SNU. This July 13, Emmanuel Macron asked the French army to make more use of young people doing their Universal National Service. Pap Ndiaye, for his part, mentioned the need to better organize this system.
Emmanuel Macron asks the army to call on the UNS
This July 13, Emmanuel Macron asked the army to make more use of young people within the framework of the SNU. “JI ask you to do more by giving our reserves a new ambition and by investing more and better in the great UNS project that I am carrying (…) It is not a question of militarizing the youth, even less the society, but at a time when the nation needs to rediscover the salt of its history, its deep meaning (…), the Republic needs you to do more“, explained the Head of State during a speech delivered to the Ministry of the Armed Forces. That same day, Pap Ndiaye, meanwhile, spoke of the need to better organize the UNS during a hearing in the Senate. The Minister of National Education recognizes the organizational difficulties relating to the UNS. “Un a number of points have come back to us. So we have to think very seriously about better organization because to different degrees things don’t work the way we want.“, explained Pap Ndiaye who also responded to criticism concerning the recourse to UNS in the army following the declaration of the President. “The Armies are already participating in the UNS (…), they have been present since the beginning (…) there is no militarization, there is no question of learning to handle arms. I do not see what is military in the activities offered to young people“, he added.
Cohesion stay: what are the dates?
This June 12 took place the second cohesion stay of the year. It ended on June 24, 2022 and brought together 17,000 young volunteers in 117 centers located in urban, peri-urban or rural areas. The third cohesion stay began on July 3 and ends on July 15, 2022.
What is Universal National Service, is it compulsory?
The UNS takes the form of a compulsory one-month civic service between 15 and 17 years old and a longer commitment, on a voluntary basis between 16 and 25 years old.
In the program : physical, sports and cohesion activities, autonomy, knowledge of public services and access to rights, citizenship and national and European institutions, culture and heritage, discovery of commitment, defence, national security and resilience and sustainable development and ecological transition. The SNU accommodation centers can each accommodate around 200 volunteers and around 30 managers and tutors. As for the households, single-sex living units, they accommodate 10 to 15 volunteers, which allows them to receive volunteers with disabilities and/or with special needs. Within each household, a tutor is in charge of collective cohesion, monitoring daily activities and leading the daily “household councils”. On average, an adult supervises 8 young people during cohesion stays. The twelve days of the cohesion stay are marked by the importance of republican rituals and opening and closing ceremonies are organized at the beginning and at the end of each stay.
What is the duration of Universal National Service?
Until now, the civic service mission had to take place during at least 24 hours a week which was difficult to reconcile with higher education. From now on, she will “calculated on average over all the months of mission carried out (what) will allow a modulation of the hours worked per week, according to the schedule of the young volunteer“.
Universal national service: what remuneration?
The increase in the Civic Service allowance of 108 euros, initially planned for scholarship holders in levels 5, 6 or 7, will be extended to all scholarship holders. This amount is in addition to 580 euros per month collected by the volunteers.
Compulsory national service: who is concerned?
The SNU is partly compulsory. It includes two phases:
► The first phase, lasting one month, is compulsory for all young people from the age of 15. It includes a “cohesion time”: that is to say “15 days in accommodation, centered on values, know-how and interpersonal skills“. For the first time, the SNU is offering three cohesion stays this year for 15-17 year olds which are particularly suitable for high school students in 2nd class which is not an exam class. This year, the second cohesion stay took place from June 12 to 24 and concerned 17,000 young people welcomed in 30 departments. Another cohesion stay has been taking place since July 3 and ends on July 15 in the same centers and with the same management teams as far as possible. Due to the school calendar in February, no cohesion stays have been offered for La Réunion, Mayotte, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Wallis-et-Futuna and Saint-Pierre- and- Miquelon. Young volunteers were invited to parade on July 14, Place de la Concorde, to take part in the “commitment choir”.
► Then, young people must achieve, in the following year, their mission of general interest (MIG) lasting 12 days or 84 hours with associations, local authorities, institutions or public bodies, or even with corps in uniform. It must fall under one of the following 9 themes: citizenship, culture, defense and memory, education, environment and sustainable development, health, security, solidarity and sport.
► The second phase, lasting from 3 to 12 months, can be followed on a voluntary basis. It is linked to culture, solidarity, citizenship, education, health, sport, international action, defence, security, etc. A commitment that gives rise to financial compensation for the young person: ease of access to permits, university credits, possible compensation….
Compulsory national service: at what age should it be done?
The first phase takes place between the ages of 15 and 17after the third class (just after the patent) or at the end of the second class or even exceptionally this year the 1st class. The second phase, not compulsory, can be done between 16 and 25 years old. The SNU is an opportunity to check the state of health of young people, to detect any illiteracy problems, to carry out a simplified skills assessment and individual interviews on potential social or family difficulties. All of this provides an overall view of an age group. But concretely, what do young people learn?
| First phase | Second phase (depending on the chosen service) |
|---|---|
| Perform first aid actions | To be involved in the army, the police, the gendarmerie, the fire brigade or civil security |
| To navigate with a compass | To engage in supporting people |
| To report a dangerous situation by radio | To engage in the preservation of heritage |
| To discover the different forms of commitment | To engage in the protection of the environment |
| To participate in a collective project in connection with associations or communities | To engage in school tutoring |
What are missions of general interest?
Let us recall that an experiment was launched in June 2019 for 2,000 young people aged 15 to 16 and was extended in 2020 to 40,000 young people. Some young volunteers, on a mission of general interest with the Red Cross were able to carry out a mission for food and clothing aid“Through collection and sorting activities, assistance with the management of the vestibule, participation in destocking and clearance sales, reception of the public“, specifies the ministry. “At the end of his mission of general interest, if he wishes, each volunteer can choose to commit himself until he is 25 years old to participate in the construction of a more united nation while developing skills which are peculiar to him. From 3 months (minimum) to one year, this commitment can relate to defense and security, support for people, preservation of heritage, the environment, etc. (civic service, volunteer firefighter, reservist, etc.)“, specifies the government.
Why is Universal National Service established?
“Youth lacks a moment of diversity, social and territorial cohesion, around the values of the Republic. Getting out of one’s immediate environment, confronting others, discovering a territory, are all opportunities to build oneself, to forge one’s identity. This moment must also make it possible to remove the brakes on commitment. Getting involved means giving your time for the general interest. It also means growing, developing skills that will be useful for professional integration. Now, if an overwhelming majority of young people want to get involved, too many of them are held back, for financial, social, geographical or cultural reasons. Our country does not sufficiently show its young people their social usefulness“said Gabriel Attal in a press release.