Read and the press release about Lilian Thuram

May 2016
You are not born a racist, you become one. This truth is the cornerstone of the
Foundation Education against racism. Racism is an intellectual, construction and more than
anything, a political one. We must realize that we have been conditioned by History, from
generation to generation, to see ourselves primarily as Blacks, Whites, Maghrebiens, Asians…
Is it not time to, first of all, see ourselves as human beings?
In order to be able to deconstruct our prejudices, we need to understand where they
came from.
Our societies need to grasp the idea, however simple, that the colour of the skin, the
gender, the religion, the sexuality of a person have nothing to do with his or hers intelligence,
language, physical abilities, nationality or preferences. Each one of us is capable of learning
anything, good or bad.
« Gender inequality is more than anything a political issue, this unequal model is the mould for
all other systems of inequality. »
Françoise Héritier, member of the scientific committee of the
Foundation
« We share the same origin: we are all Africans by origin, born three million years ago, and
this should encourage brotherhood. »
Yves Coppens, member of the scientific committee of the
Foundation
The actions of the Foundation are based on the expertise of its scientific committee,
consisting of the following members : Françoise Héritier, anthropologist, Yves Coppens,
paleoanthropologist, Marie Rose Moro, child and adolescent psychiatrist, Doudou Diène, legal
expert, United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, (2002-2008),
Evelyne Heyer, human population geneticist, Ninian Hubert Van Blyenburgh, anthropologist
and didactician, Elisabeth Caillet, museologist, Michel Wieviorka, sociologist, Françoise
Vergès, political scientist, Tzvetan Todorov, philosopher and historian Pierre Raynaud, public
policy development engineer, Carole Reynaud Paligot, historian, Pascal Brice, diplomat,
Pascal Boniface, geopolitical scientist, Pascal Blanchard, historian, Patrick Estrade,
psychologist, André Magnin, exhibition curator.
Principal ongoing projets :
- The travelling exhibition ÊTRE HUMAIN (HUMAN BEING) with l’Association Les Petits
Débrouillards pour 2016 : http://www.thuram.org/site/actualites-projets/projets/
-
Volume 2 of the graphic novel Notre histoire (Delcourt, planned for February 2017.)
http://www.thuram.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/DP-Notre-histoire.-LilianThuram.pdf
-
The national contest Penser l’Autre (Think of others), for eleven- to eighteen-years olds:
Write a short story of two- four pages based on one of the subjects proposed by Lilian
Thuram, President of the jury 2016. Organised in the framework of the 27th edition of le
Festival international du livre et du film Saint-Malo Étonnants Voyageurs (12-16 May 2016.)
http://www.etonnants-voyageurs.com/spip.php?article20394&var_mode=recalcul
These are some of the activities organised since the creation of the Foundation in 2008:
- Talks in French and foreign schools, universities, conferences and debates.
- The book Mes étoiles noires, de Lucy à Barack Obama – My black stars, from Lucy to
Barack Obama (Prix Seligmann contre le racisme 2010; Ed. Philippe Rey 2010, Ed.
Points 2011.) Published in Spanish (Ara Llibres 2012), in Italian (ADD Editore 2013), in
Portuguese (Tinta da China 2013), In Swedish (Vaktel Förlag 2015.) We are looking for
a publisher for the English translation.
- The solidary co-edition of Mes étoiles noires consisting of 12 publishers, published in
2014 : Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Conakry, Haiti,
Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Senegal and Togo, at a price equivalent to 4,50 € (instead
of 20 €) in partnership with l’Alliance internationale des éditeurs indépendants.
- The graphics novels Notre histoire (Delcourt, volume 1, 2014), based on Mes étoiles
noires and Tous super-héros (2016.)
- The pedagogical tool Nous Autres, a multimedia education programme against racism
for teachers, available on our site.
- Manifeste pour l’égalité (Autrement 2012, J’ai Lu 2014), in Italian (ADD 2014.)
- Two editions of Dessous des cartes with Jean-Christophe Victor and Arte : Mémoire du
racisme et Zoos humains (mars 2012).
- General commission (Lilian Thuram) and scientific co-commission (Pascal Blanchard)
of the exhibition EXHIBITIONS, l’invention du sauvage at Musée du quai Branly (29
November 2011 - 3 June 2012) which had 277 000 visitors and received the Globe de
Cristal for the best exhibition of the year.
- Support to events against discrimination and in favour of Human Rights.
The Foundation is financed by CASDEN, MGEN, the Foundation of FC Barcelona and Lilian
Thuram.
Fondation Lilian Thuram - Éducation contre le racisme
BP 70450 - 75769 PARIS CEDEX 16 – France
Président : Lilian Thuram
Vices Présidents : Juan Campmany et Rafael Vila San Juan
Directeur : Lionel Gauthier
Contact : [email protected]