Éric Forgues, Executive Director, CIRLM, disclosed the findings of the consultations held at the beginning of 2015 in the wake of questions raised by several Acadian stakeholders about the relevancy of the Congrès mondial acadien (CMA). The main goal of the consultations was to determine whether or not the Acadian population living in Atlantic Canada and from the diaspora wished to pursue the practice of holding the CMA in the future and, if so, in what format.

The outcomes of the survey show that a large majority (86%) of respondents want the Congrès mondial acadien to continue taking place following the event scheduled for 2019. In addition, most of the people interviewed believe the Congrès mondial acadien is still relevant, and many say the event has had an impact on the Acadian population over the years, particularly by fostering a sense of belonging and Acadian pride. The CMA should be an opportunity to celebrate and to express loudly and clearly Acadian identity and culture, as well as the French language, while providing an avenue for collective reflection. The CMA reflects the Acadia of today, its current sociality, all the while serving as a springboard for the Acadia of tomorrow. Furthermore, if the CMA should continue to take place, it must innovate and renew itself. "The analysis shows that those who participated in the consultation want changes in order to improve the CMA, in terms of both format and content", says Éric Forgues. The report is now available online at www.snacadie.org or click here.

"We welcome and appreciate the results of the consultation on the future of the Congrès mondial acadien. They give irrefutable evidence of the Acadian people's commitment towards this major event's sustainability and development. Thank you to all the respondents who have contributed to a better grasp of the expected improvements and to direct the actions aimed at ensuring the continuity of the CMA" says René Cormier, President, SNA.

"The SNA was also mandated by its board of directors to assemble an advisory committee made up of known leaders in the Acadian community who will be responsible for making recommendations to help the SNA secure the future of the Congrès mondial acadien in compliance with criteria of excellence" he added.

It should be noted that in 2001, the Société Nationale de l'Acadie (SNA) accepted the mandate to secure the future of the CMA. The SNA is therefore responsible for selecting the host region and then developing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the CMA's Organizing Committee (CMAOC) that coordinates the holding of the event.


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The Société Nationale de l'Acadie (SNA) is a not-for-profit umbrella federation for the four Francophone community associations and the four youth associations in the Atlantic Provinces. The SNA also has affiliate members in Quebec, France and the United States. Its mandate is to represent the Acadian people on the Atlantic, national and international stage. Visit www.snacadie.org to learn more about the SNA.



For more information:

Carolji Forgues
Director of Communications
Société Nationale de l'Acadie (SNA)
(506) 853-4252
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