Together for a radiant Caribbean, the Alliances Françaises become bridges between cultures, languages and territories.
At the RÉZO seminar in Grenada, the directors and presidents of the Alliances Françaises of the English-speaking Caribbean met to strengthen cultural and linguistic cooperation in the region and define new common directions.
Supported by the French Embassy’s Service de Coopération et d’Action Culturelle (SCAC), which also took part in some of the discussions, the seminar was an opportunity to strengthen synergies between the Alliances Françaises network and consolidate dialogue with the SCAC, in a spirit of listening and collaboration.
Between exchanges, common strategies and innovative projects, this meeting outlined the contours of a more open, inclusive and modern French-speaking and multilingual Caribbean.
A key moment for an evolving network, serving a Caribbean that learns, shares and shines.
A meeting with a family flavour
Sometimes they’ve known each other for years, sometimes only through a screen. But from the very first minutes, the laughter, hugs and warmth of the reunion remind us that, in the Caribbean, the Alliances Françaises network is above all a human adventure.
Over the course of three days, directors and presidents shared their experiences from country to country – from day-to-day challenges to local pride and a shared determination to build a stronger, more united and more visible network. In the room, diversity was evident in the accents, the backgrounds and the ideas. From Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago, each voice brought its own nuance, its own experience, its own way of bringing culture and the French-speaking world to the heart of the territories.
Welcomed by Ilona Fort-Gilbert, Director, and Suelin Low Chew Tung, President of the Alliance Française of Grenada, participants spent several days exchanging ideas and reflections in an atmosphere that was both productive and warm.
Around the table, the directors: Aurélie Gbeffa (Saint Lucia and regional coordinator of the Alliances Françaises of the Eastern Caribbean), Océane Gaillard (Barbados), Virginie Lemay (Suriname), Lucille Caulliez (Saint Christophe-et-Niévès), Cévinne M’Voula (Dominique), Anyka Batista (Trinidad and Tobago), Ilona Forte-Gilbert (Grenada), Déborah First-Quao (Guyana) and Clovis Lemée ( Jamaica), as well as Christiane Bourgeois (CORCAC – Saint Lucia) and Suelin Low Chew Tung (President – Grenada).
Joining them by videoconference were the presidents: Charlene White-Christian (Dominica), Ruben Del Prado (Suriname), Danielle Parkinson (Trinidad and Tobago), Kara Daly (Saint Kitts and Nevis), Delphine Hadley and her successor Denvil Douglas (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), and Stuart Defreitas, vice-president (Guyana).
During the discussions, Christiane Bourgeois, Regional Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Action (Conseiller Régionale de Coopération et d’Action Culturelle – CORCAC), Head of the Cultural and Cooperation Department (Service de Coopération et d’Action Culturelle – SCAC) of the French Embassy to the Eastern Caribbean, Barbados and the OECS, underlined the essential role of the Alliances Françaises in promoting French and Caribbean culture.
The Regional Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Action – CORCAC structures its action around cultural, educational, scientific and economic cooperation, seeking to link French priorities – culture, the French-speaking world, sustainability and human rights – to the specific needs of the countries of the English-speaking Caribbean. We believe that it’s not just the structures, but also the committed men and women on the ground who bring this open, supportive and creative French-speaking community to life.
“The Alliances Françaises are essential partners.”
The presence of Jean-François Hans, Geographical Delegate for Zone C at the Fondation des Alliances Françaises, reminded us from Paris of the importance of the network’s global cohesion.
Charter of values, governance tools, visual identity and support for local teams: the Foundation ensures that quality and ethics are shared across all five continents.
“A large Alliance must always reach out to a smaller one. That’s our collective DNA.”
This solidarity, the driving force behind the movement, takes on its full meaning in the Caribbean, where logistical and human challenges combine with cultural and linguistic richness.
A global Francophonie rooted in local realities
Founded in 1883, the Alliances Françaises network is now the world’s largest cultural network, with over 820 establishments in 135 countries.
In the English-speaking Caribbean, ten Alliances promote the French language and culture: Barbados, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname.
In 2024, they welcomed over 1,000 learners, delivered 9,000 hours of courses and organized 160 cultural events, bringing together over 7,000 participants.
These figures reflect a living, dynamic reality: the Caribbean Francophonie is not just an idea, it’s a daily presence in classrooms, galleries, festivals and the streets of island capitals. Francophonie thrives on exchanges, local initiatives, and the passion of those who keep the French language alive.
A network in motion: between vision and action
Projet Rézo
Driven by a shared desire to see the network evolve, the RÉZO project is a real driving force for the Alliances Françaises of the English-speaking Caribbean, and a way of thinking about the network differently: more collaborative, more agile, more visible.
Supported by the French Embassy’s Service de Coopération et d’Action Culturelle (SCAC), it aims to strengthen regional coordination, pool tools and professionalize teams. Over the course of the sessions, discussions highlighted a shared ambition: to harmonize practices, encourage pedagogical innovation and strengthen skills, while consolidating the place of the French-speaking world in plural linguistic environments.
Under the coordination of Aurélie Gbeffa, six areas of work were addressed:
- – Associative governance and transparency: strengthening internal management and communication with members.
- – Team training: consolidating skills and promoting regional mobility.
- – Certifications and educational quality: aligning training and evaluation standards across the network.
- – Digital transition: developing collaborative tools and shared digital resources.
- – Setting up RÉZO projects: creating and leading joint projects between Alliances.
- – Revitalizing media libraries: modernizing cultural spaces to better reflect today’s audiences and practices.
Each Alliance leaves with a personalized roadmap, proof of a shared commitment and a strong regional dynamic.
Micro-projects
In the same vein, the SCAC has reiterated its key role in supporting and facilitating micro-projects. These subsidies, allocated each year to local project leaders, are a concrete lever for the implementation of cultural, educational and civic initiatives throughout the region.
A virtuous mechanism that supports local creativity, while promoting training and autonomy for local players. Beyond the financial aspect, this initiative, a signature of the French Ambassy of Saint Lucia, reflects a form of close, human-centered diplomacy that fosters exchange and cooperation between Francophone and Anglophone territories.
From Saint Lucia to Dominica, from Trinidad and Tobago to Grenada, the micro-projects supported reflect the diversity of shared challenges: culture, education, the environment, inclusion and innovation. These are just some of the areas in which the Alliances Françaises, supported by the SCAC, are building bridges between societies and driving sustainable cooperation in the Caribbean.
CARIFRAN
This strategy is also part of the regional dynamic of the CARIFRAN program, dedicated to the training and mobility of teachers of French in the Caribbean.
Implemented by the Organization of American States and funded by the French Embassy to the Eastern Caribbean, Barbados and the OECS to the tune of 453,000 euros, CARIFRAN is helping to strengthen a French-speaking educational community open to inter-island exchanges and linguistic cooperation. It embodies the complementary nature of the network’s educational, cultural and diplomatic activities.
The strength of a fragile network
Over and above the discussions, workshops and decisions, the RÉZO seminar confirmed the vitality of a network in the throes of transformation. But it also served as a reminder of the fragility of an associative model that relies on commitment, passion and solidarity more than on substantial resources.
In the English-speaking Caribbean, as elsewhere, the Alliances Françaises carry out their activities with modest means but remarkable efficiency, and with a real desire to move forward together, thanks to the strength of their teams, their volunteer presidents and the constant support of the SCAC and the Fondation des Alliances Françaises.
It’s this collective humanity, built on resilience and conviction, that makes the network unique: the ability to forge links, invent and reinvent ourselves, even in the face of uncertainty. And while cultural and linguistic cooperation can sometimes be a challenge, it is also a promise: that of a plural Caribbean, connected, proud of its diversity and capable of writing its future through dialogue between cultures.
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Welcome AF!