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The parliamentary delegation of the Canadian Branch of the APF that participated in the VII La Francophonie Games held in Nice, France, from September 7 to 14, 2013, has the honour to present its report. The delegation of the Canadian Branch of the APF was composed of the Honourable Andrée Champagne, PC, Senator, and President of the APF. In addition to the Canadian Branch, the branches from Belgium/Wallonia-Brussels, Burkina Faso and France also attended the Games. Context The Honourable Andrée Champagne participated in the Games in her role as the International President of the APF. She was the honorary president of the panel responsible for presenting the APF award. The other members of the panel were Mr. Michel De Lamotte, M.P. and President of the Belgium/Wallonia-Brussels branch; Mr. Jean-Pierre Dufau, M.P. and President of the French branch; and Mr. Zacharia Tiemtoré, M.P. and member of the Burkina Faso branch. The President of the APF presented the APF award to Les Grandes Personnes, a giant puppet company from Burkina Faso, at the Awards Gala of the VII La Francophonie Games. The award is a development grant of €7,000. This is the first time that giant puppets have been included in the cultural disciplines at the Games. The troupe brings together music, dancing, storytelling and chanting—all cultural aspects supported by the APF— in one performance, but the handling of these six-metre-high puppets is also an impressive physical feat. Les Grandes Personnes is based in Boromo, Burkina Faso, and the troupe has 30 artists and at least that many giant puppets. “I am happy to present you with this award on behalf of the APF,” said the President of the APF, the Honourable Andrée Champagne, on Saturday, September 14, 2013, at the Acropolis in Nice. La Francophonie Games Open to all 77 member states and governments or observers of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), the La Francophonie Games reflect the sense of solidarity and sharing in the Francophone community. The Games form the largest sports and cultural event for youth in La Francophonie. Held every four years the year after the Olympics, the La Francophonie Games are the only Francophone event that brings more than 3,000 young participants together. Since the Games were established, they have gained strong political support, and states and governments that have the French language in common consider the Games to be a way to encourage youth and illustrate the reality and solidarity of La Francophonie. While the Games celebrate sports and culture, they are above all an opportunity for Francophone countries to gather together and strengthen their ties with each other. The Games are a concrete expression of solidarity and co-operation, which are founding principles of La Francophonie. The Nice Games by the numbers: 54 states and governments present; more than 3,000 participants, including 2,500 athletes and artists and more than 500 other participants; 100 international media partners; 150 independent international media representatives; and more than 80 national media representatives. Eligible disciplines at the Games Sports competitions: · • Track and field (M/F, 18-35 years old) · • Basketball (F, 18-25 years old) · • Soccer (M, under 20 years old) · • Para-track and field (M/F, 18-35 years old) · • Judo (M/F, 18-25 years old) · • Freestyle wrestling and African wrestling (M/F, 18-30 years old) · • Table tennis (M/F, 18-21 years old) · Event: road cycling (M, 19-22 years old and F, 18-35 years old) Cultural activities: · • Street performance arts (M/F, 18-35 years old) · • Plastic and visual arts (M/F, 18-35 years old) · • Song (M/F, 18-35 years old) · • Storytelling (M/F, 18-35 years old) · • Original dance (M/F, 18-35 years old) · • Literature (M/F, 18-35 years old) · • Photography (M/F, 18-35 years old) Development activities: · • Environmental creation (M/F, 18-35 years old) · • Digital creation (M/F, 18-35 years old) By participating in the Games, the Canadian Branch met its objectives, which were to fulfil its international obligations, strengthen international ties and defend its interests. Respectfully submitted,
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