As part of Francophonie Month celebrations, Real Gilbert, a St. Anselm College Alumnus, will speak in English about the history of “La Francophonie” on Tuesday, March 26 at 7:00 p.m. at the NH Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College.

Real Gilbert was directly involved in the early stages of what became a worldwide movement and celebration of “La Francophonie.” Through public and private contacts, he negotiated the participation of Franco-Americans in the Summit of Presidents (42) of all the French-speaking countries of the world.  This led to New England being recognized and treated as a country at the summit.

Although today’s relationship between Quebec and the US is strong, few people know that the two were far from being on speaking terms for years.  Real carried messages between the US, Quebec, and Canada and facilitated agreements that resulted in the friendship that exists today.  Through lively anecdotes introducing the key people and political circumstances, Real will share how he was able to accomplish unexpectedly positive results that have had a lasting impact on international relations.

Real has finally agreed to unveil some of the secrets he has kept all these years.  This is a talk you don’t want to miss.  For more details, call 603-641-7114 or email [email protected].