They're talking about us: the International Club in the press
There are successes we want to share with you, little things that make us smile. Seeing the International Club in the press also gives us the desire to go even further, with you…
#1 For the sharing of cultures among students, (Studyrama, October 1, 2010 edition, by Antoine Delthil)
The International Youth Club of Paris was founded in 2002 with a simple goal: to facilitate the integration of international students arriving in Paris by allowing them to discover other cultures and share their own. From tours of Paris and French monuments to language exchange workshops, the association offers numerous activities for students in a friendly atmosphere.
What prompted you to create the International Club?
As a foreign student myself, upon arriving in Paris, I realized how difficult it was to meet French people, especially when taking classes in large lecture halls. This doesn’t help matters: everyone goes home afterward…
So I had the idea (in 2002) to create this association as a space for cultural encounters and friendships, so that foreign students no longer leave with the regret of not having been able to fully enjoy France’s cultural richness.
Feeling welcome is essential.
Alain Homsi, president and founder of the International Youth Club of Paris (CIJP), knows what he’s talking about. “Of Syrian origin, I came to France to study audiovisual, and I couldn’t find an association that would allow me to discover Paris, which I didn’t know, with its cosmopolitan side.” He then decided, with a friend, to suggest to other students that they meet informally to exchange ideas and get to know the city. The group continued to grow, and in 2002, the association was officially created. It now has nearly 1,200 members, the vast majority of whom are students, of 85 nationalities.
Sharing
Exchange to integrate, this could be the association’s slogan. “When you have the chance to discover a country, you have to understand its culture to feel comfortable there, and therefore meet the locals,” says Alain Homsi. A quarter of the members of the CIJP (sic. International Club of Paris) are French. “The enrichment is also worthwhile for them,” adds the association’s president, “since they meet people and can learn other languages.” Language workshops, run by volunteers, allow you to discuss various topics first in French, then in another language (English, German, Spanish, Arabic, etc.). Themed evenings are also organized by a country, a great opportunity to discover varied gastronomy.
Everyone makes their contribution
But the student season is also a time for outings! The club understands this well, and offers evening events every two weeks, as well as film debates (students go to see a film and then discuss it in French).
And since travel broadens the mind, excursions to France, outside of Paris, are regularly organized to discover French landscapes and heritage.
Like any association, the CIJP relies almost entirely on the work of volunteers, most of whom are French. The guides for tours of the capital’s neighborhoods, for example, are tourism or history students. These profiles are of interest to the association, but they are far from the only ones. “Everyone is welcome and can bring the association to life by sharing their interests with others,” insists Alain Homsi. Whether you’re getting involved or simply discovering the city, the CIJP is the association for you!
#2 Come out of your shell”, (Le Figaro étudiant, by Céline Le Coq)
How to build international friendships in the heart of Paris? In 2002, Alain Homsi founded the International Youth Club of Paris (CIJP) to promote cultural exchanges and the integration of foreigners in the capital. When he was still a student in 1996, he was already organizing meetings between French and foreigners, unable to find any similar associations.
“With a small group of friends, we would meet every two weeks to chat, have tea, and decide what we were going to do on the weekend,” explains the club’s president.
The association’s motto, “Come out of your shell,” is not innocent. Every month, a program of varied activities is offered: museum visits, exhibitions, shows, gourmet walks, excursions, evenings… All members participate in sharing their culture. Tourism students lead the tours of Paris, while others participate in the association’s communications and the creation of the website, on which members can find useful information.
“Until now, most of the activities have focused on linguistic, intercultural, and friendly exchanges.” Indeed, club members can meet every two weeks at the Paris Mosque to chat while drinking tea or visit a neighborhood of the capital every Thursday, while outings in Paris or the provinces are offered every weekend. Conversation workshops are also organized every Tuesday for English and the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month for Spanish.
The President wants to go further
This year, we also launched an initiative for Parisian families, focused both on intercultural relations and solving housing problems.”
The club now has around 400 members from 80 different countries. Students can learn about the association through partnerships with the international services of universities and schools, as well as with language schools, and through the internet.