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Chers Amis,
Welcome to the Spring 2009 edition of our e-newsletter! We are honored to have had the opportunity to meet with a special friend of Alliance Française de Princeton -- Dr. Isabelle Darnis-Wilhelm Consul honoraire de France à Princeton and official representative of France in New Jersey. Dr. Darnis-Wilhelm helped us start our group two years ago offering her encouragement, guidance and contacts. We are grateful for her ongoing support and hope you enjoy reading the article below about her work promoting French culture in New Jersey.
So far this year, the Alliance Française de Princeton has been very busy and productive. It gives me great pleasure to announce several major improvements that will make a big difference to our activities to serve you best.
Firstly, we are delighted to launch our new and improved website! Still using the same address - www.allianceprinceton.com - the website's new look will be brighter, clearer and more user friendly. We have added several functionalities that were previously unavailable. Most importantly, you will now be able to apply for or renew membership online. For those of you who have not been able to come to one of our events, this will be a much easier way to become or remain part of the Alliance Française community. You will soon receive an email from us formally announcing the re-launch. We look forward to your feedback!
Secondly, we are very pleased to tell you that the Alliance Française de Princeton has just been recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Some large employers offer a company-matching program that allows employees to make a tax-deductible donation to 501(c)(3) organizations which the employer then matches. Even donations made direct to such organizations may be tax deductible. Since this news is so recent we are still working on the details of how to make our new status benefit members as much as possible. Please look out for a formal communication from us later this year.
Finally, we have just heard that we have been accepted as an exhibitor at the 2009 Communiversity Fair in Princeton. Gail Bruno's article later in this e-newsletter gives more details. And of course we will be mailing you separately to let you know when and where to find us. We really hope you will come along on the day - you will find some very desirable Alliance goodies!
In closing I would like to express my profound thanks to you, our members and supporters, and to my colleagues on the Board of the Alliance. Your continued commitment is so important to me. Over the years to come we will see the Alliance become more established and better placed to launch important educational and cultural initiatives across the area. I look forward to working with you to realize these goals.
Cordialement,
Anthony Fuller, President
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Passionate about Promoting AFP, French Culture and Global Citizenship, Dr. Isabelle Darnis-Wilhelm Accepts Second Term as
Consul honoraire de France à Princeton
When Dr. Isabelle Darnis-Wilhelm came to the United States 20 years ago with her husband, she never imagined she would create a life here or that she would help other French expatriates as the Consul honoraire de France à Princeton/Hon. Consul of France in Princeton.
"We came to the US temporarily on a grant from the French government when my husband was a post-doctoral student at a university in California. We then went back to France so I could finish my medical residency. When after a few years, my husband was offered a job with a pharmaceutical company in Chicago, we thought 'why not?' We had loved the US,'" remembers Darnis-Wilhelm, who was trained as a physician in France, but has been working in the US as a medical writer for pharmaceutical companies for over 15 years.
Darnis-Wilhelm's experience is typical of many French expatriates, about 5,000 of whom are in the Princeton area alone. Many come initially for a few years to study or work, but end up staying in the US longer. There are an estimated 10-12,000 French citizens in New Jersey, 60,000 in New York and about 200,000 across the US.
"Like my husband and I, many end up staying permanently and build a life," says Darnis-Wilhelm. As the Consul honoraire de France à Princeton, she helps people with a lot of administrative functions including assisting with passports, civil registrar, notary public, and helping with a variety of emergency situations. This is an unpaid position and she is the only person in this role in New Jersey She also is responsible for promoting French culture & language, French companies, French schools and organizations like Alliance Française de Princeton (AFP).
Promoting French Culture and AFP
"I was delighted to encourage the formation of Alliance Française de Princeton. When Anthony Fuller approached me in December 2006, I gave him my mailing list of French people in New Jersey. I still encourage people to join, and I'm so happy the group has grown so much in two years," says Darnis-Wilhelm.
"We need groups like AFP because it promotes our language and our culture to the American people. Providing French language classes is very important. Although the AFP classes are very popular and  successful, French classes in public schools and even the universities are seeing less enrollment. People are more interested in learning Spanish, Mandarin and Hindi for business. People who study French do so for the pleasure of it," notes Darnis-Wilhelm.
"Alliance Française helps develop good relationships between France and host countries. It's so important for people to understand each other, especially in a country as big as the US," adds Darnis-Wilhelm.
Helping to promote good relations between French and American people is the primary reason Darnis-Wilhelm accepted her first five-year term and now has accepted her second five-year appointment as Consul honoraire de France à Princeton. She is second person in this position, which was only created 10 years ago and first held by Caroline Lareuse for 5 years before she retired from the post.
"I had only been in Princeton a short time when I was nominated for the position. At first I wasn't interested because I was so new to the area, but there was a lot of French bashing going on at the time. I thought, I'm proud to be French. This would be a good way to give back to my country," recalls Darnis-Wilhelm, who is not a trained diplomat.
"It's all on-the-job training, and I have learned a lot. The US and France are a lot alike; we are very close in our beliefs. It's very gratifying working with French and American people. The best part of the job is meeting all kinds of very interesting people and helping them," says Darnis-Wilhelm.
Voting for the President of France in Princeton
One of her most exciting challenges was managing a polling location in All Saints Church in Princeton during the last French presidential election, which elected President Nicolas Sarkozy.
"It was very exciting, an enormous amount of work and very serious business - it was the first time they authorized an election outside one of the French general consulates in the US. I was told if we messed up we could throw off the whole election," explains Darnis-Wilhelm.
"All Saints church lent us the space graciously. From France we received official ballots, a ballot box and voting booth that we unfolded to assemble. We recruited and trained volunteers," explains Darnis-Wilhelm. "About 600-700 people from central and southern New Jersey voted in the election for a new president the same day the people in France did. We sent the results to France the same day. It was absolutely wonderful, and everything went very well, perfect."
Darnis-Wilhelm's goals for the next five years include building more connections among French and American people, companies and organizations, expanding her database of French people in NJ and later this spring, launching a Web site with resources that will help people make more connections and friendships:
www.agenceconsulairefrance-princeton.org.
Citizen of the World
Darnis-Wilhelm considers herself a citizen of the world and encourages others to think that way. She and her husband are dual  citizens of France and the United States, so are their five children. The mother of a set of triplets and a set of twins, Darnis-Wilhelm's children are true world citizens - one is in London, one is in Montreal, another is in Africa and two are in the US, one at Brown University and one at Rutgers University.
"When you have been living in a country for a long time and paying taxes, you want to participate fully as a citizen so you can have a say and choose a president. That's when you become a dual citizen," says Darnis-Wilhelm.
"Dual citizenship is an advantage in this global economy because it enables you to work anywhere in Europe. This is especially important for young people. Living and working in another country opens one's mind and way of thinking. Children of dual citizen parents tend to be well traveled, more global, more open minded and enthusiastic about discovering France, Europe and the world. They are more prepared for the future," says Darnis-Wilhelm.
Her advice to French people and American people is the same, "Be open, enjoy, discover as much as you can about each other and other cultures. Have an open view of the world. Keep an open mind not to judge people too fast. Each culture has its own advantages. Don't live in a little bubble. Be citizens of the world." |
New Web Site
The Alliance Francaise de Princeton et sa region is introducing a newly designed Web site at www.allianceprinceton.com
The Web site now features a complete listing of all events, classes and services of the Alliance. It also offers convenient new features. One can now register and pay for classes and events online. There is also an online feature for registering and paying for membership.
The site also features a blog that is open only to members. On the blog, members can share information on French-related topics, such as favorite restaurants, places to visit in French-speaking countries as well as French-related events in the area. Each month, the Alliance will suggest a topic for discussion, but members are free to post messages of a timely nature.
"We view the web site and the blog as another way for the Francophone community to stay in touch and communicate with each other," says Anthony Fuller. "While we encourage members to attend our events, the web site is just another way to experience the Alliance."
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New Classes and Conversation Group
Literacy "Boule de Suif" by Guy de Maupassant
Saturday May 2nd, May 9th and May 16th, from 1 to 3 pm.
In this 3-weeks class, we will read "Boule de Suif" and the other short
stories by Guy de Maupassant and study the language, the literary style and the history.
Come and learn more about this classic of French literacy.
Please reserve your spot before April 25th, as we need to order the books.
Members: $125
Non-members: $160
Class held at the Susan Patterson Center, 45 Stockton Street, Princeton, Classroom 3.
Contact: Gaelle Goutain gaelle@goutain.com
Conversation Group Change for April Because of the holiday in April we decided to have only one conversation group meeting on Monday, April 20. This is not our normal meeting time. We will meet at noon at the cafe at McCaffreys in the Princeton Shopping Center. In May will return to our regular schedule the 2nd and 4th Mondays. |
Communiversity
Communiversity, an annual event planned by the Princeton community and the university, will take place on Saturday, April 25. This fun-filled street fair has something for all ages. This year the Alliance Francaise of Princeton will have a booth at Communiversty. Attendees will have the opportunity to become members of the Alliance Francaise and will learn about upcoming events and classes. We will also host children's activities such as face painting and coloring. Everyone is encouraged to attend Communiversity and to stop by our booth to learn about ways to become active in the Alliance Francaise of Princeton. Get a free pen and learn how to get an AFP T-shirt. | |
 Membership |
Have you renewed your membership for the Alliance? There is now a simple way to do it: Go to the membership section of the Alliance's new Web site at www.allianceprinceton.com and renew your membership very easily online.
As a member of the Alliance Francaise of Princeton, you receive numerous benefits. Your annual membership includes;
-- Discounts on classes and events
-- Our free conversation groups, held twice a month
-- Invitations to members-only events
-- Access our members-only blog where you can share information and engage in a dialog with fellow Francophones
-- Advance information on all events
-- Volunteer opportunities to help organize events
Our membership categories are:
Friend - $100
Family (two or more members of the same household) - $75
Individual - $50
Academic (French teachers and full-time students under age 25)- $25 | |
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Alliance Française de Princeton Board Members
President
Vice President
Wendy Jaeger
Education Coordinator
Gaelle Goutain
Events
Membership
Treasurer
Communications
Pascal Yvon
Alliance Française de Princeton
PO Box 1165
Princeton, NJ 08542
(609) 356 6625
afprinceton@yahoo.com
www.allianceprinceton.com
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