Society

Political Islam expert explores roots of jihad with AAPA

Five days before the March 22 attacks in Brussels, French political philosopher Olivier Roy told the AAPA that Islamic State is reaching its territorial limits and French jihadists are more a product of a generational revolt than a political struggle. Roy, a professor at the European University Institute in Florence, spoke to 25 AAPA members during a lengthy Q&A session on March 17 at Bloomberg’s…


AAPA Gets Inside Story on Immigration, Citizenship Issues

AAPA members now have a much deeper understanding of the controversial issues in France of immigration, citizenship and national identity after meeting on January 28 with Patrick Weil, historian and director of research at CNRS. The informal gathering was kindly hosted by Secretary General Sara Llana in her apartment near Place de la République. Weil is a true intellectual and has done a lot of…


Climate Talks Must Be a Success, Nicolas Hulot Tells AAPA

There was no doubt in the mind of Nicolas Hulot that the COP21 conference on climate change would be a success. Speaking to a group of AAPA members five days before over 140 heads of state and governments converged on Paris to attend the COP21 on Nov. 30, President Hollande’s special envoy for the protection of the planet said : « The only question is : will it be a half success, a full success…


AAPA Gears Up for COP21 Climate Change Conference

AAPA members now know the who, what, where, when and why of the upcoming COP21 conference on climate change thanks to a briefing on Nov. 3 from Celine Ramstein, the COP21 project manager for the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations. Over 90 minutes, Ramstein, whose institute is working closely with the French government to prepare for the negotiations, enlightened us…


Annual Gala Reflects Thriving AAPA

Nearly 100 AAPA members and their guests had reason to cheer when they gathered for our annual Gala garden party – traditionally our most prestigious and well-attended event - on June 10. Once again, we were lucky with the weather and were able to enjoy the gardens at the British Ambassador’s residence, where we were hosted with customary warmth and good cheer by Honorary Co-President Sir Peter…


Minister Warns on Militant Secularism in Schools

  France must avoid being overly dogmatic in the interpretation of rules separating church and state, and “militant secularism” of the kind that bars mothers with headscarves volunteering on school outings is “counter-productive,” Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem told the Anglo American Press Association on June 1.   In a 90-minute meeting with over two dozen AAPA members at…


Imam Lays Out the Challenges Facing French Muslims

Islam in France must respect and adapt to the country's secular creed and be independent of foreign influence, but France must also better understand and respect Islamic history and its achievements, says Tareq Oubrou, rector and imam of the main mosque of Bordeaux.   "Islam has always been transmitted through cultures, so when the culture changes the relationship with religion must change…


AAPA Briefed by Terrorism Expert Bauer

There is no way to fully counter terrorism, and there are no "lone wolves," AAPA members learned during a lively discussion on Feb. 23 with French criminologist and security and terrorism expert Alain Bauer. All the terrorists who have been identified so far have been "connected" in some way, and most of their funding is coming from their own, often criminal, activities, he said. "The expression…


ENA Head Aims To Reform Selection Process

Achieving greater social diversity among the high-powered students at the Ecole Nationale de l'Administration is one of the challenges facing the prestigious school for France's elite managers and civil servants, AAPA members and their guests were told on Jan. 28 by ENA's director, Nathalie Loiseau.   Mme Loiseau acknowledged that ENA's recruiting process tends to reproduce privilege. "It…


CNIL Chief Briefs AAPA On Digital Europe, Privacy and Security

How best to defend individual freedom, privacy and “the right to be forgotten” in a context of increased focus on public security and the fight against terrorism were the core topics when more than 20 AAPA members met on Jan. 21 with Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, President of France’s Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL).   Speaking at the CNIL’s Parisian headquarters,…