Embassy of the United States Paris, France

Elihu B. Washburne - Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Brady-Handy Photograph Collection.

U.S. Ambassador to France Charles H. Rivkin, Eric Boustouller, President Microsoft France, Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in France, Jean-Luc Allavena, Director of the French-American Foundation - France. DOS photo/P. Maulavé

The Washburne Award for Innovation in Diversity

The U.S. Embassy in Paris, in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce in France, the French-American Foundation - France, and in association with the Atlantic Dinners and l’Association Francaise des Managers de la Diversité, is accepting nominations for the first annual Washburne Award for Innovation in Diversity

A longtime friend and supporter of Presidents Lincoln and Grant, Elihu Benjamin Washburne was a leading 19^th century proponent of racial equality in the U.S. 

As a Congressman, he served on the Joint Committee on Reconstruction which drafted the U.S. Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment, guaranteeing voting rights, due process and equal protection under the law to U.S. citizens. 

He later served as U.S. Secretary of State and, from 1869-1877, U.S. Minister to France. As a diplomatic envoy, Washburne played a courageous role during the Franco-Prussian War, the siege of Paris and the Commune. 

Purpose of the Award:

• To advance shared Franco-American goals that promote diversity and that reflect our longstanding commitment to developing economic opportunity for all citizens;
• To honor French and American companies which develop innovative programs that promote diversity in the workplace by publicly recognizing private sector organizations that excel in the recruitment, training, and mentoring of employees from diverse backgrounds.  This includes programs that prepare and empower individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter the mainstream economy;
• To promote employment opportunities for disadvantaged youth in France by encouraging companies to identify and develop young talent from diverse backgrounds;
• To encourage entrepreneurship in disadvantaged areas by expanding the capacity of talented individuals to access expertise, capital and/or business opportunities;
• To increase Franco-American exchanges of information and ideas regarding diversity, training and recruitment of disadvantaged youth, as well as job creation.

Two awards will be granted for this program, the first for an American firm operating in France and the second for a French firm, for their exceptional contributions in this field. This year’s award recipients will be announced in May 2012.  Nominations must be received by April 2, 2012.