course de la Francophonie 2022

On March 24, Hanoi's Thong Nhat Park will host the Francophone Run or Course de la Francophonie, themed "Together," involving 1,800 professional and amateur athletes. A total of 37 individual and group prizes will be awarded to the best runners.

On March 28, an online seminar called "Piquons une petite Jasette" (Let's steal a little chat) will be held for Vietnamese students to introduce them to the French language in Canada.

The International Francophonie Day has been in existence since 1988. It's celebrated every year on March 20 and focuses on the sharing and appreciation of the French language and Francophone culture. Today, there are more than 300 million French-speaking people living on five continents.

The French language has always occupied an important place among languages. The celebration of La Francophonie is a recognition of the potential of language and culture to unite people, to create spaces of solidarity and mutual understanding, and to reflect together on the common future of the world.