The speech by the mayor of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert marked a weekend of celebrations, coinciding with the festival of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. The event highlighted the 50th anniversary of the Roman Festivals and the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Wolubilis Cultural Centre.
These two anniversaries, born from the same political will, aim to strengthen the cultural life of the city. The Roman Festivals, established in 1976 by the mayor's predecessor, Georges Désir, celebrate "Francité" through popular shows and street arts, bringing together thousands of people. They have become an unmissable event, extending beyond the commune's borders and addressing all citizens, promoting cultural and linguistic diversity against standardization.
Francophonie is presented as a beacon for those who refuse standardization, an evolving collective heritage, and a revolt against the impoverishment of collective intelligence in the face of thinking formatted by algorithms. It is described as a revolutionary and protesting force, rejecting intolerance and defending freedom of thought and creation.
The speech also emphasized the importance of public cultural service, defended by the commune and its cultural actors like the Wolubilis Cultural Centre. This service is deemed irreplaceable for learning to marvel, understanding artistic creation, and seeking the meaning of works, opposing a purely commercial view of culture.
Mayor Georges Désir conceived the cultural village as a unifying space, an agora for cultural actors. The Wolubilis theatre, named after a Roman ruin in Morocco, symbolizes this ambition for an open and shared Mediterranean basin. Despite initial criticism, the venue has become a renowned stage in the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.
The Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, celebrated today, brings together French speakers from Wallonia, Brussels, and Flanders. Woluwe-Saint-Lambert is highlighted for its concrete financial support to representative associations of French speakers, affirming French as a unifying language in Brussels while respecting the diversity of origins and languages.
The presence of mayors and representatives from international cities, participating in the meeting of the commission "Innovative, Smart, Digital, and Responsible Cities," was welcomed. The International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF) is recognized as a pillar of local Francophonie, building bridges and sharing best practices in municipal public management.
Special friendship was expressed towards Sylvie Vucic, deputy mayor of Meudon, a town twinned with Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. The AIMF contributes to a more citizen-oriented Francophonie, fostering peace, understanding, and solidarity among peoples, and striving for greater justice across continents.
