Ladies and gentlemen members, distinguished guests. First I want to thank you for inviting the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse, FANE, to speak as part of this evaluation of the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality. I am here with our executive director, Jean Léger.
FANE's main mission is to neutralize assimilation of the province's francophones, to the extent of its resources, and to promote our country's two official languages, while working toward the development and vitality of our community. Its main objectives are to promote the common interests of the Acadian and francophone population of Nova Scotia; to further collaboration among the francophone associations, institutions, societies and agencies; to act as both an interest group and a community development agency; to act as official representative of the Acadian and francophone population; and to ensure the linguistic, cultural, economic, social and political survival and development of the province's Acadian people.
Since its inception, the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse has contributed to the initiation and advancement of a number of files, including those concerning the schools, economic, political and socio-cultural fields, youth, women and seniors and those related to literacy, immigration and communications. FANE also put pressure on the provincial government to pass the French-Language Services Act of 2004.
Among other things, you have asked us to give you our observations regarding the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008-2013. Our executive director will now give you FANE's position on that subject.