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About the
International Organisation of Creole
People Three Questions to Rodolf Etienne, Caribbean coordinator (Martinique. French
West Indies)
1 / Can you please tell us more about IOCP ?
IOCP
stands for the International Organisation of Creole People, which has its
Secretariat in Sydney, Australia.
IOCP works at bringing together all the
Creole
people scattered around the world. It promotes Creolism and enshrines
the
pan-Creole spirit and philosophy. The IOCP was set up during a
Symposium in Las Vegas in May
2005 with the help of various representatives of the Creole world
coming from Australia, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Mauritius
and also Creoles coming from various parts of the USA,
particularly from Louisiana.
The various aims of the IOCP are to promote the Creole culture at the
local and
international level, facilitate meetings and exchanges among the
creoles people
be it from the islands or from the diasporas, encourage the creation of
a
Creole institute and a Centre for research for the preservation and
transmission of the Creole legacy, make use of new technology to
facilitate
communication in a globalised world.
2/ What is
your role as a coordinator for the Caribbean
?
Firstly, I
act as a representative of the IOCP in the region, then I paly the role
of as a
liaison officer between the Secretariat, based in Sydney, and the Caribbean.
I have the upper hand and the discretion to initiate any project and
activity
that could be organized in the region with the cooperation of the other
coordinators from Haiti,
Ste Lucie, Guyane, etc…I then submit the proposals to the Central
Committee
which is also called the International Council and obtain
the endorsement. I am in a way the reference
point for the IOCP in the Caribbean.
3/ What
are your short term and middle term goals for the region ?
In
February of next year (2007) we have our second international
Tele-Conference/debate
with the participation of Australia, Canada, Mauritius, Ste
Lucie, Martinique
and we hope this time to see La Reunion and Paris joining in.
Further
down we intern to pay a closer look on how to give more value to the International Creole Day i.e the 28th
October by proposing a theme every year. At this stage we welcome any
suggestion in that respect. The process of inviting support
for the IOCP is a continuous one and
each day academics, linguists, artists, activists and people who have
at heart
the Creole culture and joining forces with us.
For
further informations : 0696.30.26.88 or e-mail :
rodolfetienne@yahoo.fr
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