A two-day international conference, “Empire Lost: France and its Other Worlds” will examine the history, the tensions, and the future of francophonie, as both a political and an academic institution. Though often depicted in neo-imperialist tones, there are signs that la francophonie is emerging as an “alter-globalization” movement dedicated to preserving cultural diversity around the world. Does la francophonie indeed offer an example of how a multi-polar, -cultural, and -linguistic global order could take form? Can a cultural heritage born from the violence of history play a role in preventing further violence and oppression? Or does it simply repeat past hierarchical divisions between rich and poor nations? These are some of the questions that will be debated by scholars from literary, historical, sociological, and anthropological perspectives.