Recent updates to the objectives of the Centre d’Information, Formation, Recherche et Développement pour les Originaires d’Outre-Mer (Cifordom) can be found in the Journal Officiel.
The Centre d’Information, Formation, Recherche et Développement pour les Originaires d’Outre-Mer (Cifordom) was created in 1982 when it organized a week in honour of France's overseas departments, attended by the Deputy-Mayor of Massy (Claude Germon) and the State Secretary for the DOM-TOM (Henri Emmanuelli). Its original aim was to achieve recognition and appreciation within French metropolitan society for the cultural specificities and differences relating to the overseas departments, including their music, literature, food, history and geography. In the wake of the emergence of free radio, Cifordom communicated its message through radio transmissions and quickly became involved in supporting schools and educational programmes. Part of this work included responding to demands by the Fédération des Associations et Organisations d’un Intérêt pour les Originaires des Antilles-Guyane (F.A.A.G) (Federation of Associations and Organisations Concerned with Persons Originating from the Antilles and Guyana) to engage with improving school attendance and success rates for Antillean children living within France through a project entitled 'Parents-enfants-enseignants: dialoguer pour réussir' ('Parents-Children-Teachers: Communication for Success').
In addition to its desire to achieve recognition for the cultural differences relating to the overseas departments within France, Cifordom's objectives include the following:
- To offer legal representation for victims of racial and sexual discrimination
- To participate in social activities and civic life
- To set up technical structures to develop the life of the community of associations connected to the overseas departments
- To develop cultural activities and values links to citizenship and equality
- To promote any activities relating to training, organising and assisting social integration and reintegration into France and the overseas departments
- To encourage and facilitate the dissemination of works and projects relating to the overseas departmental community
- To support creativity, research and development in any areas of interest relevant to overseas departmental community.