COOPERATION AND CONFLICT IN 'LA FRANCOPHONIE'

IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, CONFLICT AND COOPERATION ARE GENERALLY PERCEIVED AS OPPOSING PROCESSES, EACH WITH ITS OWN DISTINCTIVE LOGIC. HOWEVER, THIS PAPER, DRAWING ON A CASE STUDY OF "LA FRANCOPHONIE," ARGUES THAT CONFLICT IS AN INHERENT COMPONENT OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION. THE INTENT IS TO SHOW THAT "LA FRANCOPHONIE," ALTHOUGH GROWING IN IMPORTANCE INTERNATIONALLY, STILL FACES PROFOUND CHALLENGES BECAUSE OF THE DIVERGENT INTERESTS OF ITS MEMBERS. FOLLOWING A DESCRIPTION OF HOW "LA FRANCOPHONIE" HAS GIVEN RISE TO NUMEROUS COOPERATIVE ENDEAVORS ROOTED IN A COMMON CULTURAL HERITAGE, THIS PAPER EXAMINES HOW THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS OF FRANCE AND CANADA HAVE IMPEDED THE EXPANSION OF FRANCOPHONE MULTILATERALISM. THE CONCLUSION THAT EMERGES FROM THE ANALYSIS IS THAT INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL COOPERATION ENCOUNTERS PROBLEMS IN FORMULATING STRATEGIES BASED ON CONSENSUS IN THE SAME WAY THAT DIFFICULTIES ARISE IN SEEKING COOPERATION IN MONETARY AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS.