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Michaëlle Jean is a former journalist and governor general of Canada, and the first Haitian Canadian and black person to hold this office. She is also the former secretary-general of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and a UNESCO special envoy for Haiti.
Sep 2, 2024 · Michaelle Jean, Canadian journalist and documentarian who was Canada’s 27th governor-general (2005–10) and the first person of African heritage to hold that post. She later became the first woman to serve as secretary-general of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (2015–19).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Early Life and Education
- Career Highlights
- Governor General
- Post-Viceregal Career
- General Secretary of La Francophonie
Michaëlle Jean's early years were spent in a middle-class neighbourhood in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, where her father was principal and teacher of philosophy at an elite, Protestantpreparatory school. She was educated at home because her parents, Roger and Luce, did not want her to attend school, where she would have to swear allegiance ...
In 1986, Michaëlle Jean returned to Haiti with a friend to conduct research for an article on the island's women. The two arrived to witness the ouster of Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, the country's dictator and son of the man whose regime Jean's family had fled. Jean's work caught the eye of a National Film Board producer, who invited her to re...
In August 2005, Prime Minister Paul Martin announced Michaëlle Jean's appointment as governor general, news that sparked controversy. A Quebec sovereigntist publication suggested that Jean and her husband had supported the separatistcause in that province. At first, Jean refused to respond, but then issued a brief statement insisting that she had n...
In 2010, Michaëlle Jean became UNESCO's special envoy to Haiti. She also created the Michaëlle Jean Foundation to help underprivileged youth in rural and northern Canada. Jean was named chairperson of the board of directors for the Institut Québécois des hautes études internationales (Quebec Institute for International Studies) at Université Laval ...
Michaëlle Jean was appointed secretary general of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie(International Organisation of La Francophonie) on 30 November 2014, during the 15th summit of French-speaking nations in Dakar, Senegal. She is the first woman and the first Canadian to hold the position. After a controversial election in 2018, Jean...
Sep 30, 2010 · Michaëlle Jean: A life of 'many possibilities'. Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean is profiled, from her birth in Haiti to the end of her appointment as the Queen's representative in Canada.
A woman of action and vision, Michaëlle Jean has demonstrated fearless commitment in the promotion of peace, including in countering terrorism, radicalization and extremism. Humanistic values, courage, tenaciousness, along with indomitable optimism and creativity are hallmarks of her character.
Learn about Michaëlle Jean's life, achievements, and current activities as a journalist, diplomat, and advocate for social justice. Explore her latest news, events, and publications on topics such as Haiti, human rights, and globalization.
et de son époux, M. Jean-Daniel Lafond. Official site of the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean and her husband, Mr. Jean-Daniel Lafond
