More than 400 guests attended the cocktail evening, which featured stands run by the event’s cosponsors.

The Venet d’or, awarded annually in New York, honors an American individual or institution that promotes francophonie and its values—solidarity, cultural diversity and multilingualism—in the United States. It is named after the celebrated sculptor Bernar Venet, who created the work of art that is presented to the winner. This year, the Venet d’or was awarded to the CUNY Graduate Center’s PhD in French program, which was recently ranked second in the country for the scholarly achievement of its faculty (Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index). Edouard Glissant, a poet, writer, philosopher, and Distinguished Professor, and Francesca Canade Sautman, a Professor of French and the Executive Officer, Ph.D. Program in French, accepted the prize on behalf of CUNY’s Graduate Center.

After the award ceremony, two francophone bands took to the stage for a marvelous evening of music and dance. Source & Abdoulaye Diabate, whose members hail from all over the world, performed an eclectic and cosmopolitan jazz with an African twist. Tricot Machine, a duo from Quebec, captivated the audience with candid, catchy piano melodies and vocals that bring to mind Quebec’s traditional chansons.

This evening was just an avant-goût, or foretaste, of the worldwide Journée Internationale de la Francophonie which was celebrated, as every year, on March 20 by over 200 million French-speakers in 68 countries across the world. The language they shared embodies their solidarity as they cooperated to promote a globalization that is respectful of cultural differences. March 20 was chosen in remembrance of the signature, in 1970, of the treaty that gave birth to the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (International Organization of la Francophonie) in Niamey, Niger.