Report by Ms. Loréna Schlicht, AFCDRP-Mayors for Peace France
The City of Dijon, located in Northeastern France and famous for Dijon mustard, conducts a unique initiative engaging school children in realizing a safe and resilient city.
Dijon Children Municipal Council is composed of local students who get the most votes from their schoolmates to represent their schools. During their two-year term as the school’s spokesperson, each elected member has the opportunity to first explore and learn more about their own city, exchange ideas, then carry out collective projects designed and planned by themself. This initiative aims to introduce children to a ‘civic-minded approach,’ having them actively participate in the city’s administration. Through contributing to the better living environment of their fellow citizens as members of the community, they learn to cooperate with others and evaluate outcomes.
Photos: courtesy of the AFCDRP-Mayors for Peace France
Thus, on May 29th, on the occasion of a special “cohesion day”, the deputy mayor of Dijon, Mrs. Sladana Zivkovic, delegated to Europe and InternationalRelations and vice-president of Dijon Metropole, addressed these young elected officials. This “day of cohesion” was essentially devoted to playful games of cooperation and knowledge of the other and was also the occasion for the young elected representatives to be attentive to citizenship with the activity of “citizen tables”. Regarding the European Union, this day was able to highlight the importance of respecting different cultures, coexistence, human rights, freedom, equality, cooperation and cohesion.
At the end of their term, members of the Children Municipal Council plan to give a presentation on their projects to the Mayor and the municipal councilors.