French Cultural Assistance In African Countries

Official Development Assistance(ODA)or foreign aid,as an important means of national foreign policy,has drawn much attention all over the world in the rapid development of the global value chain.With the aid given by bilateral donors or channeled through multilateral institutions,ODA has provided all-round assistance and support to social,economic,cultural,and environmental development sectors of all countries in the world,as well as an impetus for the social and economic development of recipient countries.France,as an important member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD),has always prioritized this support and humanitarian aid as an essential pillar of its foreign policy.Considerable efforts have been made by France to expand the scale and diversity of ODA.With prominent political intentions and characteristics when carrying out ODA,France aims to extend its influence in the recipient countries,regions,and even the world,and to maintain an image as a great power.Due to special historical reasons and geographical factors,the main targets of France's ODA are the French-speaking countries and regions in Africa.However,as a colonial power in history,France's ODA has still focused on the African continent with a heavy investment in economic infrastructure,humanities and education,according to the public data of OECD.In recent years,affected by the rise of African Independence Movements,France has been forced to give up its military assistance in Africa.Instead,it has gradually established new partnership types,which are more pragmatic and mutually beneficial,with French-speaking African countries,making a greater shift towards the social and economic development sectors.When France is allocating its ODA to Africa,the social development sector has consistently accounted for the highest proportion of aid,especially in cultural assistance.In the aid process,France has helped African countries and regions improve the quality of basic education,launched "elite" education,facilitated the development of cultural industries in Africa,and provided technical assistance in the aspects of French language learning,education and teaching,and scientific research.Through cultural assistance to Africa,France has boosted the spread of basic culture and the growth of cultural industries in Africa,and more importantly,disseminated French culture as widely as possible and provoked a deeper political influence throughout African territories.In this paper,it probes into the French cultural assistance in African countries based on domestic and overseas scholars,while making an in-depth summary and analysis of its basic situation and influencing factors.