In 2022, 32,000 young volunteers did universal national service (SNU). Registrations for 2023 are open and Emmanuel Macron would consider generalizing the system for all young people. Here are the dates of the cohesion stays taking place this year.
After a first experiment in 2019 which brought together 2,000 young people in 13 pilot departments, a 2020 edition disrupted by the health crisis and a 2021 edition which involved 15,000 volunteers, the UNS involved 32,000 people in 2022. A rise in power which the Secretary of State in charge of Youth and Universal National Service welcomes. “Universal National Service is a time for all young people to meet to make the Republic“, explained Sarah El Haïry this January 6, 2023 during a visit to the Pierre Gueguin high school in Concarneau.
Towards a generalization of the SNU for all young people?
According to FranceInfo, Emmanuel Macron should announce a generalization of the SNU mid-January which will then potentially concern 800,000 young people per year. No one knows for the moment what this SNU open to all will look like, but those close to the President of the Republic hope that this announcement will make an impression. “UNS for all young people, it is something that will remain in the minds at the end of the quinquennium“, explained a member of the government to FranceInfo.
Cohesion stay: what are the dates in 2023?
In 2023, cohesion stays will take place on different dates depending on the school zones:
- 1st stay in zone A: from April 9 to 21, 2023
- 1st stay in zone B: from April 16 to 28, 2023
- 1st stay in zone C: from February 19 to March 3, 2023
- 2nd stay all zones: from June 11 to 23, 2023
- 3rd stay all zones: from July 4 to 16, 2023
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 welcome 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“. This year, the SNU is offering three cohesion stays for 15-17 year olds which are particularly suitable for high school students in 2nd class which is not an exam class.
► 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 problems of illiteracy, 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 their mission of general interest, if they wish, each volunteer can choose to commit themselves until they are 25 years old to participate in the construction of a more united nation while developing skills that are peculiar to him. From 3 months (minimum) to one year, this commitment can relate to defense and security, support for people, heritage preservation, 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.