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1. Intercultural awareness

2. Young people's rights

3. Key initiatives to safeguard democracy and prevent radicalisation leading to violent extremism

Intercultural awareness

Several actors such as ministries and organisations are involved in raising awareness of tolerance and of intercultural dialogue for young people but more generally for everybody.

Institutionnal actor

The mission of the inter-ministerial delegation for the combat against racism, antisemitism and anti-LGBT hatred (DILCRAH), placed under the authority of the Prime Minister is to establish regular actions to combat acts of discrimination, antisemitism and those made against the LGBT community.    The delegation has drawn up a national action plan for equal rights, against hatred and acts of anti-LGBT+ discrimination 2020-2023 aimed at fighting discrimination, violence and anti-LGBT hatred. The aim of the plan is “to guarantee that equality for lesbians, gays, bis and trans people is true and effective.”

It is based on 4 axes:

1. The acknowledgement of the rights of LGBT+ people;
2. The reinforcement of their access to rights;
3. The combat against anti-LGBT+ hatred;
4. The improvement of their day-to-day lives.

It consists of 42 objectives with new or partially implemented measures. These measures concern every area of the lives of LGBT+ people: their family environment, school, university, work, health, sport, etc.  

Among the plan’s 42 measures is for example, “The development of continuous training of LGBT+ focal points in police and gendarmerie stations”.

The implementation of these 42 measures will involve all State services as well as local authorities, associations and companies from the private sector.

 Between 2018 and 2020 DILCRAH also coordinated a plan against racism and antisemitism, certain measures of which are still being implemented. The plan comprises 4 axes: 

1. Combating hate on the Internet
2. Educating against prejudices
3.  Protecting citizens and assisting victims
4. Investing in new fields of mobilisation

 This plan consists of a number of measures specifically geared towards youth (non-exhaustive list):      

• The development of a guide on the reception of trans pupils and students for all national education and higher education staff;
• The organisation of interventions in schools to raise the awareness of youths about the combat against LGBT hatred and discrimination, in partnership with LGBT associations (SOS Homophobie...;) 
• The creation of an “education focal point” against racism, antisemitism and discrimination for education staff and volunteers of associations, in partnership with institutions (universities, associations...)  
• Creation of a national “Ilan Halami” Prize rewarding actions combating racism and anti-Semitism carried out on behalf of young people.
• Reinforcement of existing partnerships on the memory of the Shoah and places of remembrance and history, and with community actors in the fields of culture and collective memory with regard to slavery, colonisation, immigration and “forgotten” memories.
• Encouraging development of partnerships between schools and places of remembrance and history.

Young people's rights

Communication with young people concerning rights and responsibilities is a significant strand of public policies, in particular the ministry in charge of Youth ( Ministry of National Education ), as well as the Rights Defender (Défenseur des Droits).

Several structures overseen by the ministry in charge of Youth, as well as independent structures, have the role of promoting knowledge of rights to all young people.Such as PAD Jeunes – Youth Access Points to the Law (Points d’accès au droit Jeunes) and IJ – Youth Information (Information Jeunesse) facilities. Intended for young people under 30 y/o, PADs are reception, information and assistance facilities providing information and legal advice on asserting your rights: conflict with an employer, unpaid fines, difficulties obtaining a residence permit, family litigation, etc. Interviews are free of charge and confidential, and no appointment is needed. IJs are generalist amenities tasked with informing and assisting young people to encourage their take-up of rights.

Youth access points to the law (PAD Jeunes) or "Information Jeunesse" (IJ) structures

Aimed at young people under 30, the PAD is a reception, information and support centre, which offers information and legal advice on how to assert one's rights: conflict with an employer, unpaid fines, difficulty in obtaining a residence permit, family dispute, etc. Interviews are free, confidential and without appointment. The IJ structures are generalist, they inform and accompany young people to encourage them to use their rights.

The Rights' Defender

The  Rights Defender is an independent association, whose mission is to provide information and defend rights. 

The mission of the Rights Defender (Défenseur des Droits) is to provide information about rights and to defend rights. That independent institution organises debates, especially work in schools, and “Film – Youth – Justice” (“Ciné – Jeune – Justice”) meetings that aim at facilitating understanding of justice and democracy through film screenings and a debate (for further information, please see 5.8).

Youth compass

Youth compass (Boussole des jeunes) is a project run by the Directorate of youth, popular education and the voluntary sector (DJEPVA) of the National Ministry of Education and Youth. It is a digital platform (boussole.jeunes.gouv.fr), the purpose of which is to link young people between the ages of 16 and 30 to services able to support them and meet their requirements in different areas.  IN order to avoid non-take up of rights, the young people who wish to know about the mechanisms and rights to which they are entitled are put in touch with local professionals who can answer their questions and support them in their approaches and projects.  

The services proposed by Boussole are in deployment,  and concern employment, training, housing, health, international mobility and even hiring. 

Key initiatives to safeguard democracy and prevent radicalisation leading to violent extremism

The rise in extremism and radicalisation is one of the government's priorities. In the face of a growing phenomenon, several measures have been put in place against hate speech and violent extremism:

• Since 2018, the Government has adopted a national plan for prevention of radicalisation, “Prévenir pour protéger” (Prevent to protect), resulting from wide-ranging consultations carried out by the General Secretariat of the CIPDR – Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Crime and Radicalisation (Comité interministériel de prévention de la délinquance et de la radicalisation), which mobilised 20 ministerial departments.

It sets out 60 measures for reorientation of the prevention policy, organised into 5 focuses:

•  1) Protecting minds against radicalisation

  2) Adding to the detection / prevention network

  3) Understanding and anticipating the evolution of radicalisation

  4) Professionalising local operators and assessing practices

   5) Adapting disengagement

• The law of 24 June 2020 aimed at combating hateful content on the Internet (known as the Avia law) has made it possible, among other things

  The creation of a specialised prosecutor's office: since 2021, the department of Paris has been home to a national centre specialising in online hate speech and intimidation;

  The creation of an observatory of online hate. The latter is attached to the Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority (Arcom).

• a facility to listen out for and to report radicalisation has been put in place with the setting up of a freephone number. The facility enables families to benefit from an answering service and from advice on the approach to take, as well as from psychological support;
• an on-line campaign and information site have been launched: stop-djihadisme.gouv.fr. The site is dedicated to prevention and to fighting against terrorism. It is aimed at the general public, at people who are close to young people undergoing radicalisation (e.g. teachers and associations), and at young people themselves. It is educational in character and provides practical tools (infographics, testimony videos, and placards) to better grasp and act against the phenomenon.

Moreover socio-educational concepts have also been launched to fight against violent extremism, especially concepts that develop values of living together and of citizenship:

• a guide entitled “Actors in sport and facilitation: better knowledge, better understanding, and better prevention of radicalisation phenomena (Acteurs du sport et de l'animation : mieux connaître, mieux comprendre et mieux prévenir les phénomènes de radicalisation)” was drawn up by a working group steered by the ministry in charge of youth. The guide is intended for actors in the areas of sport and facilitation (youth and sports officers, sports educators, facilitators, sports leaders) in order to support them in grasping radicalisation phenomena and the means for effective prevention or reaction.

"Walker of the Net project"

Furthermore, the Family Allowances Fund, the Agricultural Social Mutuality Fund, the Ministry of National Education and Youth, as well as the Ministry  in charge of Family and Women's Rights, launched the project" Walker of the net" (Promeneurs du Net), an educational presence on the Internet". A Walker of the Net is a youth professional, educator or animator, who gets in touch with young people on the Internet and social networks in order to make them more accessible. listen to them, advise them and accompany them in carrying out their projects. The "Promeneurs du net" action, launched in a few departments in France, will be rolled out across the country. This new mode of social intervention with young people can participate in the prevention of extremism, in particular by reducing the risks of social disruption through dialogue, exchange and accompaniment.

Website : http://www.promeneursdunet.fr/

National strategy for the prevention of deliquency 2020-2024

In addition to the national plan for the prevention of radicalisation, the government has drawn up the "national strategy for the prevention of delinquency 2020-2024".  It includes 40 measures that meet 4 objectives:

1. Prevention of juvenile delinquency before the age of 12
2. Protecting vulnerable people as early as possible
3. Stronger involvement of the population and civil society
4. Renewed governance through adaptation to each territory

This strategy was based on a consultation process that brought together several types of structures, including associations of local elected representatives. It mobilises State services, local authorities and association networks. It also supports awareness-raising among young people about hate speech in:

• The Universal National Service (SNU), which is a commitment scheme for 15 to 18 year-olds. The different phases of this scheme (a two-week cohesion stay, and a general interest mission of 12 days or 84 hours maximum) are an opportunity to raise awareness among young people. The supervisors can receive training in the fight against racism and antisemitism.

• The Civic service, which is a commitment scheme for 16-25 year olds. These young people can carry out voluntary missions contributing to the prevention and fight against hate speech for 6 to 12 months with associations, local authorities or public establishments. An online training course and a reference manual will soon be made available to structures likely to offer young people voluntary work in the field of anti-discrimination.

• The financial support provided by the Ministry for the activities of associations fighting against discrimination and hate speech. The Centres d'Entrainement aux Méthodes d'Education Active (CEMEA), which are based in the regions and offer training and courses related to social action, education, animation and health, have developed an educational course on hate speech online. Advice sheets have been created to address young people on the subject.

Source: https://www.cipdr.gouv.fr/prevenir-la-delinquance/20202024-2/