CODOFIL
COuncil for the Development of French in Louisiana
2018 Recipient
International Achievement Award
The recipient of the 19th International Achievement Award is CODOFIL, the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, Louisiana’s agency charged with promoting and developing its French language, heritage, and culture. The presentation ceremony took place within the context of the annual Festival International Open House hosted by the Opportunity Machine (OM), at the Jefferson Street Pub in downtown Lafayette, on Thursday, April 26, 2018, while the press conference and announcement of CODOFIL as the 2018 recipient actually took place on March 20—International Francophone Day.
CODOFIL was the idea of James Domengeaux, former State legislator and US Congressman, who fifty years ago convinced the 1968 Louisiana legislature to create the organization, and who led it during its first years. Philippe Gustin, former director of CODOFIL (1979-1989) and also former director of Lafayette International Center (1989-2018), stated during the March 20th announcement of the award: “CODOFIL was born, as a State agency, so unusual that it is still today the only one of its kind in the whole country.”
Mr. Gustin said, “According to the 1960 US census, some 400,000 people spoke French in Louisiana at that time, many of whom were senior citizens, illiterate in both French and English languages, and some of whom could only speak the old archaic Cajun French of South Louisiana. Most Francophones outside of Louisiana, myself included, had never heard of this surviving Cajun and Creole community of Louisiana. Let's fast-forward to 2018, the year of the 50th anniversary of CODOFIL: granted, fewer people speak French today, but the French is not only spoken, it is also taught in schools, written, published, and thousands of young Louisianians are now bilingual and embrace their ancestral language and culture.”
He continued, “In the sixties, Cajun music and dance were only performed locally. Today, this
culture is exported to distant lands by our many native artists. Although originally an isolated and remote community, Louisiana Francophones are now part of several worldwide Francophone organizations: Legislators, jurists, professors and writers are often invited to international conferences and events. UL houses the only Francophone Studies PhD program in the US; there is a French-American Chamber of Commerce in New Orleans and a French pétanque club in Lafayette. KRVS-Radio broadcasts some thirty hours of French every week and attracts a growing worldwide fan base on the Internet. Louisiana's renowned French immersion instruction is envied and copied in other States, such as Florida and Utah.”
Gustin concluded by saying, “CODOFIL is now expanding the language to the tourist industry to better accommodate many Francophone visitors, and a French Immersion center in Arnaudville, a first in the US, is now becoming a reality. These amazing successes are due at least in part to CODOFIL: its accomplishments are both local and international in scope and nature, and for these reasons, we are honored to present the 2018 IAA to this fine organization.”
In accepting the award, Dr. William Arceneaux, President of CODOFIL, said that during this 50th anniversary year, there have been a huge number of events celebrating the agency’s history and success, but this award was definitely one of the highlights. He said that there is still work to be done in promoting the French language and Louisiana’s French roots. The goal of the agency is to see the French language flourish once again in Louisiana.