ON THE JDD
While last June, nearly 2,000 young people from 13 departments have experimented with the project of Universal National Service (SNU), the government wants to expand the device from next year, before a generalization. In an interview with the Journal du dimanche , Secretary of State for Youth Gabriel Attal draws a "positive assessment" of the first phase and confirms that 30,000 young people should participate in 2020.
While, according to an independent study published in September by the National Institute of Youth and Popular Education (INJEP), 94% of young volunteers say they are "satisfied" with this experience, Gabriel Attal notes that "their motives satisfaction correspond to our objectives: social mix, desire to engage, training in first aid, know how to react in case of crisis ".
"The SNU is neither a summer camp nor the galleys"
However, he notes, "young people sometimes had the feeling of being in class". Thus, for 2020, the Secretary of State believes that "we must really avoid the theory and encourage the participation of young people". Regarding the criticisms made of the busy schedule of teenagers during the SNU, the government member recognizes "sometimes dense" schedules. "We have to find the right balance, the SNU is neither a summer camp nor a prison," he adds. "We will not touch schedules," he warns, "but it will better distribute activities over two weeks."
For 2020, around 30,000 young people will be welcomed "according to the hosting capacity, which the departments are evaluating," says Gabriel Attal, according to which the government will devote 30 million euros to the SNU in 2020. "The campaign to recruit volunteers will be launched in January, "he says. For the coming years, three tracks have been devised at this stage to complete the numbers: "a national draw of the young called, the draw of departments or regions where all the young people would be called, and the month of birth ( young people born an even month would do the SNU, the others not) ".
"The generalized UNS budget will be less than 1.5 billion euros"
Concerning a future generalization of the device, the Secretary of State explains that the SNU "will be able to concern 200.000 to 300.000 young people as of 2022 (...) and to be generalized in 2023 or 2024. And at the financial level, assure it," the generalized UAS budget will be less than 1.5 billion euros ".
While in the long run, a generalized UAS would affect 800,000 young people every year, Gabriel Attal agrees that "it will not be possible to receive them all at the same time over a single period". Also, the government is studying the possibility, "privileged scenario", to organize the SNU "during summer holidays and small school holidays", with the exception of the Christmas period and from July 15 to August 15. Another possibility, adds Gabriel Attal, "consider it on school time".