IDEAS !

The "lycéens" in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes have plenty of ideas for their new Region!

Les idées sont rédigées en anglais parce que les élèves qui ont contribué sont pour la plupart en section européenne ; une version en français est disponible en cliquant sur ce lien : http://aurapropositions.blogspot.fr/

Remise du dossier "Les lycéens sont force de propositions pour leur nouvelle Région!"

à Mme Montoro-Sadoux au Conseil Régional à Lyon le 18/05/17

Eloi, Marie & Sol-Iris détaillent le dossier

Mme Montoro-Sadoux est élue au CR,

membre de la Commission "Formation initiale et Lycées"

Economy:

1. Offshore some of Lyon's companies to Clermont-Ferrand!
2. Local authorities should buy locally-grown organic food (or at least from integrated agriculture farms) for school canteens (healthier food for the pupils and teachers, boost local job creation, and respect the environment!).
3. Large enterprises should have branches in the four main cities of AURA (Lyon, Grenoble, Saint-Etienne and Clermont-Ferrand) in order to benefit all parts of the region.
4. There should be advertising hoardings exclusively for regional products and services.
5. There should be a supermarket chain with just regional products.
6. The “Conseil Régional” should do much more to help the small and medium-sized firms in the smaller towns of AURA; unemployment and therefore social problems are a problem there…
7. Problem: the regional brain drain (some of our best-qualified researchers leave AURA to find jobs abroad, or in other French regions, that are better paid than they would be here). The solution: a region-wide competition (run by the Regional Council) for a job that is guaranteed (by AURA) to be paid as well as anywhere else!
8. Our region has a number of problems, such as the marginalization of Auvergne, and the lack of interest of young people in their new AURA region. We have an idea that would address these problems and would also contribute to making our region even more attractive to visitors and inhabitants alike. Our project is called “AURART”. Many buildings in our region (especially in the Auvergne) are derelict or abandoned. A policy of rehabilitation and renovation to transform these buildings into art villages or neighbourhoods should be applied. You would find in these art villages/neighbourhoods: art galleries and workshops of all kinds for the young and the less young, as well as concerts, outdoor screenings, etc. The cities would attract tourists. The yearly budget for culture is €96.7 million (figure found on the official website of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes). With part of this budget, we could work with local builders (who would restore the buildings and roads), and farmers (who would provide local produce to the villagers). We would have to create transport routes (buses and car-pooling) to and from the art villages/neighbourhoods. We naturally want to make these art villages to be a sustainable development project, with total respect for the environment and as a means of creating real jobs; this project would create many local jobs (arts and crafts, building, farming, transport, tourism). The youth of AURA would contribute ideas and take part (even organize) activities in the art villages/neighbourhoods; thus, their involvement and interest in AURA would very much increase!

Des questions, des suggestions...

Education:

1. There should be one University for the whole Region ("Université d’AURA"), with each main city specializing in one academic domain. It would get rid of the idea of more “prestigious” universities.
2. There should be more activities (sport, cultural, study) in which pupils from different schools from the whole region could take part (regional inter-school sports competitions, weekend study groups, etc.).
3. Allow the Region to make decisions concerning education (pupils want, amongst other things: to reduce the number of school hours in the day, to be able to choose their subjects, to get more involved in voluntary work during school days).
4. Set up a regional agency for pupil volunteers (+ summer jobs).
5. We need an information kiosk on the EU in every “lycée”!
6. Create an AURA “lycée” leadership medal (for pupils who have shown outstanding leadership).
7. More and better links between “lycées” and higher education institutions are needed!
8. Youth should be the priority of the new region (as it was for the former Auvergne Region) as we are the future decision-makers! We need to be better trained as regards information technology and the new technologies (robotics, A.I., 3-D printing, etc.). We also need to know much more about innovation and (regional) development issues.
9. There should be an international “lycée” in each of the main urban areas of AURA.
10. There should be a European “lycée” in AURA (with pupils from different EU countries studying together) set in a place like Aurillac (Cantal).
11. There should be exchanges between pupils in the different “section européenne” classes of AURA “lycées.”

Les élus partagent leurs points de vue… 

Transport:

1. Lay a TGV line between Clermont-Ferrand, Saint-Etienne, Lyon and Grenoble; it would avoid urbanisation in and around Lyon.
2. Make Clermont-Ferrand the principal national train station for the French TGV network (as it is centrally situated)!
3. Improve and increase public transport networks (coaches especially) between Clermont-Ferrand and other towns in France.
4. Free public transport for all under-25s and over-60s!
5. Build the first French Hyperloop between the region’s main cities!
6. Congestion charge on private motor vehicles operating in the centre of towns (to subsidise the cost of improving public transport and cycle lanes).
7. Increase and improve cycle lanes and pedestrian areas.
8. There should be school buses like in the USA (in both rural and urban zones).
9. The region’s smaller airports should be made bigger and more attractive if we want to be able to welcome more visitors (tourists, business people, researchers, etc.).
10. Two problems: 1) the school timetable is overloaded and 2) public transport is overcrowded when we go to or come back from school. The solution: a new school system for everyone inspired by Montessori schools! In Montessori schools, you can choose your school hours and subjects. So: no exhausting long hours with too many subjects, and fewer kids in the rush hour!

Les élèves débattent…

Democracy:

1. “Lycéens” should be represented at the CESER of the Conseil Régional. Each of the 580 “lycées” in AURA would organise elections to choose one “lycéen” to represent their school. The elected pupils from the schools in each “Département” would then elect a representative for their “Département.” The elected pupils of the “lycées” in the “Métropole de Lyon” would do the same. The 13 elected representatives would defend the interests of all the “lycéens” of the region (they would act as spokespeople), give their opinions on issues discussed by the CESER, and put forward ideas for the Region. The opinions of young people would in this way be taken more into consideration. It would also be a good Civics lesson, getting young people interested in the regional decision-making process.
2. There is a democratic deficit in AURA! Major changes affecting all the citizens of the region should be approved via referendums. Most citizens are not involved enough in the political life of their region… Participatory democracy should be encouraged at the level of each “commune” through local referendums on matters to do with the commune. This democratic process already exists in France but is not used enough; it would make citizens more involved in the political decisions of their commune and strengthen democracy at the regional level (the Regional Council would be in a better position to make decisions that reflect the concerns of the people, such as the running of the nursery and elementary schools and retirement homes, the organization of cultural events, the management of libraries, museums and sport facilities). Every issue relative to a commune would be discussed by the Mayor and the council (i.e. the “Conseil municipal”). Then, after the Mayor has given his/her go-ahead, a local referendum would be organized. All the adult inhabitants of the commune (or, even better, all the inhabitants aged at least 16!) would vote on the issue via a dedicated website (using a username and password). This system of local referendums would empower citizens and give them a sense of responsibility, making them perhaps more aware of the world they live in, and, ultimately, it would strengthen the new Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region.
3. Give sixteen-year-olds the vote in local, departmental and regional elections!
4. Set up a "Conseil Régional des Lycéens !"
5. We should set up a regional association for “lycéens.” That way, pupils would have greater responsibilities, would feel they “belonged” more to the new region, and would get more involved in regional affairs.
6. There should be round table talks in all the “lycées” so as to propose ideas for the Regional Council.
7. There should be much more information given in schools about politics, the values of the Republic, and how young people can become more committed citizens (it would avoid youth being tempted by political or religious extremist groups, wouldn’t it?).
8. We (pupils but adults too) need more/better media studies (we need to be aware of fake news and to develop our critical thinking skills).
9. It would be good to have a youth council in each “commune,” one in each “Département,” and one for the whole region!

L’amphithéâtre de l’IADT envahi par les lycéens!

Fighting inequality:

1. We need better Civics studies in our “lycées” (with real projects pupils can take part in, like charity work and youth-run associations, during school hours).
2. Improve neighbourhood services and create jobs in rural zones (the "Départements" should buy the houses that are in ruins, restore them, and rent them out with a plot of land to unemployed people).
3. A big Region is a good thing because it makes us more economically competitive at the EU level, but social cohesion needs to be strengthened at a LOCAL level (i.e. of the “communes”) through support of associations, job-creation schemes, and citizens’ initiatives (especially those of young people so that they could learn to act together for the greater good).
4. People (with limited means) are piled up in the cities (and suffer from the socio-spatial segregation) and the rural zones are losing their populations. Why not give people incentives (good jobs, decent local council housing, a plot of land, high-speed internet access, an efficient public transport network) to move to the (more) rural areas?
5. Why are there big empty buildings (in urban and rural areas) that lie empty when there are people (like refugee families) living on the streets and people living in dilapidated premises? There should be a law that obliges the owners of empty premises (including local and regional authorities) to rent them out!
6. We would like everybody to have access to sports activities, especially the most marginalized members of society. Also, we have to fight the growing scourge of obesity, especially among youth. On the 25th January this year, M. Wauquiez, the Regional Council President, said during a ceremony with many sports personalities that: “Sport is not just about high level sport, it’s about all of the clubs too.” He is right and we think it would be a good idea to set up a non-profit organization which would help pay the subscription fees of children and teenagers to a sports club of their choice. Money would be raised via donations and sports events (similar to the “Téléthon” or the “Clermontoise”). Money would be sent via PayPal directly to the organization’s website. The organization would pay the clubs directly for (part of) the children’s subscription fees. We are a very successful region regarding sports, and we are one of the wealthiest regions in the EU. So, let us work together to raise the funds necessary so that every child can join in a sports activity, have fun and be healthy!

Les élèves répondent aux élèves...

Culture:

1. Launch a year-round travelling regional festival! This would help create a sense of belonging to the same region...
2. Set up an AURA regional youth symphony orchestra and choir!
3. Let us have a TV (news channel) + radio + website for AURA (with youth programmes and sites please)!
4. We should restore old buildings in the most isolated villages as artists' residences and exhibition space and workshops.
5. Set up an artists' colony in an eco-friendly village (there would be lots of things for visitors to do there!). Cf. “Economy”
6. There should be an annual region-wide arts and science festival on the theme of mountains and rivers.
7. There should be a regional annual arts festival (an AURA Youth Day) for “lycéens” (each year it would be in a different part of AURA). That way, young people from all over the region would get to know each other better. There could be a theme (for discussions, workshops and competitions). The “Conseil Régional” would subsidise the rail or coach fares of the young people from the “Départements” furthest from the festival site. Most workshops would be free. Some would be fee-paying in order to raise funds for the associations that run them. The festival should take place near a village; it would raise money for the local associations.
8. We should organize an AURA fun run!
9. There should be school trips organized all over the region so that we can discover our new region.
10. There should be workshops (activities like: theatre in English, film-making, astronomy, inventing things, speech-giving and debates, preparing a trip, running an association, preparing a charity event, etc.) in which pupils from different parts of the region could take part. We could meet in a castle or somewhere amazing and have fun learning useful skills and get to know each other!
11. Change the name of the Region to forge a new identity that shows we are united, dynamic, optimistic and open to the world!
12. An inter-school sports competition for AURA would be a great way for young people to meet and get to know each other. Forging the feeling of belonging to the same region is important if we are to make AURA a success...
13. A big idea to show the world the creative energy of the inhabitants of AURA: a festival of cutting edge technology as applied to the Arts! The festival would take place in and around the Zenith in Saint-Etienne over a long weekend. It would be spectacular (with concerts and shows), with many interactive exhibitions. It would be affordable (even free for under-25 year-olds), so the Regional Council would need to sponsor the event.
14. Young people need to get more involved in our new region’s many cultural activities. Maybe an association (run by the pupils themselves with the help of adults) could be set up in each high school of AURA (subsidised by the Regional Council?) to encourage the pupils to attend events (cinema, opera, theatre, museum visits, outings to heritage sites, etc.) or even to set up their own cultural activities (workshops, exhibitions, talks, tea-time discussions, a choir, etc.). The association would put up posters and hand out leaflets, run an information blog, etc. It could buy group tickets and organize visits. The AURA associations (one in each "Lycée") could federate and have a common website (we could make savings on ticket prices, etc.!). In Rennes, an association called “Culture and C°” was launched by a group of pupils and teachers. One of its achievements was to have organized a concert in a church to raise funds for a humanitarian mission in Senegal. If they can do it in Brittany, why can't we?

Des idées à foison!

Environment:

1. Make AURA the “greenest” region in Europe thanks mostly to youth-led actions!
2. There should be greater regional support for the nomination of the "Chaîne des Puys and Faille de Limagne" to the UNESCO World Heritage list.
3. More should be done to make people aware of sustainable development issues and methods (conferences, documents in schools and town halls, pupil “green ambassadors,” etc.).
4. To reduce pollution from transport, there should be a regular minibus service for isolated villages. Many more cycle routes need to be created. Also, useful work has to be found for (young) people in the villages, that way they would not have to travel to large towns. Renewable energy should be developed everywhere.
5. Develop green tourism activities (in the Regional and National Nature Parks), especially for teenagers (summer camps).
6. Build more Eco districts and develop eco-friendly means of transport.
7. Cars should not be allowed into the centre of Clermont-Ferrand. That way we could create more green spaces and make the city more attractive and liveable (this would attract more tourists too).
8. Once a month, there should be a citizens’ day for the environment: volunteers would clean the streets and facades of buildings, plant trees and flowers, and pick up litter (the rubbish would be taken to recycling centres and the money raised given to environment protection associations).
9. No motorway toll fees for cars where all the seats are taken (to encourage car-sharing)!
10. Here are a few ideas to make our wonderful new region one of the “happiest”! Towns can be a bit sad… We could add a little joy by putting up colourful panels in appropriate places. On those panels we would write happy quotes or just stick on funny pictures to put people in a good mood. How about a little music to put us in a good mood? When waiting to cross the road, the little man is red, warning us to wait. When he turns green, he could “play a tune”! Also, when walking up a flight of stairs in a public space, how about hearing a musical note (a different note for each step)? That would put a spring in your step and you could even play a tune to jolly you along (or make you waste time a little)! On the steps “piano” people could play tunes together and get fit! Streets are dirty sometimes… If you made the dustbins into basketball-style hoops, people could have fun throwing their litter into them! It would be a subtle reminder too not to be litter bugs!

Professeur Rieutort de l’IADT présente les enjeux de la nouvelle grande Région aux lycéens…

Opening up to the world:

1. Help rural communities of the region host migrant (refugee) families.
2. Give migrants something to do so that they will feel useful and not lose their dignity.
3. Schools should be allowed to “adopt” refugee families so that they will feel more welcome.
4. Why isn’t more being done to help the refugee populations in AURA? They need our help desperately, and we need them (especially in the rural zones that are becoming deserted)!
5. Why does the Regional Council not support (more) the application of the Chaîne des Puys-Limagne fault site to the UNESCO World Heritage list?

Les élèves posent des questions...

Regional Council:

1. More responsibilities (and bigger budgets) should be given to the “Départements” in order to avoid too much power being given to the “Conseil Régional”.
2. It is a waste of time talking about having a regional “identity” (like German “Länder”) for AURA; we should accept that the new region is mainly administrative and move on from there…
3. Let’s be optimistic and constructive! We are very lucky to have a beautiful and diverse region, with creative people who have a high standard of living! The merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes has real benefits (especially for the Auvergne); let’s concentrate on the positive and solve problems together!
4. Why isn’t there a user-friendly regional website/forum for the citizens of AURA to express their ideas and voice their complaints?
5. The new regions should have greater autonomy from the State (i.e. more power and a much bigger budget, like in other parts of the EU). AURA is the size of Ireland + Northern Ireland (with as many people and similar GDP), so why does our region not have similar powers to that of a small country?
6. Turn the former Auvergne Region’s headquarters in Montferrand into the headquarters of European youth and cutural organizations (like the European Youth Parliament France, the “Jeunes Européens France,” and Europavox)!

M. Laloy, Maire de Cusset, répond aux questions des lycéens…

Pour des articles sur la Région (rédigés par des lycéens), cliquez sur ces liens :

• AgoRA (en français)
• JUVENTUS AUDIAMUS! (in English)
• DEBATE CIUDADANO (en espagnol)