Stephan-Xavier Trano

Stephan Trano (b. February 1, 1969, in France) is a French journalist, essayist and writer based in Chicago, Illinois.

Trano has authored two biographies on Francois Mitterrand, the first entitled “Mitterrand, Les Amis D’abord” exploring the former French President’s views on friendship and politics; and the second “Une Affaire d’Amitie” focusing on Mitterand's family, and particularly on his long-hidden daughter Mazarine Pingeot (who recently renamed herself Mazarine Pingeot-Mitterrand). Pingeot-Mitterand had never spoken publicly about her father before she met Trano. The preface of “Une Affaire d’Amitie” was written by Jean Lacouture, the biographer of General Charles de Gaulle.

At the age of 18, his first news articles appeared in the weekly magazine Le Nouvel Observateur (The New Observer), a publication founded in 1950 by philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre in conjunction with former members of the French Resistance movement. He first began as a celebrity lifestyles reporter but soon thereafter became a specialist in political journalism.

From 1991 to 1996, Trano served as Chief Political Editor of the weekly Tribune Juive (Jewish Tribune). Recognized for his accomplishments and ability by the French intellectual community, he became highly sought after by several major publications to report on controversial issues of public interest.

In 1996, Trano became the first Jewish journalist to work under dual Middle East leadership - comprised of Palestinian National Authority and Israeli supervision - after being appointed as Chief Editor of the short-lived Palestinian Economic Newsletter. This monthly publication aimed to promote economic development in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in accordance with the Oslo Accords of 1993. With a circulation of 15,000, it was published in English, French and Arabic.^[1] Yasser Arafat wrote the editorial for the first issue of the Palestinian Economic Newsletter when it was published in June, 1996.^[2] The Palestinian Economic Newsletter was published for seven months.

Trano has served in a multitude of prominent political advisory roles such as:

• Special Advisor to Jack Lang, Director of the French governmental mission against racism and anti-Semitism (1991–1995);
• Special Advisor to the President of the NATO-affiliated organization International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (1993);
• Special Advisor to Jean Kahn, President of the Conseil Representatif des Institutions juives de France, (1993–1996), and President of the European Jewish Congress (1993 to 1995);
• Special Advisor to Serge Cwajgenbaum, General Secretary of the World Jewish Congress (1992–1998)

In 2005-2006, Trano was Director of Communications for Jack Lang, current NATO-based French anti-piracy expert and French Secretary of Culture and Communications from 1981-1995.

He has received increasing attention for his contributions to public debate by questioning through many columns:

• the future of the remembrance of the Shoah,
• the issue of ethnocentrism
• the morality of the partners of the Peace Process in the Middle East,
• many discrimination in Europe against minorities,
• and the anti-Americanism in France.

His work has been often quoted by experts:

• During a session of the Senate of Belgium, December 14, 2000, during a debate with Prime Minister Michiel Martens about a proposal for a resolution on the right of return for Palestinian Refugees. Proposal for resolution on the right of return for Palestinian refugees

• Regarding Holocaust monuments and national memorial cultures in France and Germany since 1989: the origins and political function of the Vel d'Hiv in Paris and the Holocaust Monument in Berlin. Quoted page.97

• In 1996, he was one of the 234 personalities who signed a petition for the legal recognition of same-sex couples, along with notables such as sociologist Pierre Bourdieu; philosopher Jacques Derrida; poet Claude Roy; actress Jeanne Moreau; designer Andree Putman; fashion creator Sonia Rykiel; American author Edmund White and Greek composer and architect Iannis Xenakis. For a legal recognition of homosexual couples

Contents 1 Other contributions 2 On the web 3 Citations and references about the author 3.1 Israel and Palestine 3.2 L'Oreal Legal Case 3.3 Remembrance of Jewish History 3.4 Francois Mitterrand 3.5 LGBT 3.6 In English 4 Bibliography 5 Member 6 References

Other contributions

• In Libération:

Culture de la Mémoire, Culture du Malheur, (Culture of Memory, Culture of Woe), Tribune, April 29, 1995

Le Bon Juif selon Le Pen, (The Good Jew According to Le Pen) - Tribune, June 16, 1995

Commémorer d'autres Génocides, (Commemorating Other Genocides), Tribune, January 26, 1995

En finir avec la Paix des dupes, (Ending the Peace Dupes), Tribune, October 1, 1997

Israël doit trouver les mots (Israel Must Find the Words), Tribune, November 4, 2000

• In Le Monde:

Le trouble des Juifs de France, de Jean-Michel Dumay, (The Turmoil of the Jews of France, by Jean-Michel Dumay), September 24, 1993

On the web

• AgoraVox: author, moderator since May 6, 2010

Spécialiste cherche mission rémunérée pour rédaction de Rapport, salaire supérieur au S.M.I.C

Qui sera le dernier mort de François Mitterrand?

Ce que veulent les Français: le comique de répétition de nos Politiques

Le défi de Ségolène Royal et François Hollande aux Socialistes

Citations and references about the author

Israel and Palestine

• Negotiating the non-negotiable: the Israeli-Palestinian talks in Norway, 1993 in Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, 1994. 'Humans, Information and Technology,' 1994 IEEE International Conference
• Proposal for resolution on the right of return for Palestinian refugees (Mr. Michiel Maertens et al, Doc. 2-507)

L'Oreal Legal Case

• Ugly Beauty: Helena Rubinstein, L'Oréal, and the Blemished History of Looking Good by Ruth Brandon (Feb 1, 2011)
• L'Oreal 1909-2009 (Editions Française) par Jacques Marseille

Remembrance of Jewish History

• Holocaust Monuments and National Memory: France and Germany since 1989 by Peter Carrier (Sep 27, 2006)
• L'Année Céline, Volume 1995, Du Lerot/IMEC (1996)
• Le joker juif: ou du "fait hébreu" comme argument polémique, Ange-Mathieu Mezzadri, Autres Temps (2002)

Francois Mitterrand

• Francois Mitterrand: A Political Biography (Polity Political Profiles Series) by David Scott Bell (Oct 28, 2005)
• French XX Bibliography: Critical and Bibliographical References for the Study of French Literature Since 1885, Index to Volume Is (Nos. 41-45) (French XX Bibliography Index) (Feb 1997)
• French XX Bibliography #41: Critical and Biographical References for the Study of French Literature Since 1885 by Douglas W. Alden, Peter C. Hoy and Christine M. Zunz (Sept 1989)

LGBT

• Le rose et le noir: les homosexuels en France depuis 1968, Frédéric Martel, Editions du Seuil, Paris (1996)

In English

• in The Jewish Chronicle:

When Henry Met Francoise, with Valerie Monchi, July 2, 1993.

Jewish Voters Face Thorny Dilemma, with Valerie Monchi, April 28, 1995.

The Mitterrand Years: A Decade of "Ambiguous" Middle-East Policy, with Valerie Monchi, March 26, 1993.

Mitterrand's Vichyst Past: A New Facet in a Complex History with Jews, by Valerie Monchi, September 30, 1994.

"Stupid Mistake" Leads to "Dachau" Knickers, by Stéphane Trano, October 7, 1994.

Bibliography

• La Terre malade des Hommes, Paris, avec Philippe Desbrosses, Editions du Rocher, Paris, 1992. An essay about global warming, global pollution, and alternatives to the massive exploitation of seas and lands for food purposes.ISBN 226801033
• L'Intelligence verte, Paris, avec Philippe Desbrosses, Editions du Rocher, Paris, 1997.Second Edition.ISBN 2268023869
• Un rabbin dans la Cite, avec Gilles Bernheim, Editions Calmann-Lévy, 1997. An essay about the story of Gilles Bernheim, French philosopher and rabbi and currently Chief Rabbi of France, elected on June 22, 2008, who was appointed a Knight [Chevalier] in the Legion d'Honneur on April 10, 2009 by the French Government. ISBN 270212674X
• Mitterrand, les Amis d'abord [1], Paris, Editions L'Archipel, 2000. Preface by Jean Lacouture. Interview with Mazarine Pingeot-Mitterrand. A biography of former French President Francois Mitterrand (president from 1981-1988 and 1988-1995, d. on January 8, 1996), with a preface by the world-renowned French journalist, historian and biographer, Jean Lacouture (the official biographer of General De Gaulle) and featuring the first exclusive interview with Mitterrand's long-time hidden daughter, Mazarine Pingeot. ISBN 2702133169
• Mitterrand, Une Affaire d'Amitie [2], second edition, Editions L'Archipel, Paris, 2006. Preface by Mazarine Pingeot-Mitterrand, conclusion by Jack Lang. [1]Second edition of the above with preface by Mazarine Pingeot and an afterword by long-time French Minister of Culture and Communication, Jack Lang. ISBN 2841877930
• Vive La Terre [3], collective book, Editions Solar, Paris, 2007, Preface by Nicolas Hulot. A collective work of nonfiction written by and edited under the direction of Stephane Trano with contributions from experts on global climate change. ISBN 2263044167

Member

International Federation of Journalists
Society of Professional Journalists
National Writers Union
American Civil Liberties Union
American Society of Access Professionals

References