Posted on Jeudi 31 mai 2007
According to Le Figaro , Asterix the Gaul, Uderzo’s hero chosen by the French government children’s Defender to promote the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is said to be « too Gallic ». (eXc : The series follows the exploits of a village of ancient Gauls as they resist Roman occupation. They do so by means of a magic potion, brewed by their druid, which gives the recipient superhuman strength.)
ASTÉRIX, a contested ambassador for children’s causes ? The famous Gallic hero is thought to be too Gallic to defend their rights. The children’s Defender, Mrs Dominique Versini, however chose him in April to promote the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child .
First among the malcontents, Jean-Pierre Rosenczveig, president of the French section of Defense des Enfants International (DEI). For him, « Astérix does not represent the French society as it is today ». In a press release, its association criticizes the symbol as a « secular arm… resisting the invaders » wrongly chosen to defend France « which aspires to a peaceful coexistence between the diverse elements which compose it ». (Lire la suite…)
