france

In 2014, France’s ban on the burqa and niqab — versions of the veil worn by many Muslim women to cover their heads and their bodies —  ignited a firestorm of criticism of how lawmakers continue to censor women’s bodies and how that very censorship simultaneously reflects and fuels increased fear in Europe.

In the latest sign of heightened cultural diplomacy between France and Russia, Manet’s Olympia (1863) will travel from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris for an exhibition at the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow that opens to the public on 19 April.

March 27, 2016

More than 1,700 chefs in 150 countries are conjuring up French feasts in bars, restaurants, embassies and even a prison as a part of the “Good France” festival, a massive diplomatic push to promote the country’s famed gastronomic culture.

French culture will be celebrated in Korea throughout 2016, as the year marks the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France. [...] The 2015-2016 Korea-France Year kicked off in Paris last year with more than 150 cultural programs featuring traditional and contemporary Korean music, visual arts, films and literature hosted in France. 

French food has evolved over the years to become the foremost representative of France’s culture, to the extent that Unesco declared French cuisine as a ‘world intangible cultural heritage’ in 2010.

 

In this week's roundup, culture maintains its central role in public diplomacy

French Ambassador Yves Carmona announced in a press conference today the participation of two Nepali restaurants in the Gout de France/Good France event celebrating French gastronomy. “Diplomacy, at all times, has been more effective around a good meal accompanied with fine wines; that creates a more conducive atmosphere for tough discussion,” said Carmona. 

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