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The International Community of Spéracèdes
Why in our little provençal village should we be talking about an international community? WeIl here are a few interesting statistics:• Currently 10% of the village population are foreign
• 90% of these are European, of these 25% are English, 18% German, and the rest comprising of 12 other European countries, with 10% coming from as far afield as the USA
• Spéracèdes is the" second home" for 82% of the foreigners living here, and the main residence for the remaining 18%
• 27% live in La Renaude,
18% in Le Ribas,
12% in Les Laurens
and the remaining are spread out over another ten Quartiers of the village
• In total they contribute just under a third (31 %) of our local taxes (60% of la taxe foncière and 20% ofla taxe d'habitation received by the village)
• However, they represent less than 1 % of our electoral list for local and/or European vote
So what is our objective?
It is to help our international community to become more integrated, and feel more inc1uded in our village way of life.
How?
• By creating an English section with practical information, such as how to register on the electoral lists,
regulations for burning garden material and for disposaI of large household items, village celebrations, etc. on our internet site (www.speracedes.fr) (Why just in English? because it is the most commonly used language by the international community, and we don't have the resources to translate it into every language)
• By setting up an annual summer welcome reception, where our international community can meet the people who can help to make village life easier; such as the local town hall staff, the mayor and councillors, artisans and businesses, local associations, and of course les Spéracèdois and Spéracèdoises
• By having an English speaker at the City Hall to answer any queries they might have
(Philippe Nettre - Email: international@orange.fr / .Mairie: 04 93605873)
This silent minority has a sizeable impact on our village, not only on our finances (taxes, donations) but also on our economy (shops, small businesses, artisans, etc ... ) and just as importantly on our village life where we should take into consideration the impact of these different cultures in an ever changing world.
We look forward to hearing from you, and your views on how we cao help to make this happen.