Give for France
Since 2015, Fondation de France has been actively engaged in facing terrorist acts and threats, complementing the government’s response. Fondation de France has set itself an important task, in addition to the help provided to victims in the months following the attacks. The idea is to develop critical thinking in young people and to enhance their ability in deciphering news, to help prevent indoctrination and radicalization.
Since 2015, Fondation de France has been actively engaged in facing terrorist acts and threats, complementing the government’s response. Fondation de France has set itself an important task, in addition to the help provided to victims in the months following the attacks. The idea is to develop critical thinking in young people and to enhance their ability in deciphering news, to help prevent indoctrination and radicalization.
November 13, 2020 marks a tragic anniversary, the attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis, which left 120 people dead and more than 400 injured. These murderous attacks followed those directed against the editorial team of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine, and against Hypercasher, a kosher store in the east of Paris, killing 17 people. A few months later, on July 14, 2016, a terrorist in a truck plowed into hundreds of people gathered for the Bastille Day celebrations in Nice. 86 people died that evening and 458 were injured.
More than 30 terrorist attacks have been carried out on French soil since 2015, including the recent murder of teacher Samuel Paty and the attack on parishioners of the Notre-Dame Basilica in Nice.
Martin Spitz, “Emergencies” expert at Fondation de France, explains: “In the past five years, our country has had to face a climate of threats. Social cohesion is the reason Fondation de France exists. And yet, in addition to the grim tally of victims, this cohesion is precisely what is being targeted. Terrorism seeks to oppose communities and to stoke fear and isolationism of all kinds. It felt obvious that we should ‘make a stand’ to promote solidarity and reject terror.”
In December 2015, Fondation de France launched the Give for France program (known in France as the Ensemble face au terrorisme program), to enable French and international donors to make contributions. A total of two million euros was raised to support injured and/or traumatized people in the wake of the attacks in Paris, then Nice. The two main lines of action are: to assist victims and prevent radicalization.
Rapid and lasting action for the victims of terrorism
The life of a victim is turned upside down after a terror attack, with major impact on daily life, work and social interactions. Helping victims build their life again requires swift action: Fondation de France has released emergency funds when a job has been lost, for instance, and provided administrative and social support. It also requires action over the long term, especially to help overcome the trauma experienced. “We now have a better understanding of post-traumatic stress syndrome, in both adults and children, and we know that problems can occur after a long period of repression, generating very severe - and disabling - mental disorders”, says Mélanie Hubault, who heads the Health Promotion and Patient Support programs.
Fondation de France has supported hospital teams who are introducing innovative care protocols for children exposed to terror attacks, as in the Lenval children’s hospital in Nice. It has also assisted victim support groups, such as Life for Paris, 13onze15, and Montjoye in the region of Nice. Thanks to these non-profits, survivors and the families and carers of victims help each other and receive the social, legal and psychological support which is so crucial to rebuilding their lives.
Prevention: (re)building communities
Prevention is the other major aspect of the Give for France program. How can radicalization be avoided, especially in young people? Tackling disinformation, especially on social media, learning to make up your own mind, engaging in debates and non-violent interactions – these are the objectives of InterClass, a project supported by Fondation de France since 2015. The underlying idea is a simple one: in the fight against fake news, nothing beats getting involved in the actual production of news programs, to understand how information is generated, what it requires and the difficulties that surround the process. French broadcaster France Inter invites middle and high schools students in priority education areas to get involved in the production of news reports in the summer programming schedule. Many projects have been set up – including writing workshops, speech classes, putting on a theater show and producing videos – all aiming to show how information can be manipulated. The key element throughout is to develop young people’s critical thinking. “Priority is given to middle school students, 11-15 year olds experiencing independence, smartphones, social media and the Internet ... without necessarily being aware of their inner workings and pitfalls,” says Anne Bouvier, who heads the Children and Education program at Fondation de France. In France, awareness of these issues is raised with 500,000 students in 3,000 schools each year.
Two donor-advised funds working for young people
Valentin Ribet was a young lawyer, he was killed during the attack on the Bataclan, a concert venue in Paris. His family created a fund bearing his name, which combats illiteracy and ignorance, by encouraging access to education and culture. “In building stronger communities, promoting interactions and reaching out to others, we are paying tribute to all the victims of terror. We are also taking practical steps for the future,” says foundation president Olivier Ribet. The foundation mostly supports projects that take place in educational and prison settings, such as operation Entre les lignes (Between the Lines) or help for the Fresnes en scène show.
Nicolas Ségal, a young entrepreneur with businesses in the north east of Paris, created the Fondation Avenir d’Enfance (A Future for Children Fund) after the 2015 attacks. He realized that some of the young people in Montreuil were confined to their neighborhood and had never explored Paris, just a few metro stops away. Since then, his fund has supported outings, enabling young people to explore a heritage that belongs to all French citizens. It also offers “philosophy workshops” in primary schools, so that very young children can start to develop discussion skills.
© DR
Le Fonds du 11 Janvier : développer l'esprit critique
Initié après les attentats de Charlie Hebdo par un regroupement[1] de 10 fondations et une entreprise, et abrité à la Fondation de France, le Fonds du 11 Janvier a tout de suite orienté son action en faveur de la jeunesse et de la prévention. Créé pour une durée de cinq, ce fonds a pris fin en janvier 2020. Il aura permis le déploiement d'une cinquantaine d'initiatives. Comme celle de l'association Cartooning for Peace, que la Fondation de France soutient depuis sa création, et qui propose des kits pédagogiques et des rencontres régulières en milieu scolaire, extra-scolaire et carcéral, pour développer l’esprit critique. Le Fonds du 11 Janvier a également soutenu la réalisation de podcasts sur les initiatives de terrain, l’occasion de faire découvrir le travail, l’expérience et l’enthousiasme de celles et ceux qui s’engagent auprès de la jeunesse. « Aujourd’hui, devant l’ampleur des enjeux, nous savons que cette expertise doit encore s’enrichir, affirme Anne Bouvier, responsable des programmes Enfance et Education à la Fondation de France. C’est pourquoi le programme Education de la Fondation de France prendra le relai du Fonds en 2021, pour continuer à soutenir ces associations qui œuvrent sur le terrain ».
[1] Fondation Alter&Care / Fondation Caritas France / Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso / Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah / Fondation Financière de l’Echiquier / Fondation de France / Fondation Hippocrène / Fondation SNCF / Fondation Mérieux / Thalys / Le Centre français des Fonds et des Fondations (CFF)
Une intervention de Cartooning for Peace dans une école. © DR