The French-American Foundation is delighted to welcome Young Leader Kalyanee Mam to New York, where she will be screening her documentary "A River Changes Course" at the Museum of Modern Art from June 12-17. On the evening of Thursday, June 13, the Foundation invites you to the MoMA for a screening of the award-winning documentary at 4 PM before a reception with the acclaimed director at Shearman & Sterling at 6 PM.

In his 2013 State of the Union Address, U.S. President Barack Obama announced his intention to pursue a free-trade agreement with the European Union, rejuvenating previously failed talks and creating much discussion about the potential Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). With economic growth sluggish in the United States and almost nonexistent in Europe, expanded trade opportunities are vital to both sides of the Atlantic. Is a free-trade agreement likely to succeed in the coming years?

Dr. Benn Steil, Senior Fellow and Director of International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations, will join the French-American Foundation to share his recent book, The Battle of Bretton Woods: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White, and the Making of a New World Order (Princeton University Press, February 2013). 

The French-American Foundation held its 26th Annual Translation Prize Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, June 5, at the Century Association, in New York. The event featured an address by Gregary J. Racz, President of the American Literary Translator Association (ALTA), as well as a panel discussion on “Literature Without Borders: Why Translation Matters?”. You can learn more about our featured panelists below. 

The French-American Foundation is delighted to welcome David A. Stockman – former U.S. Representative, Director of the Office of Budget and Management, and businessman – for a private dinner to discuss his new book, The Great Deformation: The Corruption of Capitalism in America, released in April 2013. 

This private dinner is by invitation only. For more information, please contact Patrick Lattin at plattin@frenchamerican.org.

Notable French businessman, economic advisor and author Alain Minc will join the French-American Foundation for a private luncheon, in which he will enter in conversation with Foundation Board Member Yves-André Istel, Senior Advisor at Rothschild, Inc.

Bestselling author Tom Reiss will join the French-American Foundation to discuss The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal and the Real Count of Monte Cristo, his recently released portrayal of General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, the mix-raced son of a French nobleman and Haitian slave whose status of military hero during the French Revolutionary Wars was immortalized in the legendary works of his son, Alexandre Dumas.

Acclaimed French intellectual Patrick Weil will join the French-American Foundation for a luncheon to discuss his forthcoming work, The Sovereign Citizen, which tells a century-old history of immigration, the acquisition of citizenship, and more specifically, the policy of denaturalization that stripped U.S. citizens of their legal status for various historical reasons – from politics to ethnicity.

As the U.S. Supreme Court examines the question of affirmative action in university admission with the case of Fisher vs. the University of Texas, the French-American Foundation explores approaches to increasing educational diversity and equality of opportunity in university settings. The recently contested affirmative action is one of numerous practices that have proven a highly controversial approach to expanding the opportunities to minority groups.

Sophie Pedder, Paris Bureau Chief of The Economist, joins the French-American Foundation for a luncheon to discuss her new book, Le déni français: Les derniers enfants gâtés de l’Europe (The French Denial: The last spoiled brats in Europe), released in French in September 2012. AT CAPACITY.

Following the French-American Foundation's meeting of its Board of Directors on Wednesday, February 20, the French-American Foundation is honored to welcome Dr. Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, for a private, off-the-record luncheon.

Charles Kolb, French-American Foundation President, spoke at “Corporate Governance in the Wake of Citizens United,” a plenary seminar organized by Confluence Philanthropy, a non-profit organization devoted to fostering mission-related investing by the philanthropic community. 

Friends of the Foundation gathered for a holiday reception to look back at the successes of 2012 and to look forward to the Foundation's activities in the new year. Featuring keynote remarks by Bertrand Lortholary, Consul General of France in New York.

The French-American Foundation, in partnership with the French Ministry of Culture, hosted five American urban planning and sustainability experts in Nantes, Lyon, and Paris, France.

The French-American Foundation partnered with the French-American Global Forum and La Maison Française of the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. for a discussion on the challenges that are facing Europe and North America, France and the United States. The three-day symposium united numerous international figures from civil society, diplomatic, political and academic worlds under the leadership of experts from media and institutions.

Sophie-Caroline de Margerie, French-American Foundation Young Leader, joined the Foundation for a book talk and reception to discuss her work, American Lady: The Life of Susan Mary Alsop.

We are pleased to announce the French-American Foundation’s Annual Gala Dinner to be held at Cipriani on Wednesday, November 7.  

That evening, it will be our privilege to honor Mr. Leonard A. Lauder and Mr. Maurice R. Greenberg, who will receive the Foundation’s Benjamin Franklin Award.  The Foundation is also delighted to honor Ms. Stacy Schiff with the Vergennes Achievement Award.  Presenters include Henry A. Kissinger, Bill Keller and Bob Simon.   

The Foundation is finishing the first year of its Immigration Journalism Fellowship and Award program. This initiative draws focus on one of the most important political issues of our time by encouraging journalism that provides in-depth portrayals of immigration and its impact on the lives of people and communities across the globe.

Jonathan Fenby, British journalist and Managing Director of the China Team at Trusted Sources, joined the French-American Foundation to discuss his acclaimed biography of General Charles de Gaulle, The General.

The 2012 Young Leaders program was held in France from October 2 to 7. Young Leaders spent time in both Paris and Le Havre. 

Click here for more information on the program.

The Foundation partnered with the French-American Global Forum and La Maison Française of the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. for a discussion on “China – USA in the 21st Century: Clash or Partnership.” Held under the patronage of Olivier Serot Alméras, Consul General of France in Washington, D.C., the panel discussion was moderated by Steven Clemons, Editor-at-large, The Atlantic.

Frank Vogl, co-founder of Transparency International, discussed his brand-new book “Waging War on Corruption” and talked about challenges facing France, Europe and the United States and the progress of the anti-corruption movement.

Christopher Dickey, Paris Bureau Chief of Newsweek magazine, joined us for a webinar to discuss the new balance of political power and how the new French government promises to change the political life and policies of France and Europe.

The third in a series of French-American Foundation Infrastructure Nexus roundtables took place on May 29 in Houston, Texas, with a focus on energy.  This series of high-level roundtable discussions examines U.S. policy on infrastructure and shares the French and European experience. Focusing on energy, water and transportation, this initiative allows French and American experts to exchange best practices in an intimate closed-door setting.

The French-American Foundation and Florence Gould Foundation celebrated the 25th anniversary of their prestigious Translation Prize.

This special occasion was commemorated with a discussion on the current challenges of working with translations and featuring special guests:

Young New York professionals gathered for a cocktail and discussion with Vahram Muratyan, creator of the smash-hit blog and newly published book Paris versus New York: A Tally of Two Cities.  Muratyan, whose work has become a favorite among lovers of Paris and New York, discussed the inspiration behind his playful comparisons of these two iconic cities.  

Philippe Camus, Chairman of the Board for Alcatel-Lucent since 2008 and Chief Executive Officer of EADS from 2000-2005, and William Schneider, Jr., who has served as Under Secretary of State and Chairman of the Defense Science Board, joined the Foundation to discuss French-American military cooperation. The discussion, moderated by Fred Marcusa, Partner at Kaye Scholer LLP, explored the evolution of military relations between these two allies over the past years and looked at how the 2012 presidential elections in both nations promised to shape future cooperation.

Dr. Jean-Laurent Casanova, Professor and head of the St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases at Rockefeller University, joined us to discuss his research on the role of human genetics in determining pediatric infectious diseases.

Nicholas Confessore, political correspondent with the New York Times, joined youth representatives from France’s two major political parties for a discussion on the influence of young voters in the 2012 presidential elections in France and the United States. 

Alexandre Cournol (UMP) and Mathieu O-Keefe(PS) shared a French perspective as part of this discussion moderated by Alix Bouilhaguet, political reporter for France 2 and Le Parisien, Aujourd’hui en France.

The French-American Foundation, in partnership with the French Joint Staff (Etat-major des armées), held the 11th French-American Defense Symposium, focusing this year on the issue of Cyber Security. The Symposium brought together high-level officials and experts to discuss best practices and opportunities for international cooperation as both nations are faced with emerging challenges of cyber defense and security.

This year, we celebrated Valentine's Day early with delicious chocolates provided by Michel Cluizel Chocolat paired with a selection of Sud de France wines from Languedoc-Roussillon.

French-American Connection events are designed for young, dynamic New York professionals. This event was organized in partnership with the Michel Cluizel Chocolat and Sud de France Développement.

French intellectual Guy Sorman, founder of Editions Sorman, and Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal discussed the prospects for democracy in the Arab world in the wake of the series of Revolutions throughout Northern Africa and the Middle East.

Above: photo of Guy Sorman by Mariusz Kubik.

The French-American Foundation partnered with Columbia University, the New York City Mayor's Office and the Regional Plan Association to host the Mayors’ Institute on City Design East 2011 Conference. Joining this initiative in its 25th year, the French-American Foundation brought French and European leaders and experts in urban planning to this annual discussion. For a quarter century, the Mayors’ Institute on City Design has provided a forum for mayors to engage leading design experts to find solutions to critical urban design challenges facing their cities.

Céline Legros, founder of the online pastry shop, Les Canelés de Céline, joined us to discuss her work bringing these traditional French pastries from her native France to New York and her business endeavors creating a pastry-sales website. Céline's specialty, the canelé, is a centuries-old traditional pastry from the Bordeaux area in the southwest of France, made of crêpe batter cooked slowly at high temperatures to create a caramelized crust and a moist center.

In partnership with the French Ministry of Culture and Communication and with the support of the Florence Gould Foundation, the French-American Foundation conducted its second study tour in 2011 focused on the topic of Sustainable Cities. American experts on urban development and sustainability spent five days in Paris and Lille, France to examine these specific questions: the rehabilitation of rundown neighborhoods, the revitalization of inner cities and the right-sizing of cities in decline. This followed on a parallel study tour in the United States in November for French experts.

Eric Garcetti – President of the Los Angeles City Council, 2013 candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, and French-American Foundation Young Leader – spoke to our guests about his work to promote a more sustainable city through initiatives that promote water conservation, green buildings, and responsible development.

The French-American Foundation celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Young Leaders program in Paris on November 18 and 19. More than half of our Young Leaders community in France, the United States, and further abroad joined the Foundation for a weekend of meetings, receptions and discussions.

In partnership with the French Ministry of Culture and Communication and with the support of the Florence Gould Foundation, the French-American Foundation conducted its first study tour in 2011 focused on the topic of Sustainable Cities. French experts on urban development and sustainability spent five days in Washington D.C., Baltimore and Cleveland to examine these specific questions: the rehabilitation of rundown neighborhoods, the revitalization of inner cities and the right-sizing of cities in decline. A subsequent study tour in France was organized in December for U.S. experts.

The French-American Foundation hosted a delegation of diversity directors from European broadcasting companies to discuss diversity in the media with a group of US journalists and diversity specialists. Members of the pan-European delegation included high-level executives representing ten countries, including Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ, French broadcaster TF1, and SNRT, the public broadcaster of Morocco. The event provided an excellent forum for a discussion of US and European strategies to promote greater diversity in the media and to share best practices.

Jean-François Serval discussed his book, "La monnaie virtuelle qui nous fait vivre," which explores the role of 'virtual currency' – money created through financial innovation not under the control of any central bank – in the creation of instability that led to the financial crisis.

Lasse Larsen and Jacquelyn Willard, co-founders of the eco-luxury private-sales site, Lux & Eco, talked to our guests about their work to build a website for luxury items that are both eco-friendly and humane. Find out more about their venture here.

The Annual Gala is the principal fundraising event of the French-American Foundation. Each year at the Gala, the Foundation presents its Benjamin Franklin Award to two individuals who have made significant contributions to the French-American relationship. This year, we honored Philippe Dauman, President and CEO of Viacom, Inc., and Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough.

Click below to watch the video that aired at the gala, presenting 2010-2011 highlights.

French intellectual Guy Sorman and Chinese dissident Yang Jianli tackled the issue of human rights in China, during this breakfast seminar.

This public event and reception celebrated the publication of “Transatlantic Divide–the USA Euroland Rift?” by John J. Metzler of St. John's University. Metzler discussed the book, exploring the impact of the US-led invasion of Iraq on US-European relations.

Marc Fumaroli, member of l’Académie Française and renowned scholar of 17ths-century rhetoric, gave a talk on his 2011 work, “When the World Spoke French” (Quand l’Europe parlait français), recently translated to English by French-American Foundation Translation Prize recipient and Pultizer Prize-winning poet Richard Howard.  Michael Shae, Senior Editor at The New York Review of Books, moderated the discussion of Fumaroli’s work, which explored the cultural predominance of the French language throughout Europe and America in the 18th century.

The second in a series of French-American Foundation Infrastructure Nexus roundtables took place on September 20 in Washington, DC, with a focus on water and transportation. This series of high-level roundtable discussions examines U.S. policy on infrastructure and shares the French and European experience. Focusing on energy, water and transportation, this initiative allows French and American experts to exchange best practices in an intimate closed-door setting.

Energy and climate expert Jean-Marc Jancovici – consultant, engineer, professor, and author – spoke on carbon production in modern life and its effects on the environment. Jancovici, a French-American Foundation Young Leader in 2002, founded Carbone 4, a leading consulting firm that has worked for half of the principal mulitnationals in Europe and operated in 20 countries, and developed the system of carbon footprint assessment used in France and across Europe. The conference was hosted and co-sponsored by Roche Bobois, environmentally conscious designer of fine furnishings.

Pulitzer Prize-winning financial columnist Gretchen Morgenson of The New York Times and the Rev. J. Douglas Ousley of the Church of the Incarnation spoke on the challenges of establishing and following ethical standards in the financial industry in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008. Morgenson shared insights about the moral lapses that contributed to the financial crisis from her recent book, “Reckless Endangerment: How Outsized Ambition, Greed, and Corruption Led to Economic Armageddon," co-authored by Joshua Rosner.

French-American Connection events are social gatherings centered around lively discussion with one featured guest and shaped for New York City's young professionnals.

For this second event in the ongoing series, guests enjoyed sunset views of the Hudson in company of guest Brian Schechter, co-CEO of HowAboutWe.com.

The French-American Foundation and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the U.S. hosted a discussion with French author Edouard Valdman. Mr. Valdman presented his book "Idéalisme français, pragmatisme américain: une nécessaire union" ("French Idealism, American Pragmatism: A Necessary Union").

This event was part of the Tuck Speaker Series, an ongoing series that provides a forum for French and American policy-makers, experts, business leaders, and journalists to discuss issues of transatlantic concern.

Departing from midtown at Pier 78, the French-American Foundation's first-ever sunset cruise on the Hudson River offered fabulous views of the Statue of Liberty. Guest of honor Adam Gopnik's remarks were followed by an evening of live jazz and champagne.

The French-American Foundation and the Center for Transatlantic Relations organized a luncheon with His Excellency François Delattre, Ambassador to France in the United States, in order to discuss the relationship and partnership between France and the United States.

The first in a series of French-American Foundation Infrastructure Nexus roundtables took place on May 31 in Washington, DC, with a focus on energy.  This series of high-level roundtable discussions examines U.S. policy on infrastructure and shares the French and European experience. Focusing on energy, water and transportation, this initiative allows French and American experts to exchange best practices in an intimate closed-door setting.

Please click here for more information on the French-American Foundation’s Infrastructure Nexus initiative.

Since 1986, the French-American Foundation, with the long-standing support of the Florence Gould Foundation, awards annual Translation Prizes for the best translation from French to English in fiction and non-fiction. 

Moderated by Jean-Luc Marret, Senior Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations, this talk by Nicolas Tenzer addressed the role France will take in 2030 and beyond.

Organized in partnership with the French-American School of Music, this event was open to the public.

Jean-Francois Serval, President of Serval & Associés, and Yves-Andre Istel, Senior Advisor at Rothschild Inc., were invited to discuss the book “La monnaie virtuelle qui nous fait vivre” ("Virtual Currency"), a unique synthesis of contemporary monetary issues written by Mr. Serval and Jean-Pascal Tranié.