In februari the Olivaint Conference of Belgium organised a bilateral weekend in Paris with our dear friends of the Conférence Olivaint (of France). 

During this weekend we were hosted by the Belgian Embassy in France at the residence of the ambassador, l’Hôtel de la Marck. A stunning venue in the heart of Paris. We are very grateful for their generosity. 

During this weekend we followed our two focus points: eloquence and governance:

On Saturday morning we welcomed two experts, M. Thierry Vircoulon and Dr. Ladji Ouattara, they talked about the postcolonial relations between Belgium and the Great Lakes region and France and the Sahel region. A tough but very interesting subject. We thank them for their passion and their in-depth analysis. 

In the afternoon our eloquence coordinators, Basile Brahy and Arthur Van Reybrouck organised multiple rounds of public speaking exercises. This presented a rare opportunity where both Olivaint Conferences could exchange ideas and learn from each other. 

We ended the weekend with a cultural activity, a visit of the Petit Palais museum and a stroll through the city. 

This weekend would not have been possible without the help of the Belgian Embassy in France and especially Maxime Gillet, who is not only the current secretary of the Belgian Embassy in France but also an alumnus and ex-president of the Olivaint Conference of Belgium.