Commentaires

Philippe Le Corre, Advisor to the French Minister of Defense
I enjoyed the YL program tremendously. It reminded me of many international discussions I had at Harvard except that our talks at Paris and Avignon were not purely academic: they were between true professionals with successful careers in the US and France, who actually found a lot in common". "There are not so many programs where Americans and French can exchange freely on a wide range of topics, ranging from international politics to religion and gender equality." "One thing I particularly enjoyed about the YL program was the fact almost no one in the group has preconceived ideas about either country. Both Americans and French were ready to listen to one another. Which is refreshing at a time when politicians badly need to improve dialogue on both sides of the Atlantic.

Kimberly Morin, Government Affairs Manager, Monsanto Company
The opportunity to meet so many bright and accomplished U.S. and French leaders of varied personal and professional backgrounds has immeasurable value. I applaud the French American Foundation for its commitment to the Young Leaders program.

Pierre Albouy, Managing Director, Rothschild, Inc.
This is a great program and I am extremely grateful to the FAF to have invited me. The most valuable aspects were the chance to meet and network with outstanding people from different fields, and to challenge your personal opinion and better understand both culture and way of life by destroying the stereotypes and the clichés. The quality of guest speaker interventions was also very high, especially from Denis Lacorne. I believe this program creates stimulating interactions between participants that provide them with a different perspective on the so-called French-US relations in various fields. Also this is a fantastic opportunity to meet amazing people. Certainly we all feel we are indebted to the FAF. As far as I am concerned I certainly do feel that way. Many thanks again.

François Dufour, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Play Bac Publishing
I really enjoyed the Young Leaders program because it is taking a step back on the everyday life. Taking time to think; Taking time to meet; In short taking time to open up! Also, my belief is our two countries are attracted each other by common values (especially freedom) and also attracted by their day-to-day differences (way of living, sport and culture). It was fun to feel it between the Young Leaders from both sides.

Calvin Sims, Editorial Producer, New York Times Television
The most enriching aspect of the program was the opportunity to have an intimate, open yet confidential exchange with my French counterparts. Some of this exchange was fostered by the formal discussions and sessions, but the most valuable discussions developed naturally in off hours. The diversity of the group, in terms of professions, social, and ethnic backgrounds, was extremely useful.

Arnaud Ventura, Chief Executive Officer, Planet Finance
Meeting other Young Leaders with experiences from different backgrounds and with varied interests, this was clearly the most valuable part of the experiences.

Laurance N'Kaoua, Journalist, Les Echos
The discussions and the debates were great : it was refreshing to be confronted with thoughts and visions from overseas. It made me measure the extent to which we tend to see things through our cultural prism. For instance, I found Jamie Metzl's explanation of why the French were perceived negatively by the Americans during the Iraq crisis fascinating: some of his arguments (such as the feeling of being "let down" and the emotional perceptions of the French attitude) had never even occurred to me. In France, we got locked up in a "I told you so" attitude and didn't think twice about it. Sharing impressions and spending time with successful people in areas or businesses that are different from the ones we evolve in is always stimulating. In addition, as a French citizen and as a reporter, I found interesting the way in which our politicians addressed young and successful Americans. Their discourse is quite different, believe me, when they address the French press. Finally, watching the presidential debate with people directly involved was also very interesting : at a time when things seemed quite uncertain, I found it enlightening to discover how Republicans and Democrats had opposite perceptions of the very same event.

Rick O'Donnell, Executive Director, Colorado Commission of Higher Education
I found most interesting learning about the French conception of themselves and their outlook on their economy, their place in the European Union and in international affairs generally. I particularly enjoyed learning about the French take --and how different it is from the American-- on the separation of church and state. While many of the guest speakers were interesting, the sessions in which I learned the most were those that turned more into a conversation among the Young Leaders. Finally, I met a number of French and American Young Leaders with whom I will stay in touch in the coming years; these relationships are invaluable.

Charlotte Dennery, Member of the Executive Committee for Insurance, Finance and Strategy, BNP Paribas Assurance
Like last year, the program was of very high quality, thanks to the team from the French-American Foundation. The most valuable parts of the program were the personal relationships with the other participants, the debates with guest speakers, in particular Professor Denis Lacorne, and the trip to Avignon.

Lieutenant Spencer Abbot, F-18 Hornet fighter pilot, United States Navy
I can't overstate what a valuable and enjoyable learning experience the FAF Young Leaders' Program was for me personally, a sentiment that I believe is shared unanimously among the program's participants. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to spend a week hearing the opinions and perspectives offered by the very thoughtful and accomplished group that participated in this year's program.

Just to illustrate what a remarkable and diverse group participated in the FAF Young Leaders Program, a few of my own memorable program experiences were: over dinner in the orangerie of Anne Cox Chambers stunning residence, comparing Pacific Ocean scuba diving experiences with Nicolas Tissot, who served as an officer in the French Navy based aboard a ship in Tahiti; walking through the walled city of Avignon while talking with Philippe Le Corre about his first-hand perspective on the transfer of Hong Kong to China's control, amassed while working in Hong Kong as a journalist, and the unique perspective on defense policy work that his journalistic background affords him; running along the banks of the Seine (in retrospect, masochistically) with marathoner Jamie Metzl, who related his perspectives taken from a different run -- for Congress, as well as his work on the National Security Council staff, and the life lessons he derived from writing a novel drawing on his time spent working for the United Nations in Cambodia; and hearing Bobby Jindal discuss his past run for gubernatorial office in Louisiana, his sentiments toward his upcoming service in the U.S. Congress, and his perspective toward building on the themes that emerged during the French-American Foundation program to address the challenges that will collectively face our two countries in the coming years.

As is evident, the FAF Young Leaders Program represented a tapestry of remarkable people and discussions in which I felt very grateful and humbled to be included, and provided a rich and memorable set of experiences that I will be fortunate to be able to draw upon in the years to come. As an American Naval Officer and pilot, I particularly enjoyed meeting and talking with the French Air Force officer who attended the program, Colonel Bruno Paccagnini, whose contributions to the program's discussions were appreciated by the American participants, both military and civilian.