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Silvia Valensi conversation with Valérie Hoffenberg
Valérie Hoffenberg has been awarded the Légion d’honneur, on September 17, 2009, by President Sarkozy. During the ceremony he congratulated her on “her determination, her involvement, her loyalty to values, and her capability to never give up her dreams”. Born in Marseille, France, Valérie Hoffenberg graduated with a degree in law, political science and communication. She has been involved for many years in politics and geopolitics, after having worked in private and civil society spheres. Woman of action, she has got involved in several matters. She has often organized meetings on international issues. Her number one priority is common dialogue. It implies her presence on various grounds, such as political and humanitarian grounds: Union-Med, Europe or peace in the Mideast. Thanks to her personal background and her feeling to belong to a multi-culture, Valérie Hoffenberg has been given a strong political will dedicated to promote values such as respect, cultural diversity and mutual understanding. Her role model personality imposes the vision of a European and Mediterranean identity dedicated to a great consciousness of responsibility and solidarity. Valérie Hoffenberg is Conseiller de Paris (regional councilor) and in charge for the 16th arrondissement of superior education and student life. She is CEO of the French bureau of the American Jewish Committee, French representative for the Transatlantic Institute, in charge of the international relations for the Think tank Génération France run by Jean-François Copé. Vice-president and co-founder of Terrafemina. Member of the board of Paroles de femmes. Co-founder of Urgence Dialogue. In the mist of the Gaza conflict she has created “Collectif Urgence Dialogue” with Bernard Abouaf from Radio Shalom and Nacer Kettane from Beur FM and organizes a conference at the National Assembly held in February 5, 2009 on the theme of Co-existence. She is the French President’s envoy for the creation of a Franco-Palestinian industrial park in Bethlehem in cooperation with the Israeli government. In December 2008, she organized the first trip of French Muslim leaders and from other origins to Israel and the Palestinian territories. Thanks to her, they got the chance to meet with President Mahmud Abbas and President Shimon Peres. Silvia Valensi: Madam, since you are the French representative for AJC, you invited to AJC in New York Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, Minister of culture, to have him introduce the memorable French exhibition on “Les Justes”. What meaning did you want this exhibition in New York to be given to the museums, national galleries and amateurs? Valérie Hoffenberg:The first purpose of this event was to enhance dialogue between France and the Unites States. I wanted the well-informed American public to learn much about the French “Justes” who behaved bravely during World War II and fought for the sake of our core values. This exhibition has been an action of honor but also a historical action for France’s image in the US. The fact that it has been presented before American art experts has been easily understood because to Americans an artistic message has always a political, social, historical and humanist meaning. SV: As AJC’s representative, you organized a lot of meetings with French politicians since 2004 in the United States as well as in the Middle East. (Nicolas Sarkozy, then Interior Minister, came and spoke in 2004 in Washington, DC, Jean-François Copé, then spokesperson for the government in 2007, as well as François Fillon or Dominique Strauss-Kahn) Which issues are raised during these meetings? VH: the American Jewish Committee is one of the oldest American Jewish organizations. It’s more than 102 years-old. This non-governmental organization’s purpose is the defense of human rights, democratic values, pluralism, the fight against anti-Semitism and every other forms of racism. The themes discussed during these meetings range from the most important social causes such as positive action, the strengthening of links between communities, the fight against anti-Semitism to transatlantic relations and Middle-East political related issues. Let’s recall that AJC has been engaged at Martin Luther King’s side in the fight for civil rights. Regarding such issues, political personalities often come and debate. SV: You said “Europe is a guardian; she gives hope to every other people in the world”. How would you define your European identity and what concretes actions do you take in favor of a Europe of ideas? VH: I have always expressed my European identity at a national, European and international level. I have always had a very precise notion on what Europe could bring to the world because European construction is to me the most important achievement of the 20th century. Moreover, in the same vein, I run the international relations section of the Think Tank Generation France created by Jean-François Copé (see the link to Generation France). Europe is also my favorite battle ground when it comes to inequalities between men and women and intercultural dialogue. SV: Among your major concerns, private or public, there are the fight against discriminations, diversity, education, sustainable development and women’s engagement in peace and dialogue. How are all these battles organized within Union-Med and your association, Terrafemina? VH: To me, women know best how to overcome their differences and focus on their common points. Hence I wanted to build bridges between women of the two sides of the Mediterranean thanks to the association Terrafemina, in order to create a network of women from Union-Med countries. (The subject of the first conference was “women, link of Union-Med”). Moreover, I consider that a rapprochement with Mediterranean countries could be an asset to Europe. For this reason it is important that French students be given education on Med-Union countries’ history and culture. Hence, I have agreed to participate in the project “Schoolbooks of the Mediterranean” conceived with the Education Ministry. These schoolbooks will be available in every French school from June 2009 and will give an occasion to young French to learn about the Mediterranean peoples’ cultures. Its purpose is also to fight against prejudices. Knowledge and recognition of others is a basis for dialogue.
SV: Your political criteria stand on national coherence, intercultural dialogue and urban European culture. Facing a real threat of break between religious communities, what is your message of peace in order to coexist despite our differences? VH: The motto “together everything becomes possible” used by President Sarkozy during his election campaign has a real meaning to me. It implies the principle of rapprochement between peoples and communities. This is the way I have been engaged in achieving all necessary projects. I think we should set as an example the American model according to which communities do not oppose one to another but help each other and build coalitions to face common problems. For example, issues such as the role of religion toward the State or women’s situation are important to every community. To build a better future, we should focus on common values. We should work together to share our experiences, our memories and our histories to overcome our differences. It seems crucial to me to never stop dialoguing in order to avoid every break, to deconstruct prejudices and to never give in to the easy way of hatred.
AJC-France : ajc.france.over-blog.com Génération France : generationfrance.fr Fadia Otte, Safe World Peace: safeworldpeace.com
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