March 20 was an opportunity to celebrate Francophonie around the world. A Francophonie that many, including Quebec (through the Observatory of the Economic Francophonie), also wish to direct towards greater support for the economies of the states that make it up.
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However, more recently, COVID-19 has exacerbated the fragility of the economies of developed societies with aging demographics, such as that of Quebec. It has also challenged economic activity in developing countries, which deal with younger populations. These two solitudes, paradoxically, are part of the same so-called Francophonie space, but where the bridges, however obvious, seem to encounter some difficulties in being built.
A global corridor for Francophones
A natural affinity exists between countries that share the same language. Moreover, the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) has already thought about a French-speaking travel visa in order to promote multilateral French-speaking cooperation. The use of French also has every chance of increasing in the world of economy, work and education. These young people who are about to enter or who have entered the labor market must be able to freely and easily benefit from a French-speaking network proud of this shared language.
Like urban and national pendulum migrations, we could imagine temporary and circular migrations on the scale of the Francophonie where human resources move and contribute to the different economies.
Beyond the idea of ”brain drain” from developing countries to developed countries, this free movement is, in our opinion, a dotted path, with stages, returns, and it weaves a set of links between the region of departure and that of arrival, contributing to a form of enrichment and mutual support between countries of the French-speaking area.
How to promote the vitality of French in the professional world, in particular by promoting a sustainable and efficient French-speaking professional network? What if one of the answers to post-COVID-19 economic recovery lies in the skilful sharing of human resources and labor within La Francophonie? Quebec has so much to gain from it.
Professional network, vitality of French and the French-speaking world can go hand in hand and be an example of great success if real means are developed for this purpose. The dynamism of the Francophonie should not only depend on international institutions. Community organizations, the economic community and civil society must do their part. The Accueil liaison organization for newcomers and the Conseil du patronat du Québec propose the idea of a polycentric, united and diverse Francophonie.
After all, these two questions of the professional network and open mobility are trying to cope with the demands of today’s world, a globalized world where the very concept of borders is changing and where the weakened economies on both sides have interest in collaborating.
The International Conference of the Economic Francophonie which took place on March 18 in Dakar, or the Economic Summit to come in the fall in Djerba, are pivotal points for strengthening our links between Francophones. The opportunities are there to be seized, right now.
What are we waiting for?