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 * __Name:__ Bernard Marcel Parent **


 * __Culture:__ Cajun **


 * __Language:__ **
 * The primary language is Cajun French, a dialect of French. Though the primary language is Cajun French, many citizens can learn English which is known as the worldwide language. Knowing this language would be very beneficial to speaking around the world. But in the end, Cajun French overpowers the use of English. **


 * __Beliefs:__ **
 * The predominate religion for the Cajun culture is Roman Catholicism. They are very strict with their beliefs and are very well known for shunning those who show uncatholic actions from their family. With Roman Catholicism come many annual celebration. One of these celebrations is Mardi Gras. In a nutshell, this is the consumption of all foods that can not be eaten during Lent. This takes place the day before Ash Wednesday. Another celebration is Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. **
 * Some additional Cajun beliefs are the “Traiteur” and “Rougarou”. The Traiteur is a healer who is thought to cure many illnesses with the combination of Catholic prayers and medical remedies. Furthermore, the Rougarou is a french wolf that is thought to hunt down and kill any Cajun who does not keep their Lenten promise. It helps the Cajun people stay true to their restrictions and beliefs. **
 * Being Roman Catholic would provide a Cajun, or any person for that matter, with all of the attributes they need to be a Goodwill Ambassador. As Roman Catholics, Cajuns are taught to treat others how they want to be treated, they are taught to be truthful, giving, and basically every other aspect that can make them most like Jesus Christ was thought to be. Their goal as Catholics is to do as Jesus, and this is just what UNESCO needs. They need someone who cares about others, is truthful, and someone who is giving and understanding to other nations of the world. **


 * __Values:__ **
 * One of the most important values of the Cajun culture is family. Cajuns and their family are very close and they believe that family always comes first. Most Cajun households revert to the traditional U.S. family: A working man who supplies for the family, and a stay at home woman who watches over the house and the children. Another very important Cajun value is staying true to their religion. If you are truly a Cajun, you are also Roman Catholic. Almost all traditions that have to do with Cajuns also have to do with being Roman Catholic. The Cajuns are very serious about their religious beliefs and don’t accept anyone as a Cajun if they think otherwise. To put it in simple terms, if you are not Roman Catholic, you are not truly a Cajun. There are also less serious values in the Cajun culture. This includes the Cajun value of living. Cajuns love to celebrate and party to recognize their hard-fought achievements and to celebrate the joy they have in their life. They often do this with the “joie de vivre (French for "joy of living")” celebration, the celebration of hard work and achievement. **
 * The values of family, religion, and living are very attributable to the Goodwill Ambassador. Having strong family values gives the trigger of being sympathetic and/or understanding of struggling foreign families or even whole groups of people. The value of religion always comes first is a very good aspect towards being the Ambassador as well. It gives an understanding that the sacred things in life should always be respected and it shows that a Cajun can be loyal to any given thing. Finally, the value of living is very important because if one values living, they also value the lives of others, the happiness of others, and the well being of others. These are all aspects of a Goodwill Ambassador. **


 * __Behaviors:__ **
 * Cajuns are well-known for having excellent hospitality and a positive outlook on life. They like to celebrate their hard work with parties and having a good time. There is common stereotypical misconception about the life of the Cajuns. They are often thought of as self-absorbed, self-pleasing, and lazy hillbillies sitting in the bayeu doing nothing all day. When in actuality, the Cajuns are very hard-working, caring, and advanced modernized people. Many jobs that are held in the highly developed part of the United States are shared throughout the Cajun society. **
 * The aspects of hard-working, caring, and advanced are very positive aspects towards being a Goodwill Ambassador. As a hard-worker, a Cajun can be trusted with difficult tasks and strive accomplish the goals set by UNESCO. Being a caring figure is very beneficial as well because it can help with handling foreign affairs peacefully. Also, being caring and understanding of heated countries can simmer down the disagreement between two societies and bring everyone to one legitimate understanding. Finally, being advanced is very beneficial because it allows the ability to communicate with other nations constantly, as well as being able to understand modern conflicts. **

__** Negative Aspects: **__
 * The potential negative aspects of the Cajun culture are the language and the constant celebration. The language could be undesirable because French, especially Cajun French, is not commonly practiced around the world so it may be harder for one of the Cajun culture to communicate with other nations. However, there are always solutions like translators and so on. Furthermore, the biggest problem would be the constant "celebration" in the culture. This celebration will usually also result in many drunken nights and hangovers in the morning. This is undesirable because no one really wishes to have a potentially alcoholic and/or hungover Ambassador to represent a highly acclaimed organization. **


 * __Primary Sources:__ **
 * ** [] (Be aware there are some disturbing images at the end!)  **


 * [|Brasseaux, Carl A. French, Cajun, Creole, Houma: A Primer on Francophone Louisiana. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.]


 * __Secondary Sources:__ **
 * [|"The Cajun Page." The Cajun Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.]
 * [|"Cajun." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Jan. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.]

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 * __Print Source:__ **
 * [|"The Catholic Soul of Cajun Country." Catholic Digest. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.]