Letter from our new President

Dear all,

At the heart of the French-American Foundation is our mission to advance dialogue and cross-cultural understanding. As the events of the past weeks have shown, it’s work that is more essential than ever. I’m delighted to have joined the Foundation as its new president and to be part of this important work.

As I write this, the UN General Assembly is in full swing. It’s wonderful to see the international community gathering again in person: the speeches and the meetings, but also the motorcades, the parties and the traffic jams that are so much a part of early fall in New York City. It’s a reminder, too, that while much in our world has changed since the beginning of the pandemic, our very human need to connect, to see one another, to debate and to discuss face-to-face, has not.

In keeping with the theme, this week also marks the return of the Foundation’s Transatlantic Forum meetings, which play an essential role in encouraging Franco-American collaboration and goodwill. We are delighted to welcome our members back and to bring them together for an evening of good food and lively conversation.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll be turning our attention to Paris and the 40th annual meeting of our Young Leaders program. On this year’s agenda: a tour of the restoration of Notre Dame, a visit to Normandy and meetings with an array of French experts and leaders. We’ll be posting regularly from the conference, so make sure to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest.

Wishing you an excellent week,

Caroline Naralasetty