Say Bonjour India for a better future
The Ambassador of France to India, Alexandre Ziegler, along with the Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs, Dr Bertrand de Hartingh, recently announced the opening of Bonjour India 2017 -2018, a four-month-long voyage across India. Celebrating Indo-french partnership, it will shape the next decade of people-to-people contacts between the two countries. From November 2017 to February 2018, Bonjour India will cover a 100 programmes and projects in 33 cities across 20 states and union territories. Showcasing Indo-french expertise in innovation, education, research, science and technology, art and culture, this platform will enable and trigger further collaborations by bringing the best of India and France together.
On this occasion, Ambassador Alexandre Ziegler said, “Bonjour India is a key event of the historical Indo-french relations of friendship and trust, which have grown in scope and exchanges over the last few years. In an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, the efforts we make to address common challenges facing humanity must be done collectively. The third edition thus focuses on partnership, innovation and creativity, and is oriented in good measure towards the youth, for they renew and perpetuate our ties. Nothing can better uphold and create enduring relations than strengthening the partnership of hearts between our peoples.”
The third edition of Bonjour India 2017-18 is unprecedented, given the ambitious scale of its partnership with India. People at the forefront of their fields will share their inspiring journeys as they change society through their innovation and creativity. At events collaboratively organised across cities and disciplines, amid performances, debates, seminars and exhibitions, all audiences will find something that captures their imagination.
Commenting on the launch, Dr Bertrand de Hartingh said, “Bonjour India is for everyone: It provides access to all and invites everyone to make it their own. Bonjour India is an invitation to re-imagine our world with the common threads that unite us, to take forward what we have inherited and build our future together with our minds, our hearts and our hands. We look forward to a successful voyage and fruitful collaborations, bringing value to the lives of the citizens of both the countries.'
Illustrating the fruitful development of the thriving Indo-french relation, Bonjour India was launched in 2009, travelling across India to offer a series of events around ideas, science and art. Namaste France, the festival of India in France soon followed, reaffirming this dynamic process. In 2013 the second edition of BI encouraged Indo-french collaboration and co-productions, attracting a considerable audience within the span of 3 months. Scaling up, BI 2017 – 2018 will serve as a platform for the incubation of dreams, ideas and projects bringing together the best talent between the two countries for an open platform for dialogue and collaborations. With Bonjour India 2017-18, India and France will come together to create, innovate and partner towards a progressive and sustainable future.